Very Ill New Ram

[LindseyH]

We bought four rams today. Three are fine but one is lying on the bottom by the bog wood and seems to be in a very bad way. He or she has a lot of excrement trailing out. All of the fish were healthy when we got them this afternoon. The water parametres should be ideal. Netting them was difficult in the shop though — they all turned rather black during the process which I imagine was from stress.

Is there anything that I can do or is nature going to take its course?

I've taken this video (see below). The brightly coloured fish, needless to say, is one of the healthy ones. The ill fish is a rather dark grey-blue colour, lying up against the wood.

Both I and the LFS found it almost impossible to sex them once they'd coloured up, by the way. I'm still not entirely sure I've got the two females I wanted. I've read various pointers as far as this is concerned but I still can't tell them apart with certainty. any advice with regard to any of this will be hugely appreciated!

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHTxaTkJKe4

 

[LindseyH]

The fish is now attempting to swim but rolling around. It's horrible to watch and I haven't had this problem before, much as I'm sure it's not unusual

 

[fluttermoth]

Oh dear, poor wee fishy

I'm afraid I don't think there's going to be anything you can do, tbh. Might be best to isolate the fish and keep it in the dark, just to ease the stress on it.

If you can post pics of the other rams, we can have a go at sexing them for you.

 

[LindseyH]

I haven't got an isolation chamber yet. Is there an easy improvised method of doing this? He / she did swim quite well for a short way but came to rest on the bogwood again.

I'll try to film / photograph the others.

 

[fluttermoth]

As it's so far gone, a net or an ice cream or margarine tub would do, just to give it some peace and quiet; other fish can be quite nasty to sick fish

 

[Crossfire]

A similar thing happened to my male Peacock Goby two days after purchase. Sorry to say, he did not make it. All you can do is provide the ram a peaceful and comfertable departure

 

[LindseyH]

If you can post pics of the other rams, we can have a go at sexing them for you.

I think I've managed to photograph each of them now. It's not easy because two of them look rather similar and they keep swapping places.

Can you have a stab at sexing them from these photographs?

 

[LindseyH]

Poor little fishy is no more

 

[FishFanatic04]

oh geez. So sorry for your loss. At least he was with you and not the fishstore


edit: i can't spell "your"