butterfly ram loosing colour fins tucked back and not swimming as much

[TASHANCRAIG]

i recently bought 2 butterfly rams really nice colours in them both very healthy. i noticed 1 looking a bit grey ish to black colour its fins are permenantly tucked back and its not swimming about as much. they were ramming each other and playing spinning round now nothing 1 is still looking healthy and colourfull other is looking ill ?????

 

[Etunes]

Sounds like something is stressing them out big time. What is your water parameters (ammonia and such). Has anything changed insode the tank? New filter or anything?

 

[TASHANCRAIG]

Sounds like something is stressing them out big time. What is your water parameters (ammonia and such). Has anything changed insode the tank? New filter or anything?

every other fish is fine in my aquarium is fine swimming about my ammonia is 0 nitrites 0.3 nitrates 12.5 ph 7.4 other butterfly is fine just 1 is lookin ill could it be other ram stressing it out bullying it ????

 

[Etunes]

Could be being bullied. I see that your cycle has not finished though as you have nitrites. You need to keep those as low as possible. I would so a water change and if you think it is bullying rerange some of the decor so they have to stake out new territories. How big is the tank? what are you testing with? and How long have the fish been in the tank?

 

[TASHANCRAIG]

Could be being bullied. I see that your cycle has not finished though as you have nitrites. You need to keep those as low as possible. I would so a water change and if you think it is bullying rerange some of the decor so they have to stake out new territories. How big is the tank? what are you testing with? and How long have the fish been in the tank?

hi yeh my tank is 48 gallon 180 litres 3 ft long its a juwel vision 180 nice big tank i am using tetra test liquid kits accurate readings the fish have been in about a wk i bought 2 like i said 1 is lovely colours yellow and blues bit red and the other has some colour but looks grey ish ???? fins are still clamped back today and tail not open i have had it in a nusery tank for 2 days now thinking if it was being bullied it be away from everyone but no change. yes think my tank is at very end of cycling

 

[DragonFish71]

Do they look like this?

German Blue Ram Cichlid, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi aquarium tropical fish from Tropical Fish and Aquariums


Or this?

Fishlink Worldwide :: Your Direct Links To Fishes


The second one is a hybrid of the first link (a german blue ram) and an angelfish.


The GBR (german blue ram) is a notoriously weak fish. From what I understand from my LFS, the hybrid (out here they are called balloon or butterfly rams) are just as weak.

My own experience with GBRs has been miserable. My favorite of the dwarf cichlids, but a PITA to keep.

There very well could be nothing wrong with your rams, they just get faded and die off for no apparent reason.

I hear Bolivian rams are a much hardier breed if you can find some.

 

[TASHANCRAIG]

Do they look like this?

German Blue Ram Cichlid, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi aquarium tropical fish from Tropical Fish and Aquariums


Or this?

Fishlink Worldwide :: Your Direct Links To Fishes


The second one is a hybrid of the first link (a german blue ram) and an angelfish.


The GBR (german blue ram) is a notoriously weak fish. From what I understand from my LFS, the hybrid (out here they are called balloon or butterfly rams) are just as weak.

My own experience with GBRs has been miserable. My favorite of the dwarf cichlids, but a PITA to keep.

There very well could be nothing wrong with your rams, they just get faded and die off for no apparent reason.

I hear Bolivian rams are a much hardier breed if you can find some.

yes they look like that bit longer in the body i think were sold in my lfs as butterfly rams small peacefull ciclids ??? 1 is fine other all fins are clamped and its not eating cant understand it all other fish in tank are ok eating and behaving ok my 2 rams used to ram each other and spin round plus my siamese fighter kept flaring up at it could it be stressed out totally ?? because not a thing wrong with other ram ???

 

[DragonFish71]

They are very peaceful for cichlids, they were truthful about that.


Does your pH stay constant? I found that they don't like pH fluxes much.

Or, it could just be what I call MGBR disease (mystery german blue ram disease) Like I said, we had them dying off for no reason that we could find. Our lfs tested our water, we tested are water, nothing. No signs of distress, no signs of anything. One day, dead.

 

[TASHANCRAIG]

They are very peaceful for cichlids, they were truthful about that.


Does your pH stay constant? I found that they don't like pH fluxes much.

Or, it could just be what I call MGBR disease (mystery german blue ram disease) Like I said, we had them dying off for no reason that we could find. Our lfs tested our water, we tested are water, nothing. No signs of distress, no signs of anything. One day, dead.

its a mistery he or she has now gone to the fishy heaven other is doin fine still full of colour no signs of anything my ph is always around 7 i am going to purchase a couple more and see how i get on with them

 

[severum mama]

Do they look like this?

German Blue Ram Cichlid, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi aquarium tropical fish from Tropical Fish and Aquariums


Or this?

Fishlink Worldwide :: Your Direct Links To Fishes


The second one is a hybrid of the first link (a german blue ram) and an angelfish.


The GBR (german blue ram) is a notoriously weak fish. From what I understand from my LFS, the hybrid (out here they are called balloon or butterfly rams) are just as weak.

My own experience with GBRs has been miserable. My favorite of the dwarf cichlids, but a PITA to keep.

There very well could be nothing wrong with your rams, they just get faded and die off for no apparent reason.

I hear Bolivian rams are a much hardier breed if you can find some.

It isn't. It's just a German blue ram that's been selectively bred for that unfortunate deformity, same as the balloon mollies. Pet shops often call them "angel rams" because, well, pet shops often pick out silly common names.

I believe the term "butterfly ram" comes from the word Papillochromis, which is a synonym for Microgeophagus or Mikrogeophagus.

Most rams you'll find at pet shops are so mass produced that mystery illnesses and deaths are common. I chalk this up to weak genetics. Also, many of the Asian bred rams are treated with hormones to make them more colorful at a really small size. The hormone treated rams tend to not last. Best way to get healthy rams IMO is to buy them from a breeder.

Tashancraig- rams are very sensitive to water quality and will not tolerate any amount of nitrite present for long. They are best introduced to not only a cycled tank, but one that has been established for several months.

 

[DragonFish71]

Omg really?

Ugh, that's even worse than thinking they are hybrids. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[severum mama]

Omg really?

Ugh, that's even worse than thinking they are hybrids. Thanks for the clarification.

No kidding right? It's such a shame that these fish that should have been culls are selling for higher prices than normal ones.

 

[TASHANCRAIG]

No kidding right? It's such a shame that these fish that should have been culls are selling for higher prices than normal ones.

well my 1st ram is still alive full of life and colour he chases other fish for bit of fun i bought a new 1 to go with him to replace the old 1 and he just went the same way died after 3 days ????? just dont understand why 1 ram is still going and looks great and others are dying ???? maybe i just got a strong 1