Electric Blue Ram Died!

[zophie]

Well, a few days a go, I noticed my Electric Blue Ram male chasing the female around the tank- next day she was hiding I thought this was normal behaviour, until one day she wouldn't even cme out to eat, the next day she was dead, and being eatin by my other fish
My tank is fishless cycled, water is fine, and I have had the rams for about six months... any advice, or help? I need to know what happened, and why

Thanks, any help would be awsome

 

[Katty]

For what it's worth, the same thing happened to my "pair" of normal blue rams after a month or two. The male was chasing, then she went hiding, and some blobs of columnaris appeared on her. She was dead 3 days after she started sulking. I think the stress was too much for her and lowered her immune system, but I can't be sure. Two months later the male suddenly died as well, with symptoms only showing up a day before he died. They seem to be very, very sensitive fish, from my experience and what I've read.

 

[hamfist]

Well, a few days a go, I noticed my Electric Blue Ram male chasing the female around the tank- next day she was hiding I thought this was normal behaviour, until one day she wouldn't even cme out to eat, the next day she was dead, and being eatin by my other fish
My tank is fishless cycled, water is fine, and I have had the rams for about six months... any advice, or help? I need to know what happened, and why

Thanks, any help would be awsome

They are very delicate fish. What is the pH of your water ? and is it basically rather hard or soft ? Rams do not cope well long term, unless the water is to their liking. Hard, alkaline water ? Forget it !!

 

[stevereade]

I had that with a pair of gold rams which were in with a pair of blue rams, one just died a week after the other with no symptoms of anything.

 

[Wills]

If she was being chased by the male I would say that the male was in the "mood" and she was not so the constant stress forced on her was just too much and the stress literally killed her or in the night he could have found and attacked her? It unfortunatley happens quite frequently with cichlids and I have lost a lot of females for that reason Now I generally only keep singletons of each species or groups.

Though as Hamfist also said Mikrogeophagus Rameriezi (spelling) aka any form of the Blue or German Ram need high temperatures in their tank and low ph bellow 6.8. Though the issue with this is over a longer period than a number of days, it usually impacts them between 12-18 months and shortens their life to around a year and a half rather than the natural 5 years these fish should live for.

Wills

 

[hamfist]

Though as Hamfist also said Mikrogeophagus Rameriezi (spelling) aka any form of the Blue or German Ram need high temperatures in their tank and low ph bellow 6.8. Though the issue with this is over a longer period than a number of days, it usually impacts them between 12-18 months and shortens their life to around a year and a half rather than the natural 5 years these fish should live for.

My water seems to kill them after about 1-3 months. It is very hard and alkaline though.

 

[Wills]

Though as Hamfist also said Mikrogeophagus Rameriezi (spelling) aka any form of the Blue or German Ram need high temperatures in their tank and low ph bellow 6.8. Though the issue with this is over a longer period than a number of days, it usually impacts them between 12-18 months and shortens their life to around a year and a half rather than the natural 5 years these fish should live for.

My water seems to kill them after about 1-3 months. It is very hard and alkaline though.

Oh really? These fish really are so unpredictable on how they will react in tap water - there is a member on here with 3 year old rams that have been breeding constantly in 7.4 and 25c yet as you say - and to be fair I had a similar experience years ago - sometimes they last a matter of weeks for no apparent reasons. - My estimate of 12-18 months is based on them being kept in neutral water (7) and community temperatures (25c/26c) - in a way they are a bit like Gymnogeophagus in reverse? If you see what I mean.

I think as a forum there are enough members that keep these fish that we should try and collect information of set ups on where they are thriving. - Though even then things seem so varied I have a feeling it is dependent on genetics of the fish like the further away from the wild fish they are the more flexible they are with how they are raised - but then still I would guess it depends on how they are raised at the farm and the water chemistry there as well as in the shop.

For the reasons above I always try to steer people to Bolivian Rams bit of line breeding and they would easy match blue rams in quality of colour etc - I mean I know that some people are against line breeding but due to the mass market appeal of blue rams I dont see anything wrong with this occasion - its just one of the steps and compromises I reckon needs to be taken.

Wills

 

[zophie]

Well, guys, here's my water stats:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrie: 0
Nitrate: 5
pH: 6.5
Temp: 30 degrees c.

Katty, I find your post interesting, because about a month before she died, I had a outbreak of Columnaris in the tank, on my Silver-tip tetra's (one died). I killed it with meds and daily water changes, and it went away. Maybe it came back?
I have one other question, do you think I should get another female for my male, or leave him too be? He is actyally fairly aggresive... if he see's anything close to him, he'll chase it. He's kinda "the king of the tank"... my tetra's know to stay away from him.

Thanks guys,

Zophie

 

[Katty]

She could have caught columnaris, or just some other random opportunistic infection. Kind of like how it's easier to catch a cold if you're really stressed and worn down.

In my opinion you should leave him alone. It's entirely possible he'd chase the next girl to death, and on top of that the electric blues are so expensive. That's why I didn't bother replacing the female, the normal blue rams are expensive enough, and lo and behold my male just died off on his own anyways.

 

[zophie]

Yeah, I think that's what i'll do. I know what you mean about being expensive, the two of them were 50$

 

[Katty]

D: In that case I definitely wouldn't get one again! At least right away. It would be one thing if it was pure accident like it jumped out, but the way it died I wouldn't tempt fate again.

 

[JonesyJ666]

how can you sex these? i just got two today, but they look exactly the same.

 

[fluttermoth]

how can you sex these? i just got two today, but they look exactly the same.

You have to look closely at the fins.
 
Males have a pointed back tip to their anal and dorsal fins, that extend past the caudal peduncle (that's the bit the tail grows from); females have rounded tips, and the fin will stop before the tail.

 

[JonesyJ666]

 

how can you sex these? i just got two today, but they look exactly the same.

You have to look closely at the fins.
 
Males have a pointed back tip to their anal and dorsal fins, that extend past the caudal peduncle (that's the bit the tail grows from); females have rounded tips, and the fin will stop before the tail.
 

do u have any pics, and i'm struggling to tell the differance

 

[Wills]

Wow old thread reserected.... Jonsey maybe open a new thread with some pics of your EBRs
 
Closing this one.
 
Wills