German blue ram care guide

Plan a tank with German blue ramsSee all tank mates

German blue ram quick facts

• Needs sand or smooth, fine gravel to protect its barbels and belly.

Tank setup

A single ram or a pair needs at least a 20-gallon (76 L) tank about 24 in (60 cm) long, and two pairs need about 40 gallons (151 L). Use soft sand so they can sift for food, and add plants, wood and flat stones to mark out territories. Dim light and floating plants help them feel safe. Only add rams to a tank that has been running for several months.

How many German blue rams in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits German blue rams is a 20 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Numbers are bioload limits only. Males fight, so keep one fish or one pair.

Water parameters

Rams need warm water at 27–30 °C (81–86 °F), held steady. Keep the pH around 5.0–7.0 and the water soft (about 1–8 dGH). They react badly to ammonia, nitrite and high nitrate, so test often and change water every week. Very hard, alkaline tap water may need to be mixed with RO water.

Best tank mates for German blue rams

These popular species share German blue rams' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 3 good matches.

• Boesemani rainbowfish

  10 cm (3.9 in) · 26–29°C (79–84°F)

• Moonlight gourami

  14 cm (5.5 in) · 25–29°C (77–84°F)

Avoid keeping German blue rams with

• Bristlenose pleco: They need different temperatures: German blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F), bristlenose pleco 22–26°C (72–79°F).
• Bronze corydoras: They need different temperatures: German blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F), bronze corydoras 21–26°C (70–79°F).
• Cherry shrimp: German blue ram eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: German blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: German blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Neon tetra: They need different temperatures: German blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F), neon tetra 21–25°C (70–77°F).

Feeding

In nature they sift sand for tiny invertebrates. Feed small sinking pellets or granules as the staple and add frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, mysis or cyclops often. Feed young fish twice a day and adults once or twice a day, in small amounts.

Behavior

Rams are peaceful toward other species but shy, and they lose out to fast, greedy eaters. Males defend a patch of the bottom from other rams, especially when breeding. Good tank mates are fish that cope with 27–28 °C (81–82 °F), such as cardinal and rummy-nose tetras, sterbai corydoras, small plecos and discus, though that is the warm end of the range for most of them. Avoid larger cichlids, aggressive fish and fish that need cool or hard water.

Breeding

Males are larger, with taller, more extended dorsal fins, while females are rounder and usually show a pink belly patch. Pairs lay roughly 150–300 eggs on a flat stone or in a shallow pit, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Eggs hatch in 2–3 days and the fry swim about 5 days later. Young pairs often eat their first clutches, so be patient.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Never add rams to a new tank. Wait until it is fully cycled and has been stable for a few months.
• Keep the heater at 27–30 °C (81–86 °F). Most community fish like cooler water, so choose tank mates carefully.
• Buy healthy, alert fish from a trusted seller. Weak mass-bred stock is the main reason rams die young.
• Avoid balloon rams. The short, rounded body is a deformity linked to health problems.
• Electric blue and gold rams are color forms of the same species and need the same care.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• aquariumcoop.com
• fishkeeper.co.uk
• fishkeeper.co.uk
• en.wikipedia.org