Plz Help Ram with red streaks

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rohitp78

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
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Location
Nevada, USA
Hello All

I bought a ram about a week back. Now he is acting erratically, scratching against objects and seems restless. I can see red streaks on his body and portion where fin meets body. I am attaching a picture of this. I treated with Quickcure for 2 days, and also put in jungle fungus clear tablets today, but no improvement in him. Can anyone help me identify this and suggest a treatment for this poor ram?

Water parameters are good, and tank is established.

capacity: 30Gallons
nitrate < 5ppm
nitrite 0
ammonia 0
ph 7.8.
temp 84F

I brought 3 rams, one died within a day, second died today, he was turned black and had rapid gill movement and was also chased by last health female, which is still healthy. Does anyone know about this?


Also i have cardinals having thin white spots that will disappear in a day and come back again, they will not scratch against objects, so i am wondering this is not ICK does anyone know what this is?

Thanks in Advance!
 

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Do the white spots look like salt grains? If it is, then they have ick. If it is ick, then you will want to treat the whole tank with the heat treatment, and not meds. Also, the scratching you are talking about is called flashing. And some fish will give you an early signal of possible ick by flashing. That can also result in scratches, if rubbing up against objects that might be sharp. But here's a few items we need to know:

Do the white spots look like salt grains?
How often do you do water changes, and how much?
How long has the tank been set up?
 
Sounds like your rams bought in a host of problems. Red streaks are usually a sign of bacterial infection or poor water quality. Since your water is good, I'd guess it's a bacterial problem. Dose the tank as soon as possible with an anti-bacterial med or antibiotic. Maracyn-Two or Tetracycline would be a good choice. As for the cardinals, it does sound like ich to me, but not positive. Try treating with the antibiotic first and see if that helps.
 
Thanks for the reply guys!

Lonewolfblue: They look like salt grains but they are very small. They do not persist for more than 2 days. I had temp elevated to about 87F, for more than a week and was also treating with quickcure. But seemed that it did not cure anything so was wondering if it was something else.

I usually have a water change about 1.5 weeks, nitrate levels are always good and water is crystal clear. The tank was has been set up for more than 2 months (i had an empty tank as i was on vacation for a month in April, and had returned all my fish. After coming back i slowly added fish, but seems that my biowheel still had some bacteria left and never had any ammonia even first few days. My tank is also not fully stocked. 4 dwarf rainbows, 6 neon/cardinal, 2 panda cories 2 otos, and now 2 rams.

Devilishturtles: I will start the medications immediately, will go and get medications, probably from walmart which is open 24 hrs. Should i treat my 30 gallon tank, or move the sick ram to 10 gallon quarntine tank?

Thanks a lot for all your help!
 
It is ick then. You will need to do the heat treatment, and after the last sign of ick is gone, leave the temp up for 2 weeks after that. This ensures all the ick is dead and gone.

But as stated above, the red streaks are a concern. I agree with the Maracyn-Two if it's bacterial, and you'll want to treat this first. Then go to the ick, unless the ick starts getting bad. As for meds for ick, don't use them, heat is good enough and completely gets rid of it. I've used Maracyn-Two with success before, and would use it again. But only as a last resort. Could use a combo if Pimafix and Melafix first. See if it helps. If the red streaks persist, then go with the full-strength meds. Hopefully this will take care of that problem so you can get on with the heat treatment.

I would leave all the fish in the 30G, as they are all exposed to ick anyways. So no need to QT. I would treat the tank as a whole.
 
I did a 50% water change to dilute other medications and added Melafix. I will get Pimafix and Maracyn-two tomorrow, and add pimafix immediately. If the condition does not improve then how many days should i try Melafix + Pimafix before i start treating with Maracyn-Two?

I will maintain my temperature to 85-86F. This should not harm my Otos right?

Thanks again for all your Help...
 
I'd go 87. Ick will not die below 86. Are you turning the temp up now? Not sure how the med treatments will do at those temps. But if you are already there, them we'll leave it there, at 87. Otos should be fine as long as you aren't changing the temp too fast.

As for the Pimafix and Melafix, after 3-4 days, if you see no sign of getting better, then do a 50% PWC, run 1 day with carbon in the filter, then remove carbon and start Maracyn-Two treatment.
 
The temperature was already around 85-86F. Should i incerase it to 87F or reduce slowly to 78F?

I lost one oto, yesterday after adding Melafix, he had started coming to the water surface and behaved as if he was irritated. He was healthy all this time. I could see his stomach from bottom side all red. :( The other oto is doing fine.
 
Ok, i will increase temperature to 87F and get Maracyn-Two in evening.

Only one fish, Ram is suffering from red streaks. Do you think i should isloate him into quarantine tankand then treat him with antiboitic? Or i should add antibiotic to my main tank as the bacterial infection my have spread though unseen. Also will antibiotics hard my other fish?

I really apreciate all the support i am receiving at aquariumadvice.
 
I'd bump it to 87 degrees also, since you are already there. As for the Ram, you could QT him to treat with antibiotics. But just keep a close eye on all the other tank mates. And be sure to have both tanks at the same temp prior to moving him.
 
ok i have moved Ram to quarantine tank and added 2 tablets of maracyn 2. I will continue the treatment as suggested for 5 days.

I am also maintaing the temperature of both tanks around 86-87F.

Let hope everything gets well soon.

Thanks again for all your Help!!
 
I seems that my RAM also has worms. I can see them hanging from his anus. I have the medicated antiparasite food which i put in buy he is not eating anything.

Is there anything else i can do?

Thanks!
 
Just don't worry about him not eating. Fish can go several days without eating. Just keep trying the anti-parasitic food, and when he's hungry enough, he'll eat it.
 
Ram is still not eating anything, i tried worms too. Now he is mostly around the surface of water. Just hoping that he will get well again, but now i have started thinking that he may not be able to make it. :(
 
I tried but my Ram was not eating anything. It has been 5 days since he last ate. He had grown very weak and was not able to swim around, flowing around with the flow of water. Seeing his condition i was sure that he would not make it anyway. So i put him to sleep, thinking to not let him suffer more. :(
 
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