Ram Cichlid Question

[gkai]

hi there, im just wandering, i have 3 ram cichlid i have both and my lfs store said it was electric blue ballon ram. they were also another ram cichlid and it were called rainbow ram cichlid which is way more expensive to the electric blue ram. it is really another kind of ram or it is a kind of mutation or hybrid one?. Second can i mix my electric blue with german ram cause im planning to buy some from another store?.

 

[Mike Wise]

The original "Rainbow" Ram of the 70s & 80s were a colorful form of M. ramirezi, as are your e.b.-ballon Rams. I don't know what a Rainbow Ram is these days. If they have blue bodies than they are M. ramirezi. I see no problem mixing Ram strains. They are, after all, the same species. The balloon body fish will not easily compete for food and space with normal shaped species, however.