Excel dosing and Bolivian Ram

mduros

mduros

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Sep 20, 2005
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Chicago, Illinois
www.maryduros.com
Trying to make a long story short... In trying to help the plants in my tanks I added reverse flow jet heads and I started dosing my tanks with Flourish Excel a few weeks back. I use ugfs. One morning my Bolivian Ram was completely listless, so I QT'd him and tested the water that night. The nitrates were out of this world. Anyway, it appeared that the gravel was not clean enough and I created a temporary state of OTS making Yellowbelly (that's his name) sick. I corrected the situation, removed the reverse flow heads and all has been well, so I thought. I have continued the Excel dosing. I only dose this tank about twice a week. And, if anything, put in less than the directed amount. I dosed the 55 gallon last night. Anyhow, I got up this morning, and Yellowbelly was laying on the bottom of the tank again, clenched fins, pale, and swaying with the current of the jet. Water parameters are good, ph: 7.6, ammonia: 0, nitrite: 0, nitrate: 10. The current gh: 10, kh: 6. I am not sure what those were before I started dosing because I could not find the kits anywhere. I have no idea where they should be at for the health of a cichlid. Anyhow, all the other fish are fine. I just don't think I can dose with him, he's absolutely one of my favorites and I don't want to make him sick. There are no other symptoms of illness. I put both jets and the bubblewand on today to make sure the water is good and aerated. I think he should be just fine by tonight, at least I hope so. Do you think I'm on the right track here?
Thanks,
Mary.
 
Those Water Params are perfectly fine for a Bolivian. Dosing Excel should NOT affect a fish like that.

Exactly how much Excel are you dosing and how often?

What else are you dosing? and how often?
 
TetraFreak said:
Those Water Params are perfectly fine for a Bolivian. Dosing Excel should NOT affect a fish like that.

Exactly how much Excel are you dosing and how often?

What else are you dosing? and how often?
Click to expand...
According to directions, after the initial dosage, one line in cap per 10 gallons of water. So, I have been adding 1 capful, it's a 55 gallon tank, twice a week, for instance on Wednesday and Sunday.

I am not using anything else. I started using the Excel as a recommendation to help eliminate my problem with hair algae in my 29 gallon tank. That tank gets alot of natural light. I have a tendency of moving plants around from aquarium to aquarium and my 55 gallon is getting an algae problem, so I started dosing it, too, but more lightly. Less algae, plants doing really well without it, and alot of anarchis which I have read does not do well with Excel (is that right?).

It is pretty amazing though it cleared up the algae in two weeks in the 29 gallon tank.

If it's not the dosing stressing him... I am really at a loss. He has seemed to be okay, but the two instances of him not moving and having clamped fins and labored breathing were mornings after Excel was added the prior evening... Last time I thought it was the nitrate spike, but seeing him in the exact same condition this morning, and the water parameters being good, made me think of the Excel. Now, I'm feeling really confused. He hasn't been a sick fish, no signs of illness and extremely healthy in appearance. Usually...
Thanks,
Mary.
 
I dose Ferts + Excel in my 55 with Bolivian Rams and haven't seen anything like what you explain.

With water quality good, the next items to look at would be stress and possible disease/parasites. Id the Ram's Colors good or faded?

you may want to post in Cichlids with the symptoms and see what others think.

Another place you may want to check out is:
http://www.apistogramma.com/

they have a comprehensive list of articles & forums dedicated to Dwarf Cichlids, including a Health section.

HTH!

-TF
 
If I am off on the size of the tank, if somehow it's a 45 or 50 gallon and not a 55 gallon, could that extra ml of excel do it you think? I can't imagine it being anything else. His colors are brilliant normally, and he has developed these stunning irridescent greeny blue spots on the edge of his tail fin. He is perfect physically, not even fin defects. He eats well, he swims well, he socializes well. He wanted to mate recently but I was convinced not to try adding another one, especially since I'm not absolutely 100% that he's a him. The two times he hasn't been well, he's listless. Like this morning he was on the bottom with his fins clenched, appearing so weak that he gets thrown by the current of the filter. Then he'll release his fins and swim for about 30 seconds and land on the bottom, clenched up again. His color is drained. Very faint. I did not QT him this morning because I really don't think he's sick in the conventional sense, and last time I caught and removed him it was extremely stressful on him.
 
the little bit of Excel shouldn't make a difference.

I'd day put him in a QT Tank for a week and see what happens. when you dose Excel, watch his behavoir in the QT Tank just to see. Never thought about it but I guess it could be possible that he may have an allergy to the Excel.

Again, check on the Cichlids section to get advise from those that are far more experienced than I.
 
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