Blue Rams

[flashbang]

This is one of 43 blue rams i have bred and are two months old now and just starting to colour up' Three days ago i noticed the black coloured patch on one of them, it's only on one side of the head and the fish is fit and healthy otherwise. My guess is that it's just a colour fault as i can't see any swelling or other damage. Any comments would be welcome-thanks

 

[arodg12]

Any chance you can get higher quality pictures? Either way, definitely get some pictures up for them when they show more color! As for the one blotch, I can only assume it being a miscoloration or something along the lines, but maybe someone else knows if it could be something else?

 

[Mike Wise]

I've seen this on several different cichlids. It is nerve damage. Something has happened to prevent the fish from modifying its chromatophores. Most cichlids use color change as behavioral signals.

 

[tjudy]

It is actually caused by a bacterial infection, which affects the nervous system controlling the chromatophores. I have also seen some references suggest that it is a tumor pinching the nerve, and that it is not treatable; but I have seen this symptom do away.

I would remove that fish, do some water changes and watch the rest of the group. If you see it pop up on another fish, try an wide spectrum antibiotic.

 

[gerald]

It certainly can be bacterial (Mycobacterium is one that can cause it; probably others can too) but I don't think it HAS to be. Plenty of other things could conceivably mess up neurological control of pigment cells, including injury or perhaps a random genetic defect or auto-immune problem. Removing the dark fish is the safe thing to do (for the other fish) just in case it is an infectious disease, but it might not be. If you can move him to another tank it'll be interesting to see what happens long-term. I've seen fish live for years with mysterious dark pigment patches.

 

[Apistomaster]

I have seen a few domestic Discus have a black patch which is asymetrical. I believe it is most commonly caused by damaging the nerves that control melanophores and that physical injury rather than an infectious disease agent that causes the majority of cases. I have never seen it effect the normal development in any other way nor the fishes behavior.

 

[ApistoNerd23]

I just stumbled across this thread and it actually helped me figure out what has been going on with a Rummy Nose Tetra I have. Same kind of thing. The fish was always way more "yellow" than all the others and then almost overnight he's very black. Just like the ram in the picture but the whole body. I assume it must be a melanophores thing too now.

 

[Unicorrs]

This is what happened to two of my blue rams before, and sad to say they didn't make it :frown:
I don't know if it's because of the dark patches or they are sick of something else.