Red marks on gold fin ram

[Syl]

Hi all,

I'm in a spot of trouble with my favourite fish.

He hasn't eaten in the last three days, and spends most of his time in this one spot near the floor.

I'm very new to fish, and don't know what to do. Could some please help me out with what's going wrong?

Parametres:
0-0.1 Ammonia (API liquid test kit shows a slight tinge of green, but goes yellow after an hour.)
0 Nitrites
10-20ppm Nitrates
25-26C/77-79F

130L/34gal long
Oase Biomaster 350

Other fish:
8 zebra danios
3 dwarf gourami
5 kuhli loaches

The tank has been cycled since July. I've been struggling with the Ammonia reading. Most days there's a tinge of green, but definitely not 0.25. Some days it shows as 0.

 

[NoodleCats]

The red rim to the fun seems to be natural Colouration...

However the behaviour would be that he's lethargic likely due to being kept too cold!

German blue rams (which a gold ram is just a colour form of these) need temperatures 82-86F to stay healthy longterm.

But thats too hot for your other fish, danios like it cold.

What I'd suggest is setting up a second tank, a 20 gallon is fine, for the ram and perhaps a group of green neon tetras (not normal neons, look for the *species* called green neon) or cardinal tetras as tankmates.

Another thought is dwarf gouramis can be bullies with other fish as they feel like, varies among each dwarf who they like and who they hate, he's possibly also bullied by your dwarf gourami or at least feels threatened by him. So another reason would be good to get him his own setup.

 

[Syl]

However the behaviour would be that he's lethargic likely due to being kept too cold!

German blue rams (which a gold ram is just a colour form of these) need temperatures 82-86F to stay healthy longterm.

Wow, really? The store told me 77-79F was what they preferred! Yikes.

The red is new, and only one side. So I'm under the impression this is a new thing.

 

[NoodleCats]

Wow, really? The store told me 77-79F was what they preferred! Yikes.

The red is new, and only one side. So I'm under the impression this is a new thing.
View attachment 230662

Take a look here, a mature gold ram.

https://wattleydiscus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/golden-rams-wattley-discus.jpg

I do think the red coming in may just be the colours starting to develop.

Id definitely get him a second setup, can speed up the cycling by taking some media from the main tank to the new one's filter.


Take a look here, has info on their water parameter needs, put together by scientific info rather than those wanting to make a sale

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi – Ram (Apistogramma ramirezi, Papiliochromis ramirezi, Microgeophagus ramirezi) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

(We have all been there, so don't feel bad!)

 

[Syl]

Thank you NoodleCats, I appreciate your help!

I may not have the room for a second setup. But if that's the case, I'll get on to rehoming him as soon as possible so he can have a better life.

 

[FJB]

79 and 81 should not make much difference if other items ateo Kay.

 

[FJB]

Ateo Kay means Ok. I hate the corrector!

 

[Syl]

The lfs did a water test for me, and my pH is too high, 7.6.

Looks like a too late, though. He's dying, which is awful. He's currently lying on the bottom of the tank.

I've had him for three weeks, and he was doing wonderfully up until about Monday when he stopped eating. He was shy at first, but had started eating with the other fish. I'm not sure why it was so sudden.

I'm going to move him into a container so that's he's separated from the rest of the fish. This is the best I can do, unfortunately.

He's struggling to stay upright.

 

[NoodleCats]

I'm sorry unfortunately German blues can be more delicate compared to other fish.
Usually once they show signs of not eating, it's difficult to bring a fish back from that.

 

[Syl]

Really unfortunate. Thanks for your advice, again.

I'm going to focus on ratting out my ammonia problem and properly monitoring my pH, and then figure out what other similar thing I can get later. My next one will be a lot more informed. ?