Description
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi is quite a famous fish. This fish was originally collected from the drainage of the rio Orinoco in Venezuela and Colombia, this long-finned domestic form is already so far removed from the wild that the wild water conditions matter very minimally when trying to keep this fish in your aquarium.
Because this fish has been bred in an aquarium for multiple generations already, they should be much more adaptable to tank water than any wild fish would most likely be. The most important factor is going to be a well cycled aquarium which is able to process the amount of waste that your fish produce, keeping the aquarium clean chemically. Also keep in mind that these fish really like it warm! This species of fish does not tend to do well in aquariums in temperatures lower than 80 degrees. At this temperature the dissolved oxygen in the water can quickly be depleted, so having something to help oxygenate the water is a very important safeguard.
The temperature also presents some difficulty in both choosing some potential tank mates for them, as well as choosing plants if you want to put them in a planted aquarium. In terms of fish, most tropical fish that we keep in the hobby do not need temperatures that high, but are perfectly comfortable. One popular pairing of fish is discus, since they are another fish that really prefers a warmer water temperature. Plants on the other hand prefer to be a bit cooler, and you may have some difficulty maintaining plants long term in temperatures that high. Give it a try though, with faster growing stem plants being more likely candidates to do well over time, especially those which are naturally found in warmer climates, like Brazil. These fish ship individually bagged.
Please Note: Live Animals delivered with UPS Next Day Air are 100% covered by our Dead-On-Arrival Guarantee Coverage as disclosed in our Terms & Conditions. Live Animals delivered with USPS Priority Mail are not covered by our Dead-On-Arrival Guarantee Coverage. For complete details, please read our Terms & Conditions prior to ordering.
