Strange Ram behaviour

[Aqua Master]

Hey, I have a 30 gallon with some guppies, 4 cories 2 rams and gouramis. Since I got them, there seemed to be a dominat ram which was my golden blue ram. He used to chase the other one around when he came to his territory but that was it. Now this same ram that used to chase the other, started to hide. He's tucking in his fins and breathing really fast. He hides all day and I haven't seem him eating. This started a 2 days ago, on the first day the other ram was still frightened of getting near the golden blue ram because he used to chase him. But now when he sees it he bites the ram and the ram doesn't even move. So I put him in a maternity for the time being. No sign of ick, though there probably will be because he seems to be stressed. Any ideas why from he went from being the dominant fish to just hiding and now to just being chased?

 

[GaryE]

Rams need pristine water. Did you slip on the weekly water changes?

 

[Aqua Master]

Rams need pristine water. Did you slip on the weekly water changes?

I was on holiday so I did a water change on Sunday rather than Friday.

 

[GaryE]

This may sound extreme and others with different water have different experiences, but cultivar form rams and I don't work well together. I find them like Discus - even in large tanks they are very sensitive and short lived. It's not a fish I'll ever keep again, unless I see wilds.
You're describing the behaviour of a fish with a bacterial infection. I have no solutions to offer though. I have successfully kept really delicate fish, sometimes for generations, but fancy form rams have always done what you're describing here.

 

[Aqua Master]

This may sound extreme and others with different water have different experiences, but cultivar form rams and I don't work well together. I find them like Discus - even in large tanks they are very sensitive and short lived. It's not a fish I'll ever keep again, unless I see wilds.
You're describing the behaviour of a fish with a bacterial infection. I have no solutions to offer though. I have successfully kept really delicate fish, sometimes for generations, but fancy form rams have always done what you're describing here.

I've kept rams before but normally breeding pairs and I haven't seen this envious ever. I'll try to raise the temperature and do 50%water changes.