verticle swimming ram

[Jcjames147]

Hi everyone,

I have an issue with my German blue ram. Just this week I noticed him swimming only vertically. It's as if he cannot straighten himself out. Not sure if this is just a case of swim bladder, an injury, or possibly internal parasites messing him up.

He is interested in food and tries to eat when it comes near him. His colors are shining bright, and he even flares up when other fish get too close.

One thing I have noticed is that his breathing seems very heavy.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[abrooks12376]

Tank parameters?

 

[viejo]

How are the other fish looking & what are they?

 

[Jcjames147]

It's a 30 gallon with a kribensis, gold ram, marble angel, and a baby cockatoo that I just got last week. Also have two catfish can't remember the types I've had them for so long.

Everyone else seems healthy. I had treated the tank with prazi pro over a month ago because the gold ram was having issues. This is why I feel it might be internal parasites again, although he does go for food when it is close enough to him.

 

[abrooks12376]

What's the temp? That's a pretty "vast" stocking scheme. Oh yah, parameters please, test results? Tank age?

 

[gerald]

As long as he's still eating, there's hope. Heavy breathing is not a good sign - he's either having respiration problems or water/salt balance problems, or both. Loss of swim bladder control might indicate loss of blood flow to the swim bladder. There are many possible causes, including infectious diseases (protozoa, bacteria, virus), diet imbalance, water chemistry, old age, etc, etc. Without knowing the underlying cause, treatment is a shot in the dark. Good luck and let us know what happens, especially if you "find a cure". Plentiful feeding with live mosquito larvae can sometimes do magical things to sick fish.

 

[Jcjames147]

Parameters: temp 83
Amonia - 0
Ph - 7.2
No2- 0
No3- 0

Tank age is coming up on 8 months. The German blue ram was the first new fish in there. I transferred the catfish over from an older tank, and everyone else was brought in periodically.
Think the temp may be too high? Now that the house has been warmer maybe I should lower it.

I have actually never tried giving live food to these guys yet.

 

[gerald]

High temp is actually good for blue rams - that might boost his immune system and help him recover. Ram breeders typically keep them in low-to-mid 80's F to help prevent disease.

 

[Larry Rogers]

Hi everyone,

I have an issue with my German blue ram. Just this week I noticed him swimming only vertically. It's as if he cannot straighten himself out. Not sure if this is just a case of swim bladder, an injury, or possibly internal parasites messing him up.

He is interested in food and tries to eat when it comes near him. His colors are shining bright, and he even flares up when other fish get too close.

One thing I have noticed is that his breathing seems very heavy.

Anyone have any ideas?

Your tsm and your kerb may have gone to war. Both use red color to cloister fry and will therefore attack other red species. A krblob is meaner than most rams and will usually win out. A krib Iis also a hard water African, the catfish I could not say without knowing specirs, but the rest are soft water South Americans. Not a good idea.