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What kind of fish is ramirezi?

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When most aquarists think of dwarf cichlids, they are Ramirezi. "Dwarf" is a name attached to a small breed, but if you see its colorful and cute appearance, you will definitely want to keep it. Among tropical fish, cichlids are said to be the "flower", but Ramirezi teaches us not only the charm of cichlids, but also the charm of tropical fish in a broad sense. I would like to introduce such a Ramirezie.
Characteristics of Lamirezi
Ramirezi is native to the Orinoco and Meta river systems in Colombia and Venezuela. Currently, farmed individuals are mostly distributed, but in Japan, domestically produced individuals and Southeast Asian cultured individuals are distributed. It is popular with many aquarists because it is reasonably priced and has a relatively mild nature. The total length is 5 cm ±, and there is a feature that the female is smaller.
Ecology of Ramirezie
Like other cichlids, if you keep more than one Ramirezi, they will pair up. After spawning, the pair will take care of the eggs and fry, but it is not always possible to see the parent and child swimming happily after successful breeding. If breeding does not go well, artificial incubation and breeding will be done.
Types of Ramirezi (cultivars)
An improvement that started with the wild Ramirezi. Starting with European breeds such as Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, aquaculture in Southeast Asia such as China and Malaysia has become popular. Currently, there are improved varieties produced in Japan. Let's take a look at the Ramirezi variety.
microgeophergus ramirezii
This is the current Ramirezie name. There are WILD individuals (locally collected individuals) and breed individuals (cultured individuals), but most of the individuals in circulation are breed individuals. WILD individuals are difficult to obtain.
Price around 700-1000 yen
Acquisition Difficulty ☆☆☆☆
Holland Rami Reggie
The Dutch Ruinemans Aquarium began exporting Colombian Ramirezi to countries around the world. Currently, most of the distribution in Japan is Dutch Ramirezi made in Japan.
Price around 700-1000 yen
Acquisition difficulty ☆
German Rami Reggie
It was created in the same way as Holland Ramirezi. The only difference is that the country of origin was Germany, and the origin was Colombian Ramirezie. Both Dutch and German lambs are characterized by black spots on the eastern part and black markings on the dorsal fin and sides of the body. Currently in Japan, there are many distributions of German Ramirezi made in Japan.
Price around 700-1000 yen
Acquisition difficulty ☆
balloon lamirezi
A balloon is the name given to the short rami-reggie, which is created by each vertebra becoming smaller and shorter. They have a cute round appearance, but since they are not a normal body shape, it is recommended that you pay more attention to their health and whether they are attacked by other fish. The price will be higher if the balloon is of a different breed, or if it is a breed with long fin features.
Price around 700-2600 yen
Acquisition Difficulty☆☆
blue diamond rami reggie
In terms of this breed, there are many other fish species with different distribution names, such as Cobalt Blue Ramirezi. Ramirezi has colors such as blue, red, yellow, and black, but this breed is Ramirezi that has been improved so that most of the body is covered with blue.
Price around 700-1000 yen
Acquisition difficulty ☆
Other Ramirezzi
There are other varieties of Ramirezi, but some of them are rarely seen, so I will introduce the varieties here. For example, there are German lambs and Dutch lambs that have been improved to have a golden color and long fins.
Examples include Golden Balloon Ramirezi, Cobalt Blue Balloon Ramirezi Longfin, etc., but these are less common than the common species but are in circulation. In addition, there are Japan Rami Reggie and Rainbow Rami Reggie, which are especially difficult to obtain.
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Breeding of Ramirezi

