Need Blue Ram Help! Now

[fish killa]

ok i got a blue ram that i have had for about 2 month and for the pass month it seem it has developed a bad swim bladder . it struggles to swim and when it does it swims up right.


i have got api general cure to try to fix it but im afiad it might harm my other fish . i have a 40 gallon community tank with a angle, tetras, cherry barbs, and 2 other blue ram. i dont have a hospital tank so i cant put it in there but i have a 5 gallon bucket that i use for water changes so could i use that if i had to?

please help me!!!!!

 

[TrainRek77]

Swim bladder is thought to be a bacterial infection I believe. An internal bacterial infection is difficult to cure but I had two gourami with what seemed to be swim bladder and few doses of melafix took care of my problem. It may be time to purchase a small tank and get that fish separated. A bucket is fine as long as you have a filter running. Medicating usually takes a few days.

 

[fish killa]

Swim bladder is thought to be a bacterial infection I believe. An internal bacterial infection is difficult to cure but I had two gourami with what seemed to be swim bladder and few doses of melafix took care of my problem. It may be time to purchase a small tank and get that fish separated. A bucket is fine as long as you have a filter running. Medicating usually takes a few days.

i have a filter running but no heater is that ok?

 

[fluttermoth]

Unless you live somewhere with a very hot climate, you cannot keep rams without a heater. They need quite warm water (around 28°C/82°F) to do well, and I'd be almost certain that's where your problems are coming from, although rams are sensitive fish, and any trace of ammonia or nitrite, and too high a level of nitrate (above 40ppm or so), will also affect them badly.

 

[fish killa]

What I meant was I don't have a heater for the bucket also I used my fish tank water for the bucket ideah or bad ideah ?

 

[TrainRek77]

Bad idea. I have rams, my tank temp stays between 80 and 84. Erratic swimming can be the symptom of many problems though. I would try to get a look at it's poop and make a post on that template. Usually good responses come from that.

 

[fluttermoth]

What I meant was I don't have a heater for the bucket

Oh, I'm sorry! I totally misunderstood you

Rams are a very delicate fish though; you really need to get your water tested, if you don't have a kit of your own, and post the results.

 

[fish killa]

I had got my water checked out a week ago they said my water was hard and my ph was a little high but other then that everything was fine. I have my tank temp at 76f.

 

[fluttermoth]

Rams really need very warm, soft, acidic water to do well; I think your conditions are just wrong for them, tbh.

 

[fish killa]

I heard its not so much what your ph is as long as it not always changing. I have also read that it is possible to keep them in hard water. I have put drift wood in my tank and have just got some ph down and a pillow softer hope that will help with everything.

I put the fish in the bucket for 6 hours put the temp fell so I put him back in the main tank buut no changes was made to the way it was swiming.