German Blue Ram

Author : Efrain Silva

Appearance

The appearance of the one and only German Blue Ram is really, really, really interesting in a distinct way (and I probably did not use enough “reallys” to get my point across, to be frank). This fish has nice - looking bright, red eyeballs with black pupils and — get this — a dark black line that runs right through the middle of those eyeballs and pupils, respectively. You will have to see it to actually visualize what I am talking about here. Just Google “German Blue Ram” and scroll through a bunch of images that show up. Its torso body can appear to be of various different colors.

Diet

Don’t fight the diet — embrace it! This little piggy (or should I say fishie?) is fully omnivore, all the way, and true to such roots! This means meats are good, and plants are good….it’s not a picky eater, then, is it? Nope.

Its main diet should not be only flakes. Nor should it just be pellets. Both are acceptable, but there must be a balance. Get some live food in there as well. Break its food down twice per day and drop it in the tank (making sure you have very carefully washed your hands before and after the process).

Origins

The origins, at last! Now we will see what they are. Make no mistake, this German Blue Ram is actually South American (not to German at all, eh?). It comes from the heart of the one and only Orinoco River basin, which you can find in Venezuela. You can also locate this fish all throughout Colombia as well (best coffee in the world, side note). Venezuela’s “Angel Falls”, the world’s highest recorded waterfall, also referred to as the Salto Ángel, has plenty of fish nearby it, not excluding this one. Go take a good tourist visit, whenever you can…..

Roommate Situation

The situation with roommates, or tank mates, should be an easy one to setup for your fish. This fish is social like many others and is best within a community tank. It needs to be a part of a larger community that is also a peaceful one (with no aggressive types of fish in it). Here’s some ideas that work : Try Silver Dollars, Neon Tetras, Cardinals, Clown Loaches or even Platies. And you know who else would work? Guppies (everyone likes a good Guppy)!

Other Facts to Note

There are also a few other things you may want to take note on, when it comes to the amazing German Blue Ram. One is the fact that it can be highly sensitive when it comes to nitrate levels in the water, so take extra precaution on this end, for its health. Try not to put the German Blue Ram inside a brand - spanking - new aquarium, if at all possible. Also, you must change the water much frequently with this breed, and I mean 10 - 20 percent of the overall water in the tank has to get switched out weekly. There’s products you can buy to help with this! Ask your pet store.