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With proper management, Ramirezi can be kept in the same way as ordinary tropical fish, but it is also a tropical fish that is fragile. Next, let's look at the environment, such as the aquarium equipment.
tank size and filter
The tank size can be used from a 30 cm tank with a water volume of about 12 liters to a 60 cm standard tank with a water volume of about 60 liters. We recommend a 60-standard tank that allows fry to grow even after breeding. A 60 standard tank is suitable not only for raising fry, but also for mixed swimming with other fish and when you want to keep multiple Ramirezi.
Breeding is possible in a 30 cm tank, but the amount of water is small and the space is small, so it is necessary to move the fry (increase the size of the tank) at an early stage, and it is difficult to swim with other fish and keep multiple Ramiregii.
For the filter, if you are thinking about breeding, install a sponge filter. However, if you have 30 tanks, it may be a little difficult to install a sponge filter due to space constraints.
For 30-cube tanks, 45-standard and 60-standard tanks, in addition to the sponge filter, you can install any type of filter, such as an external filter, upper type or external type filter.
Water temperature/water quality
The water temperature is about 27-28 degrees Celsius, and cichlids are suitable for higher water temperatures than other tropical fish. It is said that weakly acidic water is suitable, but most of the breeds currently on the market are domestic and Southeast Asian breeds, so you don't have to worry about water quality like WILD products.
The frequency and amount of water changes will depend on the amount of water in the tank and the size and number of fish. If you want to create an environment with plenty of room, we recommend a well-balanced aquarium environment that can be kept without problems by changing 1/3 of the water once every two weeks.
bottom sand
It is said that the bottom sand is suitable for soil, but it is not an absolute requirement. The first advantage of soil is that it is easy to create a weakly acidic water quality environment. Also, if you enjoy it with aquatic plants, soil is suitable.
However, in fact, they will breed as well as keep other types of gravel and sand. Rather, if you only want to breed, we recommend keeping a bare tank (an environment without sand on the bottom).
layout
Feel free to do this however you like. Do you want to focus on the layout of aquatic plants, or on fish? If you are focusing on fish, you can say that management is also important, so you should choose types of aquatic plants that are easy to manage and keep the layout simple.
The simple layout makes it easier to clean the tank, so it emphasizes fish management. I think it would be interesting to create a layout using the types of aquatic plants found in the Amazon River.
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Ramirezie food
Ramireggies are relatively unchoosy about their food, so you don't need to worry too much. Instead, let's take a look at what you should feed your Ramirezi to grow an outwardly beautiful and inwardly healthy Ramirezi.
Recommended bait
It is best to feed several types of food. The reason for this is that it has the advantage of making it easier to maintain a nutritional balance, and that it is less likely to cause problems if a specific food is no longer available or is no longer available.
Next, we will talk about the recommended baits that are easy to obtain for everyone.
Tetra Brine Shrimp Eggs
Dried eggs collected in salt water lakes, hatched in salt water and used. Live brine shrimp babies are recommended not only for fry and small fish, but also for adult dwarf cichlid fish such as Ramirezi. It is highly palatable, rich in nutritional value, and has a coloring effect.
Benly Pack Foods Frozen bloodworm
Benly Pack Food's frozen bloodworms are in the form of chocolate bars, so it's very convenient that you can break them into whatever size you like. Even though it is sterilized, it is a very good place for the price and bargain. It is also highly palatable.
Tetra Tetradiscus
Discus food is rich in nutrients and is a good dry food for many fish. When you are not sure what to give, discus food is the way to go. It's such a high level and versatile bait.
Kyorin Hikari Crest Discus
It is a versatile food that is highly nutritious, highly palatable, and has a coloring effect. It is also a good point that it is made of domestic Kyorin. It's not too much in terms of content, and it's good that the price is affordable.
Kyorin Hikari Premium Megabyte Red S
Saltwater fish food is a truly premium dry food that is good for all fish. We can recommend freshwater fish such as killifish and goldfish to freshwater tropical fish. It is a very good food for digestion.
Recommended bait for deepening the color of Ramirezi
Frozen discus hamburger (for deep-fried red)
Frozen discus hamburgers for red-fried are fast, and some can be seen in 3 days. The ingredients are also mainly beef heart (meat), so it is also suitable for making bigger fish.
Tetra Tetra Discus Breeder Red
A crumble-shaped dry food that is highly nutritious and has an excellent coloring effect. It is more palatable than goldfish food, and it is also a good point that the water does not get dirty easily.
Kyorin Neopros
Highly palatable flake food for tropical fish. Recommended for those who want a flaky color enhancement effect. Flake food is also a good point that the price is affordable.
Kyorin Sakihikari Goldfish, Glossy Appearance, Special Color
It's a product name that you want to use. It is often used as a color-enhancing feed that is finished before the Ranchu competition. If you want to make the fish bigger, it is recommended to use it in combination with other baits.
Sakihikari Goldfish Glossy figure Special grade fried 100g (sinking)
how to feed
No special feeding is required. Feed in the morning and at night, just like in the general feeding method, and it's OK if Ramirezie's stomach swells after eating the food. A good thing to keep in mind is to feed at the same time as much as possible, and finish the last feeding of the day about 3 hours before lights out.
If you can't afford to wait 3 hours before turning off the lights, try to leave as much time as possible, even if it's an hour or two. It is highly recommended to use a timer for lighting to keep it regular. For feeding, timer management is not recommended for observing Ramirezi.
What to do when Rami Reggie won't eat
In the case of Ramiregii, the reasons for not eating can be illness, poor water quality, unsuitable environment, or stress from constant attack by mixed-swimming fish.
First of all, we will investigate whether there are any of these causes, but since there may be multiple causes, it is appropriate to deal with each case.
About Ramirezie mixed swimming
As a cichlid, Ramirezi has a relatively mild nature, so you can enjoy mixed swimming. Let's take a look at mixed swimming based on the points to note.
Mixed swimming with the same or related species

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In the case of mixed swimming with the same or related species, skirmishes are more likely to be seen. Cichlids always have a strong and weak relationship in a group, but to avoid this as much as possible, there is a way to keep the number of cichlids so that they are overcrowded or overcrowded with respect to the space in the aquarium.
However, in the case of overcrowding, the water quality tends to deteriorate, which makes management difficult, so it is up to the breeder to decide what to do. One case where overcrowding does not work is if there is enough space and shelter in the tank.
/In this case, on the contrary, it is better not to put too many fish in order to make it difficult for the fish to come into contact with each other.
Swimming with other species

source:Photo AC
Regarding swimming with other fish, it is NG because there is no point in keeping Rami-Regi with an opponent that would kill Rami-Regi. Fish species that are smaller, faster, quieter and weaker than Ramirezi will be swimming partners. If you want to keep and breed Rami-Regi beautifully, you need to create a swimming balance that gives Rami-Regi an advantage. As a suitable one, small characin is especially recommended because it is easy to mix.
Swimming with shrimp is not impossible, but there are cases where shrimp can be eaten, so it cannot be said that it is suitable. Shellfish can also be mixed depending on the type, but there are many cases where shellfish can be eaten, so it cannot be said that it is very suitable.
Let's try breeding Ramirezi!

