Could she be depressed?

[pseud]

Ok, on wednesday I bought a pair of German Blue Rams. Brought them home, acclimitized slowly, released. Such lovely fish. I kept an eye on them and all seemed well, one was chasing the other a little at first but not too bad. Gradually it worsened, and I started noticing some fin damage to the less aggressive. I also started suspecting more and more that it was a female/female pair. Some advice here confirmed that. So I decided to take one back and exchange it for a male.

Catching them in the tank was difficult, I chased her around for quite a while until i eventually had to take all the plants out. Then I didn't have time to go to the shop and exchange her right then so I isolated her over night. The other ram kinda hung around the isolation chamber. First thing this morning I went and exchanged the fish, came home, started acclimitizing the new male and couldn't see the female. Finally I found her hanging around at the back of the tank, barely moving. She has all her color, just doesn't wanna move very much at all. I fed them both some brine shrimp to help perk her up and she still seems morose. I've even seen her hanging around at the surface almost upright.

That's the most worrying thing, I'm dreading it's a swim bladder problem or something, really don't wanna lose her. She has pooed but it seems to be clinging to her, maybe a little white.

What do you think's up with her? Depressed? Stressed? Diseased?

 

[pseud]

Addendum: She doesn't seem to have trouble swimming in a straight line or anything.

 

[WILDER]

Try her on some shelled peas, can you post water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph,is she gasping and heavy breathing at the top, can she maintain her balance in the water, no scales sticking out, has she been flicking and rubbing on objects.

 

[pseud]

I tried her on peas but she wouldn't take. I'll try again though tonight.

Amonnia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0
Ph - 6.8

Not gasping but staying near the top. No scales sticking out, not brushing against anything.
Hard to tell if she can maintain her balance. When at the top she goes almost upright, mouth up. When in the water she seems to want to rest on plant leaves or a piece of driftwood. She isn't really swimming anywhere at all, more like drifting. When she does swim, which is rarely and only a short distance, she seems to do fine.

It seemed to come on suddenly, within hours of isolating the other female.

 

[WILDER]

To be completely honest it's not sounding good, fish do this when they are dying, start off at the top, then go to the bottom of the tank, can you issolate her, no colour change like darkening of colour.

 

[pseud]

I don't have a spare isolation tank. The best I could do is float a container in the tank already and place her in that....

 

[WILDER]

It's up to you, you no how to make her more comforatable, just keep an eye on her, could of been off it when you bought her, just one of these thing i'm afraid, i hope she does come round, good luck.

 

[pseud]

I did isolate her so she wouldn't be bothered by any other fish. Dropped some peas in in the hope that she'd eat some and maybe get better. She died.

I feel like such an ass. I'm really quite sure she died from being so stressed. That's possible right? I should've known better not to have chased the fish round the tank.

 

[jimbooo]

sorry to hear that pseud.

if you read my post in pics (not sure if you have) thats precicely why i moved mine to the 12G. when in the 40G both rams did as you say, flicked about frantically then went head up, tail down at the surface gasping really really fast.

i have no idea why as both tanks are exactly the same in terms of parameters and both fully planted. the 40G however is rather busy with bigger fish (rainbow, angel, big fat danios etc...)

it can only be stress i cant think of any other explination.

sorry to hear of your loss, little fishy

 

[pseud]

Sucks. I'll know to be more careful in future.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry,R.I.P.

 

[pseud]

Thanks for your help Wilder

 

[WILDER]

Your'e welcome wished i could have done more.