GBR has passed away :-(. What is the best thing to do now

[eco23]

Hi guys,

I've had a GBR for about 10 days. The first 5 he did wonderfully, interacting with us, eating well,swimming around, etc... Then he started hiding and went into seclusion. From other conversations I believe it was simply bad stock as there is no sign of disease or illness. My tank is full cycled (0 ammo, 0 no2, 5-10 no3). All other parameters were in his acceptable ranges (hardness, temp, pH, etc...).

Today when he started laying sideways on the substrate gasping, I put the net over top of him to prevent the other fish from picking on him. He is now motionless and is gone. :-(

Are there any steps I should take to make 100% sure he is dead before I dispose of him? There is no gill movement. I assume wrapping him and placing him in the trash (I know it sounds harsh :-( ) is acceptable. I have heard that flushing is not a good option.

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[jetajockey]

Sorry to hear that. Rams have a tendency to up and die for no reason, unfortunately. If your water params have been stable then I'd lean towards the bad stock thing also. If you decide to get some again, maybe try to find a breeder to source through.

I throw mine in the trash, or bury in the garden, or flush them.

Flushing fish is ok as long as the fish is dead first, it's just not a good way to dispose of live fish.

 

[eco23]

Sorry to hear that. Rams have a tendency to up and die for no reason, unfortunately. If your water params have been stable then I'd lean towards the bad stock thing also. If you decide to get some again, maybe try to find a breeder to source through.

I throw mine in the trash, or bury in the garden, or flush them.

Flushing fish is ok as long as the fish is dead first, it's just not a good way to dispose of live fish.

Thanks. I'm actually going to get a Bolivian from severum mama. I thought he could keep the GBR company even though they're different species.

Is it recommended to do anything to insure he's dead? Place in the freezer or boiling water or anything? I know that sounds gruesome, but I'm afraid of disposing of him if there's any life left in him...which I'm sure there's not...just don't want to take chances of making him suffer.

 

[librarygirl]

I'm sorry about your fish If you wanted to be safe you could do a euthanize just to be sure. From my reading the most humane way seems like it would be to freeze a bowl of water until some ice forms in the bowl but it isn't a solid block then put the fish in, it should die right away from shock if it isn't already dead.

 

[eco23]

Thanks guys. He was definitely gone. I buried him in the rose garden. It was my wife's one pick for the tank so I didn't want to just flush him.

 

[Homedog98]

:'( I hate it when friends die.

 

[RamCichlidLover]

:'( I hate it when friends die.

I know the feeling

 

[Chelseachuy]

I want a GBR so bad but I'm so afraid I might kill it and they are so expensive.

 

[RamCichlidLover]

I have a gold ram, his name is rich. I got him and two other gold rams about two months ago (there's not a single store that sells GBRs that my mom is willing to drive me to). Now it's only rich and he's my favorite fish I have.

 

[Chelseachuy]

I have a gold ram, his name is rich. I got him and two other gold rams about two months ago (there's not a single store that sells GBRs that my mom is willing to drive me to). Now it's only rich and he's my favorite fish I have.

Hahaha I been waiting forever for about three pets stores to get them in !!

 

[eco23]

Hi guys (and girls ) I would check around the site in the classifieds section to see if you can find GBR's that are bred by a member instead of a lfs. That's what happened to mine today...just poor stock. I have started looking at lfs like puppy mills where everything is overbred and healthy genes is not considered. I'm not sure if she has GBR, but severum mama has Bolivian rams right now if anyone wanted to contact her. I'm having her send me one next week.

 

[jetajockey]

ive been breeding electric blue and gold rams for about a year. I would do GBRs but they are available in a few pet stores locally, so I don't think there's as much of a demand for them. I actually have one batch of fry that has gone free swimming this morning.

 

[eco23]

ive been breeding electric blue and gold rams for about a year. I would do GBRs but they are available in a few pet stores locally, so I don't think there's as much of a demand for them. I actually have one batch of fry that has gone free swimming this morning.

Do you sell to members on the site? I'd be happy to mention you if you have a website or a list of what you currently stock

 

[jetajockey]

Yeah I put them up for sale when they are available, I actually just sold off a large group last week that I have been growing out over the winter. I sold most of them through another site and also Aquabid.

I will likely be selling a few of the females from my EBR breeding group in the upcoming weeks, the fry that I'm currently growing out are not going to be ready till probably late july or august.

I do have a site with infopages and stuff but I'm probably not allowed to mention it in public. Even so, I rarely list the live stuff on there because it sells so fast that it's easier just to list it on classifieds.

 

[Chelseachuy]

Yeah I put them up for sale when they are available, I actually just sold off a large group last week that I have been growing out over the winter. I sold most of them through another site and also Aquabid.

I will likely be selling a few of the females from my EBR breeding group in the upcoming weeks, the fry that I'm currently growing out are not going to be ready till probably late july or august.

I do have a site with infopages and stuff but I'm probably not allowed to mention it in public. Even so, I rarely list the live stuff on there because it sells so fast that it's easier just to list it on classifieds.

let me know