blue ram issues: seeking advice

[brooksy]

So I'm hoping I've posted this in the right place, sorry if I haven't - I'm new here, signed up today.

We recently got a new pair of blue rams to join our existing one, and at first, everything seemed fine. They settled in quick and looked happy. But over the last couple of days, one of them has changed colour - he's almost completely black, even his eyes. He's been hanging near the top, gasping for air and swimming on his side, but then an hour later, he's swimming around like normal.

I read that stress could be a possible cause, and it does seem to have started after we cleaned the tank out the other day. Has anyone else had this happen before? I'd really appreciate any advice on what to do.

I've been trying to figure out what's going on, but I'm not sure what's causing it. Any help would be great, thanks.

[keelmate9]

What size tank are you running, and who else is in there with the rams? You using a dechlorinator when you do water changes? Was the tank cycled properly before adding the fish? Also, is there any surface agitation in the tank, and do you have an airstone in there?

[brooksy]

Our tank is 90ltr at the moment but we're upgrading soon. The blue rams share with a few neon and phantom tetras, some lampeyes and a siamese fighter.

Not sure about the dechlorinator thing - we didn't use one, I don't think. Would that have made a difference, do you think?

And sorry, what's this 'cycle the tank' mean?

[keelmate9]

A dechlorinator's essential for removing chlorine from tap water - water companies add it to kill off viruses, but it's toxic to fish, damaging their slime coat. I strongly advise you get some dechlorinator and use it when adding new water to the tank.

A cycle's basically building up beneficial bacteria in the filter that break down ammonia, which is lethal to fish. I'd recommend checking out the beginners resource centre for info on a fish-in cycle - it's usually best to do a fishless cycle, but since you've already got fish in the tank, that's not an option.

I think the most likely cause of your ram's illness is stress, probably due to ammonia and chlorine buildup.

[brooksy]

Thanks so much for the advice, really appreciate it.

[oceanix_10]

A dechlorinator removes chlorine, which water companies add to kill viruses. Chlorine is toxic to fish, it burns their slime coat. Using it is crucial. I'm talking about a cycle, where you build up bacteria in the filter to break down ammonia, which is toxic to fish. Get some dechlorinator and use it when adding water, and check the beginners resource centre for how to do a fish in cycle. It's best to do a fishless cycle, but since you already have fish, there's no other option. The sick ram is probably stressed due to ammonia and chlorine.

[keelmate9]

So I'm hoping I've posted this in the right place, sorry if I haven't - I'm new here, signed up today.

We recently got a new pair of blue rams to join our existing one, and at first, everything seemed fine. They settled in quick and looked happy. But over the last couple of days, one of them has changed colour - he's almost completely black, even his eyes. He's been hanging near the top, gasping for air and swimming on his side, but then an hour later, he's swimming around like normal.

I read that stress could be a possible cause, and it does seem to have started after we cleaned the tank out the other day. Has anyone else had this happen before? I'd really appreciate any advice on what to do.

I've been trying to figure out what's going on, but I'm not sure what's causing it. Any help would be great, thanks.

No need to apologize, thanks for the heads up

[dazed_knots]

Is the water at the right temperature, around 80-82F or 28-30C, could this be a factor in your ram's behavior, especially since you've recently cleaned the tank?

[brooksy]

Yeah the water temp is fine, 80-82F, we've been keeping an eye on that.