Whats happening with my Bolivan Rams?

Hello Everyone,

Tank build: 20G planted, HOB filter and small sponge.

I have two Bolivian Rams and they have been super active fish over the last 5 months but over the last 3 days they stopped. They are both just basically sitting on the sand, barely moving (pic attached). I've got a lot of hiding places throughout the tank, and the water parameters seem good. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate and 7-7.2 for PH. We just had a heat wave 4 days ago and the water temp raised quite a bit for a day, but has since dropped back to 79-80 degrees. Could this be part of the reason for their inactivity? They aren't even really eating either.

Please, any help would be appreciated,

Thanks

 

What did it bump up to? Sure, the swing up and back down could cause some stress.

 

I find with rams too much bloodworm or surface floating foods cause similar reaction. Or a parasite which for me I used a dog dewormer panacur c and mine seemed happier. If you are feeding bloodworm only do it once a week.

 

Thanks for the tip, they do get bloodworms and I do try to limit them, but perhaps I need to limit them more.

 

Bloodworms should be scratched from any cichlid diet. Especially for south american dwarf cichlids. Alternatively feed white mosquito larvae, artemia (brine shrimp), daphnia (only 1-2x a month!) and cyclops. You can feed all of those also alive.

Otherwise: Bolivian Rams like it quite some degrees cooler than german blue rams. 24°C would be ideal. Keep the water cool during heatwaves. Use a fan or do extra waterchanges.