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Bolivian Ram seems inactive.


satisfiedghost
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I got a pair of Bolivian Rams from the coop about a week ago. Suspected male/female pair. They've both been active and healthy until Saturday when I noticed the smaller (possible female) was sticking to just hanging out under the tiger lotus and wasn't eating as much. Yesterday/today she's just hanging out on the substrate there and isn't moving around much.

The male is swimming around and active. All other species in the tank (pleco, corys, tetras, algae eater) are behaving normally. She's been fed brine shrimp and krill flakes both of which she was eating her fill of until this weekend.

Water params seem ok, pH is around 6.9-7, 0 ammonia/nitrites, less than 5ppm nitrates. Fish does not seem discolored and is not breathing heavily, just not swimming much.

Any ideas?

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I have had this happen with my rams. Mine had internal parasites and died before I cured them. I found it is common for these rams to have internal parasites. But they should be clean if they came from the coop. Maybe I would treat them again just to be sure, and try feeding them blood worms. They like those.  Oh, and also rams can be shy if only in small group, they are best with 4+.

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I'll try and get a picture, she's in the back behind some plants and difficult to observe fully.

The tank is at 79 currently.

I fed the tank frozen bloodworms yesterday - the male ate some but she sort of "picked" at them and then lost interest I'm not sure she actually ate any.

I know the coop treats them first but I guess I can't completely rule that out either. What are symptoms to look for?

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9 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

Does she sit down completely on the substrate and stop moving, or is she hovering? I'm so sorry, she looks very stressed and unhappy with those dark colors. 😞 Maybe try Paracleanse or General Cure? I had a bottom-sitting honey gourami that didn't make it, so I hope you are able to treat her.

I've seen her do both, and she can move the male has chased her a couple times today. She's almost touching with her pelvic fins and appears to be hovering that way.

The coop suggested maybe trying to get her to eat with some pellets covered in garlic extract, I'm going to give that a shot tomorrow and see if I can get her interested in some food. I have shrimp and snails in the tank, is paracleanse ok for them?

Not sure what else I can do to make her more comfortable, or if a quarantine tank would stress her out more than she is already.

 

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Just now, satisfiedghost said:

I've seen her do both, and she can move the male has chased her a couple times today. She's almost touching with her pelvic fins and appears to be hovering that way.

The coop suggested maybe trying to get her to eat with some pellets covered in garlic extract, I'm going to give that a shot tomorrow and see if I can get her interested in some food. I have shrimp and snails in the tank, is paracleanse ok for them?

Not sure what else I can do to make her more comfortable, or if a quarantine tank would stress her out more than she is already.

 

I treated a tank with general cure and my snails got through it, basically the same med. If you can get her to eat medicated food that'll be more effective. My honey gourami only lasted a day after it started lying on the substrate, so I'd prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Moving her might stress her out too much if she is extremely weak, mine passed in the process of trying to transfer the fish.

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4 hours ago, laritheloud said:

I treated a tank with general cure and my snails got through it, basically the same med. If you can get her to eat medicated food that'll be more effective. My honey gourami only lasted a day after it started lying on the substrate, so I'd prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Moving her might stress her out too much if she is extremely weak, mine passed in the process of trying to transfer the fish.

Thanks, I tried coating some cichlid pellets with garlic and feeding with the lights off, but she didn't seem interested. I'll leave them in in case she does later or the corys will eat them, I'm sure.

I may leave the lights off tomorrow to let her rest but yeah not getting my hopes up too much.

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