What Is Wrong With My Ram

HI all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. Any idea what's wrong with/growing on my German Ram's pectoral fin? Video below:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 3
pH 7.1

Tank (127L) has been running since Feb, cycle is well established. Had the rams for about a week. Tankmates are 2 snails, 7 Corys and 6 Cherry Barb's. Suspect ram is eating ok, but seems to be doing clear poos. Other fish showing no other symptoms.

In Australia but have prazipro, metroplex, tetra lifeguard and API Furan-2 on hand. Also have an aqua one broad spectrum cure.

 

It kind of looks like fungus. Does it look fluffy/fuzzy? I’ve never kept rams but I know they can be finicky and like higher temps. Usually fungal infection is brought on by a fish being stressed. If you have access to apI they have a fungus cure. I usually use HikarI ich x but I don’t know if you have that brand. Most fungal meds will stain silicon so a quarantine tank would prevent that. It could be ich if it’s smooth. Ich looks like salt granules.

 

It looks a little fuzzy I guess? Like spider web maybe?

Here is another video (apologies about the background music, kids are watching TV):

 

The fin looks a little frayed in that video. Maybe fin rot or he damaged the fin and a fungal infection set in. It doesn’t look like ich though. Id get something to clear up the fungus. You probably still need to figure out what caused it. Since they’re new fish it could just be from the adjustment. If it’s fin rot you’ll want to get an antibiotic as well but I’d wait on the antibiotic for someone else to also chime in.

I wasn’t familiar with the tetralife guard but after looking it up it sounds like if it’s either fungal, fin rot or both that should clear it up.

 

Thinking you have 2 of the same sex and one is whipping the other ?

 

I think the one in the video is female. My other one is definitely make. Either that or theyre both male. Any ideas?

 

Seeing both clearly would help to resolve that ..
One in video does look female and also has same thing going on above eye and on top of head as the pectoral fin …
I would getting on water changes to up water quality and making sure temp is 82f+ before installing meds ?

 

82F ok for the Cory's and cherry Barb's?

Here's one of both of them

 

Rams need to be 80f+ right up to 86 easy ..
Less weakens their immune system and shortens their already short life ..
As for other fish I guess you have to choose who you favor ?
The ram will not tolerate living in some other fishes conditions ..
That is why the choices of proper stocking with them is very limited and I personally think they should be in a tank to themselves [like discus ]…
Maybe just me ? I take my rams seriously and always tell my customers that the fish NEEDS to be the #1 fish in tank to do well.
Hoping the forum clears up its picture issue soon as looking at tiny pics on my phone is not my thing ..Vids seem to be working well as I saw yours and posted mine without issue also yesterday .

 

Ok so I've just put the temp up to about 27.5 degrees Celcius (81.5F). Hopefully that will help a little.

Here are two videos, one of each Ram:

Also, tank is just coming down off a diatom bloom hence the brown on the glass.

Here's a better video of them both with a better close up of the pectoral fin:

 

Could be a pair ?
What are you feeding them ?
Poop looks funny on the one with issue..

 

3algae wafers, frozen bloodworm & brine shrimp (thawed first in tank water) and some flakes and micro pellets to mix things up a bit. The one with the issues seems to still be eating ok.

Any ideas on diagnosis and treatment?

 

Safest thing to dose first is PrazI and metro together ..
Many discus keepers do that as a prophylactic treatment on all fish they introduce .
That and generally speaking PrazI is very safe ,needing to be overdosed like by 500 times to cause issue with fish .
Just me but here is how meds work [all] .
You need stronger meds to kill larger issues .You want a med that will kill what ever but not your fish ,sometimes with other meds [like kanamycin] the proper dose is close to lethal for your fish so treatment with them is hit or miss ?
Offer more blood worms [frozen] ,the rams will thank you ...

 

If it is ich will both of those together help?

 

No they won't touch ich .You need Malachite Green and Formulin to kill ich quick. The best meds have both and work well[ rid ich plus/quick cure / ridx ]. Stay away from herbal junk .
It is not ich ..It is stress ,water and possibly an internal worm/protozoa IMO..
I have kept and breed rams over the last 5+ years never seen ich once ..
Seen just about everything else with them though ! They basically are all garbage stock unless obtained from a respected breeder which I would complain about but , I am who I am because of that !
Does the pair get along basically ?

 

First night there was a little chasing around but now they just stick together and follow each other around the tank.
All of the fish seem to be getting along great.

I've turned off the UV sterilizer and dosed PrazI and metro into the water according to the packet instructions. What's the best protocol for water changes and dosages?

 

Nice ! The UV can't hurt at all. I run the DR.Chihiros in my breeding tanks ..
Follow the directions on the meds ; Metro is installed daily for 7 days ,PazI is every 3 days .
My metro says 25% water change daily so if you do that then up PrazI to every other day ..

 

The PrazI bottle said no UV? Just put the UV back on you think?

 

I would run it after treatment .
Good find ..

 

DB89
Welcome to the forum!
Thanks for sharing.
I see coralbandit the "Ram" guru is on the case.
Learning along with you,
Good Luck!

 

Coloured up a bit better this morning. Both ate some bloodworms. What's the call on the sex of them?

 

Don't really know much about rams but when my rainbowfish developed a patch of fungus (I assume he bumped into something) I gave him an epsom salt bath two days in a row and it cleared right up. So if the prazI doesn't help, you might try that. The dosage I used is 1 teaspoon for one gallon of water for 20-25 min.

Good luck with them though, they are very beautiful fish!

 

By looking at the vents I would guess both males !
If you get eggs then I am wrong ...
They do look good..

 

Ok so this has now shown up on its head. Picture and video. The other one seems to be getting it on its pectorals too. Bacterial or fungal? And can I use furan 2 with metroplex and Prazi?

 

I had a similar problem with a ram a few weeks ago didn’t notice any thing on the fins but it was having clear/white poo. About a week and a half later I came home from work and he/she was dead. I have 3 other rams in the tank and they all seem fine at the moment

 

Ok so this has now shown up on its head. Picture and video. The other one seems to be getting it on its pectorals too. Bacterial or fungal? And can I use furan 2 with metroplex and Prazi?

I would assume fungal from injury /damage .
I would really focus on water quality and diet before meds .
Are you noting aggression ,I can the nips and fin damage on the pectorals ..