t-ace

i just bought a blue ram three days ago and he has hardly eaten at all. randomly he will grab a flake during feeding time, but he usually spits it out. i have tried frozen brine shrimp, but he does the same thing. i have tried freeze dried baby shrimp, shrimp pellets, three different flake foods, cichlid pellets(which is what he was fed in the store), tetra granules, frozen brine shrimp, and frozen blood worms. Everytime i put food in the tank, it is different. He just doesn't seem to show any interest during feeding time. There are an ample amount of hiding places and the tank is heavily planted (he is in my 29 gallon). He is also in my computer room where there isn't much activity. i did a water change an hour before i got him and i did one today(three days later) and the parameters are ok. The other fish in the tank are peacefull and there hasn't been any territorial issues because none of the fish had any staked territories before he was added. any suggestions on how to get him to eat?

dvc_r

It sounds like an acclimation issue. Looking at your profile, your water seems ok. I see you have a wag sword, you haven't put aquarium salt in the tank, have you? What were the perimeters of the stores water compared to yours? Did you slow drip the ram or did you put the bag in the tank for 15-20 min. until the water temp was equal and then let him go?

t-ace

thanks for the reply, dvc. The only time that salt has been in the tank is back in the beginning of sept. when i had a bout with ICH. Since then, i have not added any salt. The water has been changed at least once a week since then, so i don't think that should be an issue. I never thought of checking the stores parameters, good thinking! He was only at the LFS for a couple of days, so he wasn't really adjusted to their water either though. When i brought him home i let the bag float for about 10-15, then i opened it and added a little water every 15 minutes or so for the next hour and a half. Also, i saw him grab two flakes this morning! I don't know if this is just usual activity for a ram. He looks pale, but he is active and is constantly exploring the tank. he has kind of claimed one of the caves. I hope that everything works out, i have become kind of attached already!

dvc_r

I think you have done everything possible! Let's just hope he come through, (it sounds like he might). I always check the water quality from the store, I take my syringe and fill up a few glass tubes and check ammonia, NitrItes, NitrAtes, Phosphates, pH and I even have a conductivity meter that I stick into the fish tanks when I'm at the store! It usually freaks out the employees!

"Conductivity" is an issue that most hobbyists do not even consider, (I'm just learning about it myself). I'm finding out that most of the water in LFS has a conductivity level of 1500-3000, and our tap water is around 300-400. I found out the hard way because I use RO water which drops my conductivity to 150. This creates a pressure difference between the fish gills and the outside water pressure, it has a similar effect for deep sea divers called “the bends”.
This web site has a great article from Joe Gargas. I highly recommend everyone in the hobby to read it. Pay special attention to the trips to Wal-mart.
http://www.tbas1.com/TBASpdf/May2009.pdf

t-ace

That is an incredibly interesting article. I had never heard anything about conductivity levels or TDS. That article has completely changed my veiwpoint on water condition. I believe that article will change the way i do water changes. Thanks for your help!

By the way dvc, where did you get your conductivity meter? Thanks again!

wsjjqxiaoq

advice you set your tank at 28C ~30C four or five days and dont give them any food, when you get new rams, it will really help them to survive in new tank.

dvc_r

ME TOO!

I'm glad you liked it, I hope others will read this post. Maybe if we get lucky a monitor will pick up on the article and post it as a "sticky". (They will know more about the legal issues of posting other works.)

Juan and Sylvia

Hi I've been keeping rams too and they love live bloodworms. I think the the wiggly worm is a temptation. I always feed new rams live worms. Also the temperature needs to be at least 82 F. They are such beautiful fish. I hope yours pulls through.

dvc_r

Ace, you still there?
It's been a few days, how you doing with the little guy?

t-ace

he is actually doing well. it turns out that he likes sinking pellets, particularly shrimp pellets. since my last post he has started eating regularly and has started to get much of his color back. he really is a beautiful fish! i look forward to seeing him as an adult.

i will try to find some live blood worms for him. i bet all the fish would love them!

sorry it took so long for the reply, but i am a full time student with a full time job. thanks for being concerned about my situation though, dvc. and thanks for your help everybody!