Four for Four w/Female Rams - My fault?

[LindaC]

I bought a beautfiul female Blue Ram last night, brought her home and put her in my 29 gallon planted tank, w/DIY CO2. She was fine last night, her and the male got along famously, I thought there would be eggs in there this morning, they got along that well. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the light to see her gasping at the top and not being able to swim without flapping all over the place.

I quickly took her out and put her in my 10 gallon non planted tank with an air stone and added some Melafix, wish I did in the first place. This is why I orginally purchased the 10 gallon. She just appeared so healthy and fiesty, not like any other female I've had, who usually run and hide in the bushes for a couple of days. She stayed right beside the male, she ate Brine Shrimp last night and all looked well. Did I cause her death by adding her to a tank with injected CO2 and then turning off the lights a couple hours later, starving her for oxygen?

The 10 gallon tank is right beside my desk here, she just made, what appears to be, a last ditch effort to swim and flopped to the bottom and looks dead! I'm so frustrated, what am I doing wrong with these females, the males are fine.

[Jchillin]

There is a history of the females not doing as well as the males. The exact reason is still a mystery though it is known that the breeding techniques used by Asian breeders produce more males per spawning. It may stand to reason that the females from the same source would be weaker.

Check with your LFS and inquire the source of the rams. Then see if you can find other source.

[LindaC]

Sounds logical, though very sad, some of the females are so very pretty, this one's coloring had a purple tone to her with a stong pink belly, the male was very taken with her striking beauty, he was doing things I've never witnessed before, twisting his body and rubbing up against her, almost as if he were purring. Definitely one of the highlights of my fish keeping career, thus far. That's why it was even more stressing to see her struggle to live this morning.

Thanks for listening!

[sherry]

you might want to run an airstone at night in your co2 tank.. the only thing is that you will cause sort of a ph swing by doing that.. because you vent so much co2.

the issue really isnt' how much so2 is in the tank.. not usually anyway, but howmuch o2 the plants use up at night.. competing with the fish.

good luck