How to setup a cheap aquarium for German Blue Ram Cichlid fish?

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi is not a beginners’ fish so avoid keeping this fish if you are a new aquarist. Instead, I would suggest you keep fish like molly, platy, guppy, betta, goldfish or other beginners’ fish.

Make sure you use a quality filter that can wipe out toxic chemicals released from fish poop, & other decaying matter. It is recommended to use a hang on back filter in Asian Ram fish aquarium but pay attention as high water movement can affect your fish because this fish like slow water movement inside their aquarium. AquaClear Power filter offers lots of space for adding bio media, & it works best in the German Blue Ram fish aquarium.

Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid is also known as German Blue Ram fish. They seem stunning in appearance, & many aquarists keep them in aquariums. They need moderate care. They are very sensitive to water conditions.

 

Category

Rating

Care Level:

Intermediate

Behavior

Good

Lifespan

Up to 4 years

Length

2 to 3 inches

Food

Omnivore

Family

Cichlidae

Min. Aquarium Size

10 Gallons

Aquarium Setup

Planted Aquarium

Tank Mates

Small Peaceful Fish

 

Ideal Water Conditions for Mikrogeophagus ramirezi Fish:

The ideal temperature range for Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid fish is between 78 to 85 °F, & the pH range is in between 5.5 to 7.0. They need water hardness between 6 to 14 dGH.

Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid fish are very sensitive to rise in organic wastes such as ammonia, nitrites & nitrates so make sure you monitor your aquarium water on a regular basis using test kits to keep the levels of organic wastes in control.

Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid fish need partial water changes on a regular basis, like replacing up to 20 percent water every week. If your aquarium has many fish, then it is recommended to replace 30 percent water once a week.


Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid / Asian Ram Fish Tank Filter
Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid / Asian Ram Fish Tank Filter

Aquarium Setup for German Blue Ram Cichlid:

Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid fish can be kept in small aquariums like 10 gallons tanks due to their small size but water parameters change quickly in small tanks so make sure you can cater to these adverse effects. I would suggest you often check water quality & if anything is unstable, then consider changing partial water. Also, change up to 30 percent water on a weekly basis to keep water chemistry under control.

Mimic the wild habitat of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi inside your aquarium because it will offer all greenery, & lots of hiding spots where fish can hide. Live plants reduce ammonia & nitrate levels inside your aquarium as they consume these toxins. Contaminants are used for fertilizing aquatic plants so plants don’t need any extra fertilizers if you have fish in your aquarium. Offer free swimming space for the fish too.

Asian Ram fish need an abundance of hiding spots inside the fish tank. It is important to put tank decorations as well as aquatic plants for offering greenery as well as heaps of hiding spots for the stressed fish to hide. Asian Ram fish can reach a size of up to 3 inches, & females are larger than males. German Blue Ram fish can live up to 4 years in aquariums.


Aquarium Size for German Blue Ram Cichlid Fish:

For a single fish you can use a 10-gallon aquarium. Minimum aquarium size of 20 gallons is required for a single pair. When setting up the aquatic plants, make sure you offer free space as Electric Blue Ram fish like swimming.

If you are keeping 2 pairs, then keep them in a 40 gallon aquarium.

 

Substrate for Asian Ram Fish:

For substrate you can use a combination of gravel & sand.

Do not add Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid fish to an uncycled aquarium. Make sure you add this fish to an established aquarium that has less organic waste. Use a tank filter that generates slow water movement as Electric Blue Ram fish like slow water current. Make sure your filter is efficient in cleaning water. My suggestion is to use a hang on back filter like AquaClear Power filter that holds heaps of media for efficiently cleaning water. It is important to keep the toxins in control by regularly monitoring them with test kits.


Best Filter for German Blue Ram fish:

AquaClear Power filter provides high contact time of toxic water with bio media, & it consumes less power.

You can quickly & simply setup AquaClear Power filter, & it needs cleaning after every two weeks to keep running at the highest efficiency.

AquaClear filters can offer three types of filtrations with efficiency. It can offer mechanical, biological & chemical filtration. Mechanical filter media traps solid waste particles or other debris from the water while toxic chemicals that can flow through the foam or sponge, are trapped by bio media. Chemical filtration is not necessary, & they are used to remove leftover medications or heavy metals from the water.

AquaClear offers up to seven times more filtration volume than other filters of the same size.

It can be used for up to 50 gallons aquarium.

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