Blue Ram panting...Is this Ich!??!

[ChrisWalker]

Hi. Well, everything was going good, and then in the passed few days I noticed my male blue ram has slowed down a lot. He's been breathing very quickly and has been very lethargic. Nothing has changed in terms of water quality...

One thing I have noticed he seems to have got some white blobs that have appeared in his dorsal fin. Does this give anyone any ideas?

Someone at Cichlid Forum suggested this may be Ich...Having never really seen it in early stages I need your input.

Check out this pic, in the circles. What do you think?

Thanks.

0,0,0-5. Ph-6.8-7...125 Litres, shares with blovian rams, cherry barbs, dwarf gourami cory..

 

[liv2padl]

doesn't look at all like ich to me.

 

[12 Volt Man]

that is not ich.

a lot of times fish can get funny little 'blobs" on their fins that look like ich, but are thicker and stay there for long periods of time. My severum has had a few on his right pectoral fin for a year now. He was like that when I got him. I will post a pic if I can.

 

[ChrisWalker]

Ok...Cool. I think I'd have been happier if it was ich because now I'm clueless.

The thing is the blobs in his dorsal fin have appeared in about 4 days. Wierd.

He's not really moving, I don't think he's been eating either.

 

[volkl23]

I'm sort of new to blue rams, but is it normal for them to open and close their mouthes constantly?

 

[musho3210]

my bolivian rams open and close their mouths a lot, but they open it really really small and dont look like they are panting.

What are you feeding it?

 

[ChrisWalker]

I feed all my rams catfish pellets, tetraprima sinking food, frozen bloodworm and daphnia. The female blue ram and both bolivian rams are fine

He is just breathing really quickly.

 

[12 Volt Man]

german blue rams are fairly delecate fish.

usually, if they are stressed they will darken up.

rapid breathing can be a sign of gill flukes, but usually this is accompanied by a clamped gill plate (operculum).

I doubt if that is the problem. He is probably just stressed for some reason.

Are the larger bolevian rams picking on him?

 

[quadpants]

Not Ich... some kind of fungus maybe? I would quarantine and treat with medication.

 

[musho3210]

i wouldnt treat with any medication until you know what it is.