colored up and pairing up

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#1
my new Rams have taken well to their new home.They still hide if I come t the tank to fast but that will end soon. They look good though they are colored up and demonstrating pairing or courting behaviors. He follows her around like a puppy and he's already started cleaning sights. I sense eggs in the not so far future, ha ha
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#3
that will all end soon , she'll be the coolest one. the males have territory and their mate to look after but the girls don't have all that to worry about so they just strole around the tank looking and pecking at stuff, its almost bird like. very cool. Try a water change and up the temp to about 80F , then feed um real well. I use freeze dried blood worms to feed mine all the time, they also pick at shrimp pellets. they say that live foods are the best but I never needed them( good water seems more important), I stay away from brine shrimp cause I dont want to mess up the PH or foul my water. They should start courtship behavior then , especially once her belly gets big , round and pink.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#4
The temperature in the tank is about 79F (my heater is weird and even though it's adjustable, it won't go higher than 79F). The biggest problem right now is that Zroya (my female) has some sort of fungus on her dorsal fin that I'm trying to treat (but can't afford meds at the moment). Tyr, my male, is looking awesome, though. I feed them Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets and they pick at my cory's shrimp pellets. It's almost that time of week to feed bloodworms, so we'll see how they like them (I feed frozen).
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#5
79 isn't bad . I ve had them breed at that 79 but have also had some that woulnt breed till 82. I don't know about you but I always use external treatments ( I dont like adding chems to my tank especialy meds. Not preaching to ya lol.
It sounds like shes stressed.
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#6
keep an eye on them and make sure your big buddy is'nt a big bully. She souldn't seem afraid of him. and when he charges there shouldn't be nipping with her being run off. they should be able to see eachother and be relaxed and go about there business together( no displays or chasing) more so than not.I had a male like that once ( always chasing , couldn't look at her and not run her around) he killed a bunch of ladies before I rehomed him. Good lookin fish but boy did he suk.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#7
I don't like to use meds, either, but I'm not sure how to treat fungus naturally. I added some API Stress Coat to the tank last night and she does look a little better today (her fins aren't clamped, but she is showing her stress bars a little bit). I'm not sure why she would be stressed, though. The neons keep away from the rams, and the panda cory and clown pleco just kind of do their own thing. Tyr doesn't bother her (other than to "protect" her when he thinks the neons are getting too close) and right now he's just kind of cruising around the tank in full color while she huddles in a corner. She did have a little nick out of her dorsal when I got her (she was the only female with three males and she's tiny), but I've been keeping on top of my water parameters and water changes because I know how sensitive rams can be. What's REALLY weird is that the fungus didn't show up until after I did a water change day before yesterday (did a 15% water change using Prime, just like I always do, and did a really thorough gravel vac).
 

Last edited:

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#8
The clamping and cornor huddling isn't good. I did see a post about some none med treatments on this sight not to long ago( but dont know if she'll survive to catching treating and stuff). I let my water sit for three days instead of chems to treat it. not that thats whats causing her stress/ sickness. If they were a recent addition she had to have been sick in the shop . just not showing. I hope she makes it. do ya have a way to seperate her like a hang in the tank nursery thing or a floaty one.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#9
She isn't clamped, but she is out of the corner (chilling on one of the leaves of one of the big sword plants), so that's good.

She was the last thing added to the tank. Tyr, the male, and the clown pleco were the first, then the neons and cory, then Zroya, the female. I've had her for almost a week now (it's a week today, actually) and the fungus just showed up day before yesterday (noticed it when I added the swords). I literally just retested my water and the parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 5 nitrates (which isn't surprising because I have two massive swords, three small swords and a whole bunch of dwarf sag).
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#10
I m sorry , I read it wrong," she isn't clamping". thats mighty cool. plants carry that stuff often I think . I would google Ich and fungle treatments. find one thats doable and make sure ya check at least three sites that have consistent info . but if she is acting normal and not being harrassed by any one , after a little treatment she'll be just fine . Ill google it now and get back to ya
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#11
saw some none med treatments and it seems the one commonly used is the jack the temp up to 82F . others use salt. and all say to use water changes and vacuum well. thats all I got for ya and I guess the raised temp one isnt' in the cards for ya. hope she gets better for ya .
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#12
I'm going to move her to my 18gal tall temporarily. I moved the fish that were in there out of it this morning (I'm getting ready to tear down and sell that tank), but didn't have time to tear down the tank, so it's still running. It has a better heater that is adjustable. I don't want to use salt in my 20gL because of my cory in there, but I can dose her with a little salt in the 18gal easily.
 

lstorns

Medium Fish
Aug 8, 2010
86
0
0
#13
good call , what kind of salt do ya use for that. The articles I read reffered to it as "salt' , does it have to be the salt you'd use in a marine tank , the kind you condition some freshwater tanks , table salt ......? are you going to set another tank up or disperse the fish through out the other tanks? I d love to have a bunch of tanks . your lucky. My wife draws the limit at a 1pond , 1 tank ,and 1 dog. Its works now but if I win the lottery . LOOK OUT !! lol
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#14
I lost Zroya (my female) today. I kept her in the 20gL because the heater in the 18gal sucks and wouldn't go higher than 77F. I raised the temp in the 20gL to 80F (as high as my heater would take it) and added a little aquarium salt (that's what is meant when "salt" is referred to for freshwater tanks). I didn't add too much salt because of the cory (I couldn't catch him to move him to the 55gal temporarily). She was alive when I left for my piano lessons at 10am. When I got back at 1:30pm, she was dead.

The fish in the 18gal (the DG and rasbora) went into the 55gal. So far, so good, in that tank (was concerned about the DG and angel).