These small, peaceful cichlids are an extremely popular community fish for their size and docile temperament. These fish generally stay around 2 inches in length, making them suitable for tanks as small as 10 gallons. These fish do best in pairs, so it's generally recommended to keep them in even numbers.
The Platinum Ram is not particularly demanding, but it is more sensitive than other cichlid species. It is not recommended to place these fish in uncycled tanks, as they respond poorly to sharp changes in water parameters. Platinum rams prefer a water temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and a pH of 5.5-7.0. These fish do significantly better in soft, slightly acidic water.
These fish are omnivorous and will eat both plant-based and animal-based foods. It is important to keep their diets varied; we recommend a mix of flakes and pellets, along with live or frozen foods. Because these fish are timid, they may be outcompeted for food if their tankmates are particularly energetic.
Platinum rams have a peaceful disposition and will get along with most other peaceful fish species. Avoid species that are significantly larger ormore aggressive than the Platinum Ram. This species is known to hunt dwarf shrimp species and their babies, so keeping Rams with Neocaridina Shrimp (such as cherry shrimp, yellow shrimp, blue shrimp, or rili shrimp) is not recommended. Larger shrimp species, such as ghost shrimp or Amano shrimp should be fine to live with the Platinum Ram.