Bolivian ram sitting at the top of the tank

[BolivianRams]

Hey all. Not sure if this is the right forum, I had gotten 2 bolivian rams from our local pet shop. They had settled in okay the first few days with the 4 rummy-nose tetras. I’ve just began to notice that one of the rams just stays at the top of the tank. I changed their water a few days ago because the PH was not good at all, I only started to notice the PH was bad when the rams fins looked burnt and they weren’t happy, I did about 2 water changes until the water was right. Their water is fine now. But my question is. Does anyone have similar problem or know what’s going on.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to TFF

Is the tank cycled? What do you mean by "bad" ph? What kind of test kit do you have?

 

[GaryE]

Chances are you have two males. When a Cichlid goes up high and hovers, it wants out. If it goes down to the lower reaches of the tank, it will be seen as challenging the male who owns the turf. But if it is up high, it has already lost the battle, and will be killed if it moves.

 

[connorlindeman]

hm

Chances are you have two males. When a Cichlid goes up high and hovers, it wants out. If it goes down to the lower reaches of the tank, it will be seen as challenging the male who owns the turf. But if it is up high, it has already lost the battle, and will be killed if it moves.

One of my male similis is staying near the top. I have nowhere to move it to.

 

[GaryE]

hm

One of my male similis is staying near the top. I have nowhere to move it to.

I have more than one tank I bought to deal with this problem. In nature, the vanquished fish swims away and starts again. Inside glass walls, there is nowhere to go.

Mikrogeophagus, like the OP has, are very easy going for Cichlids, But securing and holding a breeding space is everything to them, and if the tank is bare, lacks plants and is under 3 feet across the front, 2 males, or even a male and a female not ready to breed, can result in deaths. The usual suggestion is a 50 gallon tank and a group of six, so one fish doesn't take the brunt of the aggression if it loses out in any pairing off. I guess it really isn't aggression as much as fear. The dominant fish wants a safe place for the eggs, larvae and fry, and the loner who hangs around is up to no good in its world view.

 

[Byron]

@GaryE is bang on here. I had a male Bolivian, and introduced a lovely female. This was in a 5-foot 115g heavily planted tank. In hindsight and knowing what I now know, they were not compatible, but they spawned four times before the male ended it by killing the female overnight. The entire tank was "his" and she was not welcome.

You need to separate these two Bolivians ASAP or the one will soon be dead. Gary explained why it is different in the aquarium from the habitat. This fish is observed to live in solitude in their habitat, so one male will do nicely with suitable tankmates like peaceful tetras, cories, etc.

 

[BolivianRams]

Welcome to TFF

Is the tank cycled? What do you mean by "bad" ph? What kind of test kit do you have?

Yes the tank is cycled. I made an error one time cleaning the tank out and forgot to put the conditioner in first so the water ended up killing the bacteria. I let it build up and the PH was still pretty bad. So I gave it another clean and it was all good. See the photo below of the testing kit

 

[Slaphppy7]

Cleaning a tank has nothing to do with ph levels, and if you are cleaning the filter media in anything but old tank water (or treated tap water), the cycle will continually restart.

What are your current readings for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, and ph?

 

[Essjay]

Water changes could alter pH slightly if the water provider adds something to change pH which then gasses out allowing the tank pH to change back to its usual level.

 

[Byron]

If you neglect regular maintenance, meaning weekly partial water changes, plus not cleaning the filter or vacuuming the substrate, the pH can lower and quite a bit, depending upon the GH and KH to begin with. This is old tank syndrome. The pH can becom acidic, and all the ammonia being produced by the neglect will rise, but be "safe" because in acidic water it is ammonium primarily. Then a water change is done, the pH is back to the tap water level, and the fish begin dying from ammonia poisoning.

Regular maintenance is a must.

 

[connorlindeman]

Regular maintenance is a must.

My uncle who got me into this hobby had a 55g saltwater tank. When he moved 7 years ago he gave the set up to his friend.

His friend hasn't done a water change in 5 years. He just adds water. He still has the same clown fish that my uncle had in the tank. I can't believe they are still alive.