Bolivian ram
The Bolivian ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, is a dwarf cichlid from the Amazon drainage in Bolivia and western Brazil, sandy-gold with a black eye stripe, a dark flank spot and red-edged fins.
It reaches around eight centimetres and lives four to six years. It is very often recommended as the sensible alternative to the German blue ram, and the recommendation is sound: it wants ordinary temperatures rather than the near-30°C the blue ram needs, tolerates a much wider range of water chemistry, and is markedly hardier and longer-lived. It is also a genuinely peaceful cichlid, which is not a common combination.
- Origin
- Amazon drainage in Bolivia and western Brazil
- Adult size
- About 8 cm
- Lifespan
- 4–6 years
- Minimum tank
- 75 litres for a pair
- Temperature
- 23–27°C — cooler than a German blue ram
- Temperament
- Peaceful; territorial only while breeding
2 bolivian ram photos, newest first
Living with a bolivian ram
Use sand, not gravel. Bolivian rams sift mouthfuls of substrate and spit them out to find food, and sharp gravel damages the mouth and gills over time.
They are undemanding about water chemistry compared with most dwarf cichlids, but they do not tolerate nitrate or an uncycled tank. Steady weekly water changes matter more than chasing a pH number.
Keep them in pairs or a small group in a tank with clear sightline breaks — driftwood, plants, rock. Two males in a bare tank will squabble.
Good tankmates are peaceful mid-water schoolers. Avoid fin-nippers and anything boisterous enough to outcompete them at feeding.
A pair that darkens and claims a flat stone is spawning. They are attentive parents and will guard fry for weeks.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual fishs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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