Gbr Breathing Heavily?

[Messi]

Just got a pair of German blue rams a few days ago and they seemed sorta happy and everything apart from being aggressive to other fish. But now I payed closer attention to them it seems like they're breathing very fast and I was wandering if this was normal or something I should address? Below is a video of the pair, and yes I know the female is deformed, that's why you should try and avoid buying fish online, you never know what to expect!
 
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I'm not experienced with Ram cichlids and this is the first time I've actually kept a pair of them so I don't really know what to do.


Also my tank parameters are decent, the temp is around 25*C which I'm trying to increase but my 300w heater doesn't get any warmer even if I notch up the thermostat.

 

[attibones]

Have you done a water change? Maybe there isn't enough oxygen. I have four rams (which I ordered online with great success), and they never display such behavior. If you can, add another heater and gradually bring the temperature up. Do a water change, and, to be safe, add a bubble stone and oxygen pump. This will help with it gave agitation which can improve CO2 and O2 exchange.

Do you have a sand substrate?

Are any other fish displaying symptoms?

Are there any physical abnormalities on the fish (fin tears, red spots, etc)?

What are your water parameters?

Also, welcome to the site!

 

[Messi]

Have you done a water change? Maybe there isn't enough oxygen. I have four rams (which I ordered online with great success), and they never display such behavior. If you can, add another heater and gradually bring the temperature up. Do a water change, and, to be safe, add a bubble stone and oxygen pump. This will help with it gave agitation which can improve CO2 and O2 exchange.

Do you have a sand substrate?

Are any other fish displaying symptoms?

Are there any physical abnormalities on the fish (fin tears, red spots, etc)?

What are your water parameters?

Also, welcome to the site!

I'm not too sure it's an oxygen related issue as it's a 400l tank with only about 6 small fish in it, the Rams being the largest. The substrate is sand. The other fish are doing fine apart from being chased away by the Rams here and there. The female came with a bent spine and deformed fins but the male is fine.
 
The water parameters are 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 6.9 PH 25 nitrate but it could be more or less, aquarium test kits aren't very accurate. My friend told me that his looked and went about their business perfectly fine but suddenly died and I really don't want that happening to mine.

 

[attibones]

400 liters is a good size. However, because these are primarily bottom level fish, they are more prone to catching the first releases of toxic gases trapped in the sand. If the sand is not regularly shifted and then is suddenly disturbed, gases can be released which can cause suffocation.

What other fish live in the tank?

Even if you don't believe it is oxygen related, do a water change. Because they don't sound as though they are doing well, I would definitely do about 50%, just to give them some fresh water. This may help.

What filtration are you running?

Also, is this a planted tank?

What test kit do you use?

 

[Messi]

400 liters is a good size. However, because these are primarily bottom level fish, they are more prone to catching the first releases of toxic gases trapped in the sand. If the sand is not regularly shifted and then is suddenly disturbed, gases can be released which can cause suffocation.

What other fish live in the tank?

Even if you don't believe it is oxygen related, do a water change. Because they don't sound as though they are doing well, I would definitely do about 50%, just to give them some fresh water. This may help.

What filtration are you running?

Also, is this a planted tank?

What test kit do you use?

 
It's a very thin layer of sand, no more than  a cm deep and I also have MTS which sift the sand non stop. I'm running the big juwel internal filter with biological media and a fluval 205. It's a lightly planted tank, with a big clump of moss. I use API test kits. The other fish are a pair of cuckutoo apisto's, a small pair of kribs and some khuli loaches.

 

[attibones]

Okay then. It may not be toxic gases or oxygen deprivation. Do the fish eat? No signs of aggression in the tank, right?

 

[Messi]

Okay then. It may not be toxic gases or oxygen deprivation. Do the fish eat? No signs of aggression in the tank, right?

They eat a lot. The only aggression comes from the Rams towards the other fish. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier but I only get them this week.

 

[Messi]

Very weird, they are now showing breeding behaviour and are cleaning rocks and digging pits around the area they're protecting in the video. They don't have the intense breeding colours though I guess they're young or stressed?

 

[attibones]

I couldn't see the video. Either way, I don't know what to tell you. It is entirely plausible that the place that sold you these fish was not taking good care of them. You said you ordered them online. Maybe you could have a chat with the individual who sold them to you? Did you get them from some place like petsolutions or something like aquabid?

 

[Messi]

eBay, how come you can't see the video?

 

[Messi]

Okay I just saw them laying eggs. This is extremely surprising given the circumstances. I got them like 5 days ago now? And they were very badly beat up and skinny when I got them. That and the issues with heavy breathing I thought they were going to die but they've recovered well and gone and spawned which must mean they're happy? Also they weren't a mated pair when I  got them so I'm guessing I should remove the eggs?

 

[Messi]

Their eggs were infertile so I took them out, 2 hours later they start protecting a new leaf and cleaning it to spawn again. What a weird pair of fish I have.