Bolivian Red Belly Ram

Description

Rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) have been popular in the hobby for decades for their brilliant colors and easy reproduction. They are small cichlids from South America that rarely grow larger than 2.5″. Their name, which means “Small Eartheater,” gives clues about their feeding mechanism: They sift sand through their mouths and gills, swallowing small bits of food. As such, sand is necessary for the long-term health of these fish. They seem to like their water warmer than most other fish, so it is advised to keep the water as close to 80 as possible.