Butterfly cichlid "blue punk" - Microgeophagus ramirezi - single animal

With the butterfly cichlid "blue punk" or "ice blue" you buy a pair of the particularly intensively colored and still quite rare, blue breeding form of the well-known South American butterfly cichlid. With their striking fins, interesting behavior and contrasting coloration, Microgeophagus ramirezi "blue punk" are absolute jewels in the home South America aquarium. These pretty, high-backed dwarf cichlids rummage through the substrate with their mouths to "filter" small worms and other edible food from the sand. The animals owe their Latin name to this behavior, which translates as"earth eater".

You will receive our "Blue Punk" in pairs!

The body shimmers metallic turquoise to light blue and the head area is colored orange-red, as well as the fin tips. The animals do not have a particularly pronounced sexual dichromatism, i.e. the females are identically colored like the males, remain only somewhat smaller and altogether slimmer. Adult males also develop a more or less pronounced hump on the forehead, which is completely absent in females. Males are mature at about 6-7 cm, females reach a final size of about 4-5 cm .

In its natural habitat, the Butterfly Cichlid is found in weedy, densely vegetated waters with a rather sandy bottom. There it is mainly found in acidic and soft water. These circumstances should be taken into account in the  home aquarium and consequently also provide the animals with at least a smaller area with sandy substrate to chew through. Background and sides of the aquarium should provide enough retreat possibilities in the form of Plants but the foreground should also offer enough free swimming space for the animals. The water should be soft and acidic, similar to their habitat, and also have humic substances , which can be easily supplemented. Although also Blue South American Butterfly Cichlids tolerate somewhat harder water values, it is recommended with this somewhat more sensitive breeding form to set on rather soft water, which facilitates also a possible breeding clearly. A pH of 6-7 would be considered suitable. The water temperature in the aquarium should be between 22 to 30 °C and the water quality should be guaranteed by a sufficiently generously dimensioned filter system and regular water changes. If these points are taken into account, the butterfly cichlids can live up to 3 years. The minimum tank size for keeping a pair of "blue punk" would be 60 cm edge length or 54l. Please keep several pairs together only in sufficiently large tanks, since the males form territories.

A socialization with shrimps is rather difficult, because smaller shrimps fit perfectly into the feeding pattern of the butterflies, larger shrimps and especially Amano shrimps often harmonize quite well at least with not yet fully grown cichlids. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee for this. Smaller tetras and growth eating catfish, as well as Corydorasare ideal as by-fish and attacks by the butterfly cichlids are very rare, mostly when the breeding pair is guarding its clutch. These attacks are usually limited to a short, angry expulsion of the intruders.

The butterfly cichlids will often start reproducing rather quickly in soft water with humic substances , whereby the pair starts to intensively clean the selected area for spawning (ideally a flat stone or similar). If the fish have previously been adequately supplied with live food and high quality frozen food , the female will also already have a discernible spawn and be roly-poly. The parent fish perform the brood care together and scare away any supposed "spawn predators" during this time. If the brood care was successful, the young fish swim freely already a few days later and the brood care instinct of the parents slowly dies out. If you want to raise the young specifically, you should remove the by-fish and parents from the tank at this time, otherwise they will attack the offspring. The baby fish are initially fed with  Artemia nauplii, cyclops, micro worms and other small live food.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, perfectly meeting their dietary requirements. The tasty pearls are also very well eaten by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend when keeping fish the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.