Freshwater Fish
Blue Ram.
A small, jewel-toned dwarf cichlid — gold, blue, and red with bold dark markings and expressive fins. A little particular about clean, warm, stable water, but a pair brings constant interaction to a 20-gallon-plus tank with caves to claim.
In-store purchase only. Live fish, coral, and invertebrates are sold at our Erie store only. They cannot be bought online, and we do not ship live animals under any circumstances.
Live fish are priced per supplier batch — prices may vary. Call to confirm current pricing.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
Live animals are sold in store only — we do not ship fish, coral, or invertebrates. Every animal is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it reaches the sales floor. This is a species we carry — it's most likely in the tanks around delivery days, but live stock changes daily. Please call (814) 456-9445 to confirm availability before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Community
- Semi community
- Adult size
- 3"
- Min tank size
- 20 gallons
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Microgeophagus ramirezi
Good tank mates
The blue ram is a semi-aggressive dwarf cichlid, so it wants calm, similarly-sized tankmates that aren't timid and won't outcompete it at feeding time. Good company includes peaceful mid-water schoolers like rummy-nose or cardinal tetras and harlequin rasboras, plus bottom-dwellers like corydoras. Avoid large or aggressive cichlids that will bully it, fin-nippers, and tiny shrimp it may pick at. A pair can get territorial around their cave at breeding time, so give them space.
Good to know
The blue ram is named after Manuel Ramirez, an aquarium-fish exporter, which is reflected in its species name ramirezi.
Stock and individual temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice before you buy.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. Stock and individual temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 to confirm before you buy.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Cardinal Tetra
Peaceful open-water schooler that shares the warm (27–30°C), soft, acidic water Blue Rams require. Explicitly named as a compatible species by Seriously Fish and widely documented in the planted-tank community as one of the best Ram companions.
Rummy-Nose Tetra
Tolerates up to 31°C per Wikipedia; planted-tank communities confirm regular successful cohabitation with Rams at 28–30°C. Small, peaceful schooling fish with overlapping soft-acidic water preferences and no reported aggression.
Bristlenose Pleco
Despite a quoted optimal range of 74–80°F, extensive real-world evidence from the discus-keeping community shows Bristlenose thriving at 84–86°F with good aeration — well within Ram territory. Docile algae grazer with no zone or aggression conflict. Best kept at the lower end of Ram temperatures (27–28°C) with adequate oxygenation.
- S
Sterbai Cory Catfish
The standout Corydoras species for high-temperature setups — one of the very few Cory species that thrives at the warm water Rams need. Peaceful, bottom-dwelling, and occupies a different zone from the Ram's mid-bottom territory.
- K
Kuhli Loach
Native warm-water loach with a 24–30°C comfort range that maps directly onto Ram parameters. Peaceful, nocturnal, and hides in substrate crevices, producing minimal zone conflict with a daytime-active Ram.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.