[aquaman]

Something weird has happened to all my Rams. I had 2 gold & 2 Blue Juvenal Rams. All have died over the course of 4 months. All about one month apart. The first to go was my German Blue Female, Then next my German Gold Female, Then my German Blue Male followed by my Gold Male Ram. Deaths all followed rapid gill movement on the bottom of the tank. Before I got the Juvenal Rams I ALSO had two ADULT Blue Rams, Both of them died within 2 months. The Adults had shown no sine of disease other then being very timid.

All my water parameters have been fine ie: soft Acidic Water. My discus, Wild Angel, Aposto & Rosboras are all doing very well with no sine of illness. One would think it could not be a bug OR bad waters if the Discus and Angel were unaffected especially being my more sensitive fish. Why have I had such bad luck with Rams.

I feed once a day. Brine Shrimp with Blood Worms. {Hakair} One day a week I do not feed.
Water Change once a week 30-40%
Treat tank with Acqu+, Aquarium Salt, Tetra Black water extract.
55 gall-Rena xp4, Rena heater,

Water:
Nitrate 0-5 {5 max) usually 0-1
Nitrite 0
Hardness 75-100 [ 150 max ] now got down to 75 with lots of work
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 0-2 [20 max] usually 0
PH 5.8-6.5 [ 5.5 most acidic]


Why did my Rams all die-

 

[ELewandowski]

wow, that is weird. That sux bro. Are they sensitive fish?

 

[Dmaaaaax]

Has the temperature gone up at all with summer coming? A 1-2 degree change can lower your Oxygen levels if you don't have much surface agaitation. Certain fish are more sensitive to this. I notice cardinals and Rams are affected by this first in my tank.

 

[petlover516]

Rams are sensitive, but discus more so and if they survive theres no reason why the rams shouldn't have-unless they were tank-bred. alot of times, breeders inject stuff into rams to make there colors pop but make them very stressed and prone to disease. thats probably what happened.

 

[aquaman]

Has the temperature gone up at all with summer coming? A 1-2 degree change can lower your Oxygen levels if you don't have much surface agaitation. Certain fish are more sensitive to this. I notice cardinals and Rams are affected by this first in my tank.

The Temp did go up 1 degree/2 max last week when we had a HOT spell. If that was the case, it would not explain the other 3 Rams who died during the winter. I do have two air stones & the RENA XP4 so the DO should be fine.

 

[aquaman]

Rams are sensitive, but discus more so and if they survive theres no reason why the rams shouldn't have-unless they were tank-bred. alot of times, breeders inject stuff into rams to make there colors pop but make them very stressed and prone to disease. thats probably what happened.

That sounds like a possible cause. How can you avoid such a thing.

 

[petlover516]

That sounds like a possible cause. How can you avoid such a thing.

buy wild-caught rams or 1's from a non-chinese breeder. its the chinese breeders that do that stuff. than again, maybe others do that. so just to be on the safe side, go with wild-caughts.