German Ram Cichlids Sick

[101DalmatianMollies]

Good afternoon fellow fish folk!

I've been keeping German Blue Rams for about 5-6 months now. I grew a nice little grouping that I got from two different stores, and I've been experiencing some die off. Some are growing really really well, and looking amazing, but others suddenly start spinning around the tank and dying.

I've been treating one for what looks like hole-in-head disease, I just had another one do the crazy spins around the tank and die the next day (second one to do that). I've got one lingering at the bottom of the QT tank.

I've gone from 11 rams, to now 8, with two sick and in QT.

For the ram with weird spots on its face I've tried using Seachem Kanaplex - didn't seem to touch it at all. Then I used Life Guard by Tetra - non-antibiotic medication. and it seemed to take care of a lot of the problem. But the fish is still listless. I then had a second fish become bottom bound, just hovering around the bottom with no good energy. Both are now in the QT tank and I'm now trying Rid Ich plus just to cover my bases.

I need to do some water parameter checking in the tank, but I thought I was doing well with the tank parameters as I know this can be a pretty sensitive fish.

The rams are housed with:

Amano Shrimp (10)
Bristlenose Plecos (3)
Dwarf Snowball Pleco (1)
Powder Blue Rams (3)
Mystery Snail (1)
Bolivian Ram (a rescue, just one)
Neon Tetras (6 - one has neon tetra disease)
Dwarf Gourami (2)

It's also a planted tank, with 2 large amazon swords, a java fern, a red plant I forget the name of, hairgrass, and 7 marimo balls. There's also christmas moss growing on a dragonwood tree.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[Calico3]

Hello fellow Ram fish keeper.  Is very strange that I also have been having recent losses with my Rams.  I too  have been keeping them for about 6 month's and I am pretty sure I know where you have got  the majority of yours.  Over the last couple of days I have lost 4 out of 5 German Blue Ram's  and 1 out of the 4 powder Blue Ram's that I own.   Yes they are very sensitive to water conditions and I only do small more frequent water changes.  If my water changes are too big I can definitely loose fish.

Two of the fish were dead after a water change and perhaps instead of 1/6th of the tank water I may have removed closer to 1/5th,  My German Blue Ram's are in a 75 gal and I have been loosing one daily this week.  Very hard as I really don't know  WHY ...   Like yours mine become very listless and quiet.  I had a big Angelfish in the tank as a companion and noticed a couple of days ago that he was attacking the Ram's . He has been moved to his own tank.  I don't know if the fish are dying from stress from the Angelfish or if the Ram's being ill and weak were being picked on.  I too have a planted tank but do not keep as many different fish types.

I have had no indication of fungus at all on my Ram's and quite frankly I am worried that you have mentioned that your neon's may have neon tetra disease. I kept neon's several years ago and a couple of mine were getting mouth fungus . Knowing about neon tetra disease I (sorry -very hard for me  to do ) I clove oiled the lot of them.  I also have separate  water changing equipment for each tank and have had no recurrence .

Do you think that doing all these medicine treatments are helping ?   Hope you have better luck keeping yours then I have had recently.  I will not purchase any additions until I know what I am doing wrong or if my fish are diseased. 

[kevino]

i think its likely parasite low grade infection, (whirling, weight loss etc) try feeding worming flakes. main culprit for both of you is stress brought on by low temps. they need to be kept between 85 to 88 degrees F. thats why breeders dont usually have plants in tanks because that temp is too hot for plants. i would treat them in a ten gallon tank at 85 F and then see how they are...might be too late for them. in future though, i'd consider the other types of ram like bolivian etc as they are okay in cooler water. just my opinion. good luck