The ram cichlid family has become a rapidly evolving popular fish species to many existing fish keepers and those that would like to get into the hobby, with so many people finally discovering the beautiful and exciting temperament of these freshwater fish.
For many hobbyists that own a new fish, it can be challenging to know what to feed them and what their most suitable diet consists of.
Ram cichlids are omnivores that require a combination of meats and vegetables, creating a balanced diet for them.
These cichlids can also be fussy eaters, so ensuring their diet is balanced is vital if you want them to be as healthy and as happy as possible.
What do Ram Cichlids Eat?
Ram cichlids that originate from South American waters; the Bolivian Ram and the Golden Ram typically feed on plants, variations of algae, and small crustaceans when in the wild and require a balanced diet that replicates this as closely as possible when housed in an aquarium setting.
On the other hand, the German Blue Ram and Electric Blue Ram are species of ram cichlid that have been developed via captive breeding, and therefore are open to trying a variety of different foods that they wouldn't otherwise have had access to in the wild.
Ram cichlids vary from fish to fish, whilst some may accept lots of different types of food, others could be super fussy. It is more about trial and error to see which foods your cichlid will accept.
Here are some foods that are widely accepted by ram cichlids and also help to formulate a healthy and balanced diet for them:
- Cichlid pellet
- Cichlid flake
- Mosquito Larvae
- Brine shrimp
- Chopped earthworm
- Daphnia
- Bloodworm
When feeding your cichlids flakes and pellets it is important to ensure that they are good quality, and contain the nutrients needed to create a balanced diet for your fish.
Best Ram Cichlid Food
Below are the best ram cichlid foods on the market today. They not only provide a tasty meal for your cichlids but they are full of the required nutrients to create a balanced diet.
Aqueon Cichlid Food
- These pellets contain shrimp and squid meal, perfect for cichlids.
- The ingredients are good quality and nutritious, supporting a healthy immune system, bringing out more coloration, and encouraging growth of your fish.
- Pellets can often cloud the tank water, but not these!
- Due to their small size, your cichlids will produce less waste whilst still intaking the right nutrients.
Aqueon cichlid food are affordable pellets that will complement your cichlid's diet perfectly.
Omega One Super Color Sinking Cichlid Pellets
- The omega one floating pellets are created with a variety of fresh seafood, ocean kelp, and spirulina, creating a healthy and well-balanced meal for your cichlids.
- They will also help maintain a clean tank due to the pellets being insoluble, reducing water pollution with much less starch which reduces fish waste.
- You should feed this product to your ram cichlids 1 to 3 times per day, and only feed them what they can eat within a 2-5 minute window.
- The quality is excellent, containing no digests, meals, hydrolysates, and other types of pre-processed proteins.
- The pellets are comprised of 42% min crude protein, 11% min crude fat, 2% max crude fiber, 8.5% max moisture, and 8% max ash.
- They support healthy and bright coloration too, making your ram cichlid even more bright and colorful.
The omega one super color sinking pellets are great for adult ram cichlids, providing all the nutrients needed in a healthy ram cichlid diet.
Tetra Blood Worms Freeze Dried Treat
- Blood worms are a fantastic diet supplement for ram cichlids. They are full of nutrients and packed with protein, supporting the energy and conditioning for your fish.
- They are the perfect addition to a balanced diet for tropical fish such as ram cichlids and are also eaten by cichlids in the wild too.
- Being freeze-dried will alleviate the chances of your fish catching any infections or diseases from live bloodworms.
- They come in a child-safe tube too, with a child-safety lid but they should also be kept out of the reach of children.
- You should only feed them to your ram cichlids twice a week as an additional treat to eat along with their regular diet.
Bloodworms are a fantastic addition to any healthy and balanced ram cichlid diet. They should, however, be fed to your fish as a 'treat', no more than twice a week and only if they behave!
How Often Should I Feed My Ram Cichlids?
You should feed them three times a day if possible. If you lead a super busy life and do not have the time to achieve this, we recommend acquiring an automatic fish feeder to take care of it for you.
Three times a day is perfect as you will not be overfeeding them, but still providing them with the right amount of nutrients to give them the energy to support their busy lifestyle.
How Much Food Should I Feed My Ram Cichlid?
This all depends on how many ram cichlids you have in your aquarium. So, you should feed them as much as they can eat within a 2 to 5-minute period depending on the size of them. After they have finished eating, remove any excess food from the tank as it will foul up the water.
If you keep seeing excess food in your tank after about 10 minutes, then feed your rams less food next time. It will save you money and clean up time!
Conclusion
Ram cichlids are notoriously fussy eaters, but if you feed them a healthy and balanced diet on a consistent basis, they will get used to it over time. Also, by adding additional supplements such as bloodworms, they will not get bored of the food.
Diet and nutrition are as important to ram cichlids as they are to humans, and if they maintain a healthy diet you will see even bright coloration and patterns!
