40G - German Blue Ram Tankmates

[clambert122]

I am sorry to hear that. Rams are a tough love. All the Rams in my tank that perished pretty much developed the same symptoms. Everything is perfect followed by a few days of rapid and heavy breathing then death. A few actually belly up’d as I watched. I tried antibiotics mixed with Focus and food, salt bath, parasite remedies....nothing turned the heavy breathing around. Once it started, 100pct of the time it ended with the loss of the ram. Hang in there, hopefully we can work our way to the 6 month window. One of the folks kind enough to give me advice told me to buy the youngest rams possible due to an easier adapting to acclimation. The rams I have now are the size of quarters. Can’t even sex them yet.
keep me posted on your survivor as well as any other rams you purchase. I may start a thread on this.

This is my first attempt at them. I wanted to mix them with Angels as the two pre dominant show fish of the tank.

My angels are doing great ( we'll see what's left standing after the ick )

The 1 ram as I said has Teh Ickies.

The other seems to be doing just fine so far and happy, he mostly hangs out with the Bolivians. They are both small and young, so I am hoping that maybe the ick one will pull through. He doesnt look good though. LOTS of parasites all over his fins. He just hangs out in the corner right over the top of the cleaning magnet and doesn't move.

My Bolivians act weird though as well. They school together peaceful all day and follow each other around the tank almost in uniform. Then as soon as food gets dropped in, they go crazy fighting each other. like, lip locking thrashing, pull to the bottom fighting. Really super aggressive.

 

[JMort]

This is my first attempt at them. I wanted to mix them with Angels as the two pre dominant show fish of the tank.

My angels are doing great ( we'll see what's left standing after the ick )

The 1 ram as I said has Teh Ickies.

The other seems to be doing just fine so far and happy, he mostly hangs out with the Bolivians. They are both small and young, so I am hoping that maybe the ick one will pull through. He doesnt look good though. LOTS of parasites all over his fins. He just hangs out in the corner right over the top of the cleaning magnet and doesnt move.

If you can’t quarantine him, research what type of bath you can give him. There must be some type of ick cure out there that you can dip him In. After reading your post, I just started a thread on cracking the code of the German blue ram. I am hoping someone can provide me help as well. I will check back. Good luck.

 

[clambert122]

If you can’t quarantine him, research what type of bath you can give him. There must be some type of ick cure out there that you can dip him In. After reading your post, I just started a thread on cracking the code of the German blue ram. I am hoping someone can provide me help as well. I will check back. Good luck.

There really isnt. Once the parasite has burrowed into the skin its pretty well protected. You have to wait for it to fall off, then burst into new swimming parasites that infect new fish. Thats your window to kill them.

Also apparently cranking the temp up to 85 for 2 weeks, but I am leary of doing so. I dont think my Dwarf Gouramis would like that to much.

 

[Essjay]

85 for 2 weeks

It's 86 deg F. 85 might not be enough.

 

[clambert122]

Ram down! Ram Down! ( I'm sure that joke has never been used before )

1 died, but he was covered in ick. Fins, Gills, tail, body, Everywhere.

The other one still has only a few ick spots, but seems to be less today. On day 2 of Ick-X treatment. Temp is set to 81. My heater wont push it any higher anyways. I can barely keep it at 81.. need a bigger heater in my Sump I guess. So I will move from a 250 watt to a 300 watt.

No other fish in the tank show any signs of Ick.

 

[Essjay]

If you are using medication to treat ich, the temperature doesn't need to be raised. Raised temp is instead of using meds.

 

[clambert122]

If you are using medication to treat ich, the temperature doesn't need to be raised. Raised temp is instead of using meds.

I know. I am still trying to keep it slightly warmer though. It simply highlighted a deficiency in my tank that I wasn't aware of.

The heater gets warm enough, but the flow rate through the sump I guess is to high for it to get the water warm enough on its way through much past 81. I usually keep it at 79-80 anyways.