Blue Rams - They Die

[Kivstev]

Very frustrating experience with these fish. I've bought 5 at different times over the last 2 weeks and have lost 3. I now have another showing the same signs.They last between 3 and 5 days. The scenario is this:

I acclimate them very slowly and they do very well for the first 48-72 hours. The fish will then start to hide and lose some color and start to breathe heavily and not eat. Then the fish will then sit on the bottom until death. The deterioration happens very quickly. For instance, 6 hours ago my last two Rams were apparently very healthy, and now one of them is at the 'lose color and breathing heavily' phase. They usually die within 12-18 hours when this happens. I saw a couple of them 'floating' around similar to a swim bladder problem shortly before death.

Here are my parameters:
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate 5
DKH: 4
dGH: 5
pH 7.8 (The fish are used to a pH of 7.5 at the store and are bred in the Czech Republic.)
Temp: 80F
No Salt

I have 6 Boesemani, 2 Dwarf Gourami, and a Tiger Pleco in with these fish. My tank is a 55G. I feed a mix of frozen blood worm, frozen brine, frozen black mosquito larvae, HGH Super Soft spiruina pellets, OmegaOne flakes, and rarely Hikari brine shrimp.

The sick Ram is now is a quarantine tank most likely awaiting the same fate. Please help with any opinions. Thanks.

 

[7itanium]

are you buying all of these fish from the same source?

if the answer is yes then you are a victim of bad stock... go buy some from a different LFS and I bet your luck will change

 

[Kivstev]

are you buying all of these fish from the same source?

if the answer is yes then you are a victim of bad stock... go buy some from a different LFS and I bet your luck will change

Yes, the same source. However, the source is highly regarded around these parts and the same Rams have been doing well at the LFS tanks for up to two months. If these two perish I may try another source just to rule that out, however.

 

[Dexmaster]

mine did that and but I had failed to add dechlorinator to my water change and they died.

 

[Kivstev]

mine did that and but I had failed to add dechlorinator to my water change and they died.

I'm using Amquel+ and Novaqua+. However, I suppose I could try another dechlorinator just to rule that out. I've heard some fish can be sensitive to Amquel+, but I highly doubt that is the problem.

 

[Dexmaster]

I just use prime like most everyone else. but yeah I thought I had added it and well I didnt and I lost both of my blue rams and a farlowalla with in the time span of two days. acted the same way yours are.

 

[majortank]

What kind of testing kit are you using? It sounds like you've just received a bad batch of fish... It happens. But if you're using test strips your readings may not be that accurate.

 

[skaredykat]

i brought 4 rams from a place ...was my first time having them...and within a week all were dead...

 

[Conski]

o god i hope my new ones dont die ! i know they are hard to keep alive but i think i did everything perfectly for them! im sorry!

 

[Kivstev]

What kind of testing kit are you using? It sounds like you've just received a bad batch of fish... It happens. But if you're using test strips your readings may not be that accurate.

I use API Liquid Test Kits only.

Can someone explain if these are indeed a 'bad batch', why would they do well at the LFS and not in my tank? Like I said they have had the same fish for close to eight weeks.

UPDATE: The sick Ram I put in my hospital tank seems to be doing fairly well now. He is swimming normally, not hiding and best of all eating some mosquito larvae. There is a small amount of salt in the tank - about 1/2 TBS/10 gallons. I guess I can rule out the NovAqua/Amquel since I use that in the hospital tank as well.

o god i hope my new ones dont die ! i know they are hard to keep alive but i think i did everything perfectly for them! im sorry!

I thought I was doing everything perfectly as well. I'm trying to figure out what the problem is, but I'm running out of ideas. I'm starting to lean toward that it's something in the one of the foods they don't like - or just stress from the Boesemani being too active for them?