Sick Ram?

[Mybbygotsauz]

My female German Blue Ram is lying at the bottom not swimming.
Water parameters are good and she has no physical signs of injury.
she is eating good and everything is great other than her not swimming.
What would be the best thing for me to do? Like quarantine her? or what?

 

[thereverendturtle]

Laying on her side or just resting on the bottom? Can she swim normal when she feeds? What exactly are your water parameters, including pH and temp? What other fish are with her, how old is she?

 

[Mybbygotsauz]

Ok, she isnt laying on her side, she is right side up.
My Ph is about 7.6
My temp is about 79
Nitrates are about 45ppm now, quite high. But i am doing water changes frequently to lower them.
Nitrites are 0
Ammonia are 0
my water is hard at about 160 ppm

She has a male partner
and there are 4 Dwarf Gourami and One Rainbow Shark
which are the only threats if im not mistaken. And they have been nothing but peaceful since adding them.
but other occupants are Neon Tetras
Mollies
Guppies
Snails
Platies
Pleco
and one Female Betta
Im not exactly sure what the age is. But ive had her for about a year and a half and she was almost fully grown when i purchased her.

And its kinda mixed weather she can swim good when eating.
She swims upright but it looks different. Definitely some distortion from what she used to swim.
And this is the only time she tries to swim is when food is around.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Sounds like a swim bladder issue. There are many causes, bacterial, viral and physical damage. Best I can suggest is put her in a tank of her own, ten gallons maybe, raise the temp to 84-86, use R.O. water to bring the pH closer to 6.0-6.5 and see how she responds. If that doesn't work there are meds that say they will treat swim bladder disease.
Good luck.

 

[Mybbygotsauz]

Ok thanks so much
quick questions
Do Rams prefer lower PH's?
Where can i buy swim bladder disease medicine?
and what exactly is "R.O."

And are swim bladder issues fatal? Or are they common and easy to get rid of?

 

[thereverendturtle]

Rams do prefer a pH below 7, that's soft and a high temp, much like discus. Any of the big chain stores or even Wal-Mart should have the medication for swim bladder problems. I will warn you though that swimming issues are some of the most difficult to treat.
R.O. water, is water that has been purified and forced through a membrane to remove pretty much anything that's not H2O from the water. Most of the water vending machines are using R.O. to purify the water for drinking.

 

[Mybbygotsauz]

ok thanks so much
are these bladder problems typically fatal?

 

[thereverendturtle]

They can be, especially if its viral/bacterial.