Female Ram Not Eating

[Curiosity101]

I was sold 2 female bolivian rams awhile back. And in the past couple of weeks one began bullying the other!
Not that I was surprised, I just hoped I'd be able to find a home for one of them before the bullying started.

Anyhoo I took the submissive one out (was hanging by the filter not looking very happy)
She's now in a 30l quarentine until I can find a suitable home.

Tanks water levels are alright. It wasn't cycled but it'd only 30l so I'm doing 50% water changes daily.
She's looking much happier than when she was in the main tank, no pysical signs of illness.

But she's still not eating... and it's worrying me.
I want to rehome her, but not if there's something wrong.
I see her picking at the gravel a bit, but there isn't really much algae to speak of. So I don't know how much nutrition she's really getting from this.

I've tried pellets, flakes, algae pellets and algae wafer. My last option is live foods I guess.
Anyone got any advice. I know fish can go a long time without food but how long is safe?
Don't have water stats to hand, but 50% water changes daily for just her in the 30l makes me think they're ok.
I'm also put in a tiny bit of ammo lock for good measure.

 

[Truck]

whats your nitrate reading?

your feeding all the wrong stuff, go out and buy the gamma range of these

mysis
chopped prawn
chopped mussel
blood worms
brine shrimp
tubifex

you can also feed
beef
lamb
tuna
salmon


does she appear bloated? if so i would try some shelled peas, and dont feed blood worms if she is bloated.

flakes and pellets are not a good example of a staple diet for rams

 

[Curiosity101]

My main tank gets regular live foods, brine shrimp, blood worm etc.
I've just not been to get any yet this week which is why she's been on pellets etc
Some of us aren't on holiday for two weeks.... lol.

And no, not bloated. I said NO signs of illness. Unless you count the not eating of course.

Plus as for the 'wrong foods' the other female is happy eating pellets on the days they don't have live food. As was the female I've quarentined (during the 1 1/2 weeks she was in the main tank)

But they're good suggestions. I'll try her with something a bit meatier tonight. Perhaps a couple of bits of chopped up prawn I think.

Edit: Don't know what nitrates are atm, it's an uncycled tank so i'd have thought they were barely readable, if you take into account the 50% daily changes. I'll test tonight tho.

 

[Truck]

thay prefer meatier foods. and also, if your doing fish in cycling with a ram, it will be subject to ammonia and nitrite, so they will be affecting its overall health. they rarely survive fish in cycles

 

[Curiosity101]

I was hoping she wouldn't be in the tank for as long as she has been to be honest.

And there was no choice about switching her into the quarantine.
It has gravel from a cycled tank and I moved some water from my main tank.

I've kept ammonia readings to 0.
Nitrites are the only possible problem, but they haven't reached 1 at any point.
So I'm keeping water as good as possible in the current situation.

 

[Athena]

Sounds like you're doing fine - one fish in a 30 litre with 50% daily water changes shouldn't be causing much of a problem stats-wise. It's no different to those people who keep a single betta in a small tank with no filter, just doing daily water changes. Only problem is, I guess, that rams are sensitive little creatures so any fluctuating PH or temp may cause her a little stress.

If you notice her colouring going a bit dark (greyish/blackish) then you know she's not happy. Also, watch for any clamping of fins as this could indicate a bacterial infection (possibly brought on by stress).

Maybe giving her some frozen or live foods will perk her up a bit, though.

Let us know how you get on.

Athena

 

[Truck]

make sure frozen food is defrosted, because when they eat it frozen, it can form ice crystals inside them

 

[Curiosity101]

She has gone dark but that's due to the gravel IMO.

When they were in my old tank on dark blue gravel they were both darkish + stripey. Fins however were always up and they were very happy, good appetites etc.

As soon as the girls went into my new tank, over sand, they went incredibly pale (no stripes etc)

Even when being bullied she stayed this pale colour. It's only since going back onto gravel she's gone darker.
Fins are up most of the time by the way. I'll try and get a pic of her later

And I will make sure the food is properly defrosted

 

[Athena]

Hmmm... I wonder if she is sulking over not liking the gravel?

Cichlids do have these sort of personalities where they "sulk" if something is not to their liking. For example, if there are not enough plants or hidey holes, or they are not getting the food that they like best, or if they feel their tank water is not up to scratch, or they don't like their tankmates... little things like this can set them off in a mood and sometimes lead to bacterial infection (from stress).

Their body colouration is usually a good indication of what is going on inside. In rams I'm pretty sure that going dark is a sign that something is wrong (well, according to all I've read so far). It's like a little warning signal. Sometimes they get over it of their own accord, if it was caused by something simple. Sometimes a water change perks them up and brings back good colouration. Or change of diet can do the trick.

Bolivians tend to be paler and less colourful than the German Blue Rams, so my guess from what you've explained is that they were slightly unhappy in their first tank (but not to the degree of illness) but perked up when moved to their new tank (hence the paler colouration).

Now this female has been moved out of her lovely new tank she is obviously not happy with the situation.

Athena

 

[Curiosity101]

I'm doing my best for her
I feel guilty now.

I am going to have to go to the shop to specifically purchase some prawn for her though. I'm imagining it now at the fish counter 'So how many do you want' Me: 'Ermmm....4' lol.
Nah, will prob just got buy a bag of frozen n they can sit in the freezer till needed. Personally I thnk prawns are but there we go.

I'm pretty understanding if she is 'sulking' though. 125l tank, lots of real plants and a huge bit of bog wood on sand vs 30l gravel with a couple of fake plants. lol.
*Sigh* I think I've found a home for her by the way. Just need to arrange a date + time

 

[Athena]

Awwww, don't feel bad...

...she's probably thinking "hey, hold on a minute - I'm the one getting bullied and yet I've been uprooted from my mansion house and dumped into this chalet - why didn't the bully get punished with this, huh?" sulk sulk "Nope, don't want food, thanks - I'm too upset to eat now..." LOL

I'm just kidding...

If you are going to feed her prawn, it will have to be chopped up into teeny bits and only put one little bit in at a time to make sure she eats it (they pollute the tank really fast if left uneaten). Personally, I think you would have just as much success with either live brineshrimp or frozen (thawed) bloodworm/brineshrimp/daphnia etc, (from your LFS). Have you also offered her a bit of squashed up pea?

Anyway, good luck with the rehoming - hope it all works out.

Athena

 

[Curiosity101]

lol, to be fair to the fish. Reason I picked her to remove was because she was looking so weak from the bullying.
Sort of 'hanging' by the filter barely moving. I gave her a nice fresh warm tank with a bit of salt and she perked up within an hour

And no peas have been offered.
I'll find a tuppaware lid or something to put a lil bit of pea and a few lil bits of prawn on in the tank. So it doesn't get lost in the gravel.
And squashed as in properly mushed...or just squashed/little bits?

 

[Truck]

nuke the peas in the microwave, and then de shell them

 

[Athena]

... as above (or defrost in some boiled water) - then mash/chop with a knife - just big enough for her to eat bits of - she will only need one pea LOL

 

[Curiosity101]

Gourmet tea for the fish coming up