Sick Golden Ram! Please Help!

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Grits

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Messages
18
Hi, I have a sick golden ram. Until tonight he was the biggest, most colorful, and most active fish in the tank. Now all of a sudden I see him sitting on the bottom, and then he turns vertical and rises to the top of the water, then goes back down. Then the whole process starts again. He has a swollen belly and white mucus coming from his anus.

My water params are below. What could be the problem?

Thanks so much!!!
 
Water parameters:

PH 7.0
Nitrates 40
Nitrites NA
KH 4
Amonia 0
 
He just died. Here are some pics. The first two are while he was still alive.

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Sorry for your loss. I am guessing internal parasites from your description. Had he been eating lately? For further help what size tank and other inhabitants? How often are you doing water changes and how much each time? Your nitrates could stand to be closer to 20ppm, but your current nitrates would not cause the death of the fish.
 
Thanks! What should I do if it is internal parasites, and how do I find out for sure? Are they contagious?

Its a 75 gallon (stocking below). Yes, he has been eating good. I have been doing weekly water changes about 1/4 each time, for about a month. I'm not sure why the nitrates are not going down. They have been at 40 the whole time.

Also, I am posting an old pic of a golden ram I had die a couple of months ago. There is a small red spot on his belly. Any ideas about that?

1 Red Tail Shark
1 Rainbow Shark
1 Zebra Botia
2 Clown Loaches
3 Golden Rams(counting this one)
3 Blue Rams
1 Swordtail
2 Common Plecs
4 Cories

img_846588_0_1081dedd5bfcbf75815d3d841b8016ee.jpg
 
Internal parasites are contagious in the sense that they are parasites and will look for a new host. White stringy poo, sunken stomachs and flashing, red spots or red raised spots, are some symptoms. Although your fish having swollen stomachs could mean it isn't parasites. It may be a bacterial infection. I'm still thinking likely parasites, although the fish usually get thinner. Try feeding the tank with a medicated food like Jungle's medicated food for parasites.

Completely off topic, red tailed sharks can get extremely aggressive. They also should not be housed with other sharks. Did any of your rams look like they had been bitten by another fish?
 
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