Blue Ram Not Doing So Good.

[lyotim88]

Tank size: 20H
pH:6.4ish(hard to read) seemed to have dropped from 6.9 since yesterday for some reason
ammonia:0
nitrite: i ran out of my nitrite tests
nitrate: <5 just did a water change a few days ago
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 78F
co2: approx 30ppm

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): he is vertical at the top of the tank with labored breathing. the back half of him is grayish color

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25% weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: good amount of plants. nutrafin CO2 as of yesterday, flourish, flourish excel

Tank inhabitants: 2 bleeding heart tetras, 5 pristella tetras, 2 gold algae eaters, 3 otocinclus, 3 ghost shrimp, 3 pygmy clams

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): nutrafin CO2, 3 otocinclus. added both yesterday

Exposure to chemicals: none

 

[minxfishy]

Is this just since yesterday since you added the co2? Are you dosing the correct amount? Sounds like you have an oxygen deficiency?

 

[TigerIssey]

This could be due to excessive CO2. Try turning the CO2 off and adding an airstone.
I presume this symptom started since CO2 addition.

The CO2 has decreased your pH. You really need a KH reading as the KH could have lowered considerably. People with a low KH sometimes add Bicarbonate of soda as a stabiliser. See pinned article on planted tanks forum on Nutrafin CO2.

 

[lyotim88]

Is this just since yesterday since you added the co2? Are you dosing the correct amount? Sounds like you have an oxygen deficiency?

he has since gone to the bottom but is still alive. i will put an airstone in now. I had to fashion my own ingredient amounts for the co2 because i saw no lines on in the canister whatsover. so i used 3/4 cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of yeast and filled in up with warm water.

 

[Athena]

Oh dear - poor little ram. They are notorious for being very sensitive to the slightest change in water conditions. You can tell when they are unhappy, stressed, sick etc because they lose their bright blue colourations and their body colour goes quite dark, charcoalish black in extreme cases.

Often when this happens, they will exhibit clamped fins. This indicates a bacterial infection (often secondary to the initial cause) and can be treated with anti-bacterial meds.

Sad to say, a lot of GBRs don't survive too long (often attributed to where/how they are bred/imported etc).

You could try doing a water change today (in case something has caused a nitrite spike or some other chemicals have entered the tank), making sure the temp is as near that of the tank water as possible. If he is clamping fins, you could start medicating with anti-bacs.

Sometimes if you treat them quickly enough, they can pull through!

Athena

 

[TigerIssey]

Don't medicate unless you need to. If you switch off CO2 and airate, you should see a difference pretty quickly. You may want to do a water change, not too much maybe 20-25% to gradually increase the pH and replace any carbonate hardness. Don't add Bicarb now though, you want a gradual increase as the ram is already distressed by the change.
If this does not work and you end up with clamped fins, look at medicating then.

 

[lyotim88]

ive been airating for about a half hour now with the co2 off and see no signs of him recovering. he's lying in the microswords breathing heavily and almost looks bloated. i lost him huh?

 

[minxfishy]

Have you done a partial water change?

Also move the filter outlet to break the surface more as this will help increase oxygen levels.

 

[lyotim88]

Have you done a partial water change?

Also move the filter outlet to break the surface more as this will help increase oxygen levels.

yes i did about 15%

he is still showing his blue a little bit however

 

[TigerIssey]

How long had he been at the top of the tank. Can you test pH again, have you got a KH test kit. You need to do water change. You need to aggitate the water surface as much as possible. If he's not at the top gasping that is some improvement.

 

[Truck]

there is nothing wrong with running CO2 with rams,
30ppm is fine


it will be the carbonic acid that lowered the PH Do NOT turn the CO2 off, turn it down to half of what you are running now, and then increase the Kh slowly then turn back up slowly

CO2 wont decrease oxygen levels!!!

why do you think plants pearl?

1. because the oxygen can no longer disolve into the water
2. the rate of O2 production is faster than can be absorbed!!

 

[lyotim88]

there is nothing wrong with running CO2 with rams, it will be suffering from PH shock.

30ppm is fine


it will be the carbonic acid that lowered the PH and caused PH shock which can lead to swimbladder, Do NOT turn the CO2 off, turn it down to half of what you are running now, and then increase the Kh slowly then turn back up slowly

CO2 wont decrease oxygen levels!!!

why do you think plants pearl?

1. because the oxygen can no longer disolve into the water
2. the rate of O2 production is faster than can be absorbed!!

how can i regulate the carbonic acid? how do i raise the kh?

 

[Truck]

turn your reg down, and you can raise the KH with bicarbonate of soda, i cant remeber the ratio.

 

[lyotim88]

turn your reg down, and you can raise the KH with bicarbonate of soda, i cant remeber the ratio.

is sodium bicarbonate the same? (baking soda)

 

[Truck]

no baking soda contains a caking agent, PM oldman 47 and ask him for the ratio of bicarb to water, and if he doesnt know ask rabbut