Dead blue ram

[TankedUp]

Lost a blue ram today after buying three days ago with another (which looks fine). In fact, they both looked fine a couple of hours before it died.

The tank is only a couple of months old, so I knew I was taking a bit of a risk with these sensitive fish (or so I have been told); but ammonia is 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate < 10.

If it was water conditions, I would have expected a slower demise than this, so could the other have attacked it? They had shown little aggressive behaviour apart from chasing one another for short distances occasionally. One did seem to do more chasing than the other, but I haven't worked out which one has died yet. Not sure what sex they are; third dorsal ray on both looked slightly longer than others, so could have been two males. It is a 55g tank, so I thought there would be enough room for two males. Other fish in tank are a dwarf gourami (introduced at same time), two red-eyed tetra, 4 corys and 3 guppys.

Any thoughts?

 

[Neil]

TankedUp,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Both sexes have the dorsal extension. The best way to tell them apart is by the lateral spot. On the female the will be blue speckles. And more solid black on the male.
I doubt that there was a killing in your tank by one of the tank-mates, but it is possible. However, it is far more likely that one was just a little stronger than the other in the move. There may have been a lrge difference in the pH or hardness from the original tank to your tank or something else that didn't affect the other as much.
These are delicate fish and they do seem to die for no obvious reason sometimes. But they don't die for no reason at all. Either there was a pre-existing condition (fish was sick without showing it) and the move created enough of a stress to make him succumb quickly or the was an environmental factor in you tank that did him in because he was more stressed than the other from the move. It is hard to say.
And again, it is possible that he was killed or harrassed to death by someone in you tank. Keep an eye on the other ram.
Neil

 

[TankedUp]

Thanks Neil.

One day on and the surviving ram seems OK. I think it may be a female; there are definite blue spots on the lateral spot as part of a pattern of blue spots over the rest of the side of the fish; but obviously more pronounced against a darker background. Does that sound right?

 

[Neil]

That sounds like a female to me!