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There are other fish species, but cichlids in particular are the most attractive for breeding. If you see a parent and child swimming, you will definitely be captivated by breeding.
Breeding Ramirezi is not difficult if you hold down the points
The number of eggs laid by Ramiregii ranges from several dozen to 100 or more. Since cichlids lay their eggs on a substrate, Ramirezi also lays eggs on the surface of rocks and driftwood, but there are also cases where eggs are laid in hollows made by digging the bottom sand. Therefore, place several stones with flat surfaces in the tank so that Ramirezi can choose where to lay eggs.
/Cichlids go from spawning to hatching at intervals of 2-3 days at 27-28°C, and Ramirezi conforms to this. And once the fry are free-swimming, start feeding live brine shrimp babies. However, I think there are many people who say that even if they go to great lengths to lay eggs, the eggs and fry will be eaten. From here, let's take a look at the breeding of Ramirezi while holding down the points.
How to distinguish between male and female
Ramirezi are larger in males and smaller in females. Each fin is also longer and larger in males. The abdomen of the female is colored red, but when it is in heat, it becomes even more recognizable. If it is an environment with multiple fish, it is easy to compare and distinguish, and if it is an adult fish, it is even easier to understand.
pairing
If you can't distinguish the sexes of immature fish, you should raise at least 5 or more, but if you can buy it, it's sure to have more. Some Ramirezies are sold in pairs, but there are also male and female pairs, as well as pairs with experience in breeding. Pairs that have been in stock for a long time tend to be easier to breed.
Breeding of Ramiregii Part 2. Spawning ~ Management of juveniles after hatching
It is best not to change the water after spawning. The reason is that stress and changes in water quality during water changes can stimulate the parent fish to eat eggs and offspring. On the other hand, there are cases where deterioration of water quality or changes to inappropriate water quality leads to eating eggs and eating eggs, so if this is possible, change the water. Currently, there are reverse liquids (water engineering) (others such as Kotobuki Doctor Bio) that remove substances that cannot be removed without water changes, so let's actively use them.
For the safety of eggs and fry, it is important not to put stress on the pair. By keeping the measurement data such as ph, kh, and water temperature at the time of spawning or when a problem occurs, you can see when it succeeded or failed, so it is also recommended to keep a record. .
Breeding of Ramirezi 3. Rearing fry
Once the fry are free-swimming, give them live brine shrimp babies little by little and see if they eat. If you eat properly, you can tell by the orange color of the brine shrimp on the belly of the fry.
If you can't breed well with eating eggs or eating children, there is also a method of artificial incubation and breeding by separating the pair and eggs after spawning. The sooner you separate the parent fish, the easier it is for the hatch rate and survival rate to drop, so it can be said that it is a little difficult to decide when to separate, but whether to separate at the egg stage or at the juvenile stage is also a question for the owner. There is no choice but to remember while gaining experience.
By the way, if you use water that has been pumped overnight and is at a suitable temperature, it is safe to change a large amount of water at once, so it is recommended.
Diseases to watch out for when breeding Ramirezi

source:Photo AC
Disease is an eternal theme that cannot be separated from living things. Learning more about diseases is the most important thing when interacting with living things, so please focus on this.
Aeromonas
The appearance symptoms that are likely to be seen with Lamirezi include pop eyes (protrusion of the eyeballs), swelling of the abdomen (swelling of the abdomen), and standing scales (rising scales), but there are also other symptoms such as bleeding and holes in the body. sometimes Be careful as it is easier to get sick with deteriorating water quality.
Columnaritosis
The mucous membranes on the body surface (including the surface of the eyes) are conspicuous white, and the mouth and fins are sore that they melt and bleed. If Ella is killed, she may die while still looking beautiful.
/Cichlid disease (Cichlid AIDS)
The symptoms are like a strong infection, and it is a severe disease for small fish such as Ramirezi. In particular, the risk increases when mixing cichlids from Southeast Asia with cichlids from other countries, so be careful when mixing such cichlids. Columnarisis and this disease develop on the 3rd day after mixing, so be especially careful about 3 to 7 days after introducing new fish.
Pretty Ramirezie continues to fascinate aquarists

source:Photo AC
Ramirezie has a tendency to deteriorate water quality, and swimming with cichlids is not only compatible, but also has a high risk of disease, so it shows weakness in this regard. I also feel that it is one of the fish species that needs to be improved to strengthen its constitution, as it can be felt that its constitution is weakened due to successive breeding.
But still Ramirezie's beauty attracts everyone. Ramirezie continues to fascinate many aquarists, from beginners to veterans. Please be fascinated by Ramirezie.