German Blue Ram with head wound

[Sevenchains]

My Male German Blue Ram seems to have a very severe an sunken wound in his head (Picture enclosed). He is being housed in a planted, 20 Gallon tank with a female German Blue Ram, 3 Otocinclus, 3 Kuhli Loaches, 5 Cherry Barbs, and a stray Ghost Shrimp that was an impulse addition about six months ago.

The Rams are new, I just purchased them from my LFS about three weeks ago. When I got them home I noticed that the males droppings were clear and seemed to hang there for a few hours, but they otherwise seemed free from disease. I last performed a 50% water change about a week ago, my ammonia and nitrates are both at zero, I do not have a PH test. The temperature in the tank is 78 degrees farenheit, I don't know what that is in celsius.

The Ram appeared to develop a ball of cotton-like fuzz on his forehead a week ago, so I thought it must be fungus. However, since then the ball of fuzz has disappeared leaving a rather bloody and sunken wound behind. While my fish still hasn't lost his color (A sure sign of illness in German Blue Rams), his wound looks quite terrible. I have no idea what brought it on, and no one in the tank behaves aggressively towards him. I can only assume it is a disease of some sort. I am hoping someone can help me identify it.

 

[Oii]

if it disappeared its probably healing.

 

[Lupin]

Try Jungle Fungus Eliminator as a treatment. Do it in the hospital tank.

 

[Sevenchains]

What I thought was fungus is gone, instead there is a large, viscious bloody mark that seems to be growing. I was more concerned if it was hole in the head disease (hexamita). I've never seen it look red before, from the internet pictures I've seen it looks white or matches the fishes color. I was just wondering if anyone who's owned a Ram before has seen anything like this?

 

[Sevenchains]

Same picture with the area circled. I can't figure out how to get my camera to focus in to get a better picture.

 

[Star_Rider]

78 is a bit on the cool side for Blue rams. they tend to prefer warmer water more around 84.
put the ram in qt bump the tempt slowly to a more comfortable temp and add salt(NaCl)
salt provides an environment that parasites and bacteria don't like.

 

[Sevenchains]

Really? The first six sources I open up on a google search have these listed ranges of temperatures for the German Blue Ram.

72-79
80
78-82
76-84
72-78
72-77

I'll do it if I have to, but it would push the tank temperature out of the comfort range for some of the other fish. Seems very difficult to find consistent information on this fish.

 

[Star_Rider]

yes the info regarding rams can be a bit confusing. Bolivian rams tend to do better at the cooler end (78) but blues usually are kept in wamer water..keep in mind that the ranges suggested are safe ranges but may not be optimal. at the cooler end of the spectrum the rams may be more susceptible as they may be more stressed by cooler temps..

those who keep them (many are kept with Discus) confirm the temp range.
you will also find a wide range for most specie.
including angels..which I have learned actually do best at 80-82.
I always search info regarding them by their Scientific name..Mikrogeophagus Ramirezi aka Blue Ram. or Mikrogeophagus(Papilliochromis)Ramirezi.
I am not fond of the name 'German' blue ram as it really is specific to a strain of German Bred Rams...

is the ram in a hospital tank?

 

[Sevenchains]

Agreed, I just mentioned the German part because it isn't one of the Asian fish farmed ones (I know those are rumored to have a higher suseptability to disease.) I can put him in my hospital tank, but it has been empty for weeks and would need to be cycled. It's probably a good suggestion regardless. After testing my water, my LFS believes it is probably an injury dealt by one of his tank mates, as Hole in the head disease does not generally occur in this species or with water levels as clean as mine.

I'm still a bit skeptical about it being an injury, but they say he will probably recover. Without knowing what is going on with him, I don't want to medicate the tank, so I will probably just QT him and cross my fingers that my LFS is right.

 

[dixienut]

i had a ram with this, in my community tank, i believe it was caused by water not presteen enough for them, i'm used to my tetras and didn't keep it clean enough for them, i hope to get them again but only for a tank of their own to keep it really clean for them..