SICK RAM??

[Kindredspirit]

Hey Guys check out this picture please! He wld not come any closer for a better picture sorry! This guy is really not moving and is stationary and kinda breathing hard....he is eating tho~I know my Rams very well and he is not up to no good so he is def trippin!

This wound looks like a battle scar? At first I thought it was ich but then you can see red under the white glob ~

I hope its not contagious to discus ~ first thought of course! Pl tell me that it is a wound and just wc?? And not some fungi-flesheatingbacterial disease??

Sometimes he kinds spazs a little too

I really cannot take him out and put him anywhere unless itz a bowl!!

Whatcha think??


Marie ~

[AmberC]

Nice rubber band! (Couldn't resist from your other thread.. anyways..)

It does look like fungus to me. Def keep up on w/c as that is always a must.. but adding some salt might be beneficial.. or perhaps doing a salt bath on him.. might work a little better.

You said he'll spaz at times.. what exactly is he doing? Darting around? Shaking? Swimming funny? I am sure all parameters are fine? How long has he been like that.. do you know?

Amber

[Kindredspirit]

oops I forgot to paint that out before posting Kenny doesnt even know either ~ I did add salt like ya said Amber ~


I hope he is going to be okay ~

[KIWI13]

I have had this problem before and unfortunately I lost the fish. I tried bacterial and fungal treatment to no avail. I would suggest doing alot of water changes and just out of curiosity how much light does this tank get??? rams do not like strong light and are known to get liver infections from them. I don't think this is a related issue but I think you could try cuttin down on the light a bit and giving it alot of good water. Rams do not do well with antibiotics either.
Believe it or not but rams are alot more fragile than discus.

BTW Marie, miss talkin to ya

Luv

J

[Kindredspirit]

Jason!!! I was just thinking of you babe! I was at your site...did ya see?? I will get going over there ~

As far as the light ....it is stronger than the other tanks in that there are two tube strips....as opposed to just one....Do you think I shld move the Rams to another tank Jas? Is this contagious? Battle wound? You never did say brat...


Talk to ya soon~

M ~

[candyl70]

If it's cottony and looks sort of hairy, then its a fungus Marie. And fungus is contagious. Just treat them with some sort of fungus med, like your fungus clear, and he or she should be fine.

[Kenny's Discus]

I hope he'll be ok Marie. If it were me I'll isolate him.

Kenny

[Kindredspirit]

I am working on that one Kenny ~ Hey call me when you can pl?


Thanks Candy ~ just spoke to you

[pcsb23]

Marie,

First off I am not a ram expert at all. Looking at the 'spot' it does seem to be red underneath, which implies skin damage. Be careful with the meds you use, nothing with formalin or pp in it. I have been told that rams are less tolerant of antibiotics and salt than discus so be careful with the dosages. I would trust Jason's advice totally on this one, btw I miss talking to him too! I would aslo do as Kenny says and isolate it.

Keeping my fingers crossed,

[KIWI13]

LOL Paul you give me too much credit but I am findin my way slowly back to Simply discus so it will be my pleasure to talk to you cause you rock ( for an english bloke ofcoure)

Marie it could be related to fighting but I doubt it. Fungus is a secondary infection to any damage to the fish. So treating for fungus will only get rid of the fungus but not any bacterial infection. So do not dose salt as much as you would dose for discus and I would keep the water changes to daily changes and yeah cut down on the light a bit. I think your giving them too much. Light in aquariums are for the aquarist and the plants but have little benifit for the fish themselves. if you got no plants in there then give them hiding place and darken the tank a bit. How long do you keep the lights on for ??? not more than 8 hours I hope...

J

[Kindredspirit]

Thanks Paul ~ I guess we can miss him huh?


Jas ~ I turn my lights on at around 8am then off at 7 or 8pm ~ and ya know what....I used to have tons of places in this tank for the Rams to hide...lots of rocks...but I took most out cuz of all the algae was buggin me so much! This is the only tank I get it due to the lights ~

...but it is so pretty I want them on

I guess I shld build back the caves yes? OR....do you think I shld take them all out and put them in the other 55gal where the light is half as bright?

You will have to come and catch them of course

I did manage to catch this guy with the fungus..... and I can barely tell you guys what happened I had him in a large bowl to transfer him over to the bucket after I got it all together....and ......

I emptied the wrong bowl down the drain.......I had two in my hands and I wasn't thinking....

I sent him down the drain

I dropped the bowl on the tile and it shattered and it was a big bowl....a piece cut my cheek and it was like ..."this is so not happening!"......I got some pliers to see if I cld get the pipes off underneath the sink thinking he might be there....waiting....for me....

but I wasnt strong enough I took him out to save him ....and

I killed him

[pcsb23]

Marie, in some ways you may have done it a kindness, it won't have suffered very long. Rams are quite delicate and when they get sick they are hard to save.

Don't beat yourself up please! I have done similar and killed fish because of a moments lack of concentration, or worse still stupid arrogance.

The things we do for our fish!

[Kindredspirit]

Thanks Paul~

[KIWI13]

I think its my time now to agree with Paul 100%. Rams are hard to save when sick and pumping them with medicines only hurries up their death. I think you like any of us is human and to err is human so please do not get beat up over it. I am sure you did your best and this problem has nothing to do with you. I am trying to research into this problem rams have and what is the best cure for it. when I find some concrete info I will post it here..

Luv

J

[AmberC]

Awww Marie I am sorry.. but they are right! It was just an accident. Do you remember when I lost a loach down the drain? But Brett was here and he got the pipe off and there the little guy was! But he died the next day..

Hugs woman.. I'll probably talk to you today. How is your cheek? You said you got cut.

Amber