# Ram swimming up and down against glass



## mauve

Hi,
I bought 2 blue rams at Menagerie two days ago. One is fine and acting normal and curious. The other is swimming up and down against the glass like a mental patient. Should I return him?


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## GuppiesAndBetta

I think the Ram is not use to his environment yet. I would give it some time. I was reading somewhere that this type of movement means that the fish would rather be somewhere else especially if it was just introduced to the tank. I trust menagerie and the quality of their fish.


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## mauve

OK, I'll keep him for a few days and hope he stops acting like a retard. If not, I'll send him back to his "old country"


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## AquariAM

He's not acting like a retard this is a stress reaction. The fish has not acclimated properly to it's new tank. You can't move a fish while it's doing this. It's dangerous for it.


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## mauve

AquariAM said:


> He's not acting like a retard this is a stress reaction. The fish has not acclimated properly to it's new tank. You can't move a fish while it's doing this. It's dangerous for it.


The other ram and a bunch of new neons are super happy though


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## Holidays

some fish does that, I've seen loaches, cichlids and cories do that kind of thing. If you have more tank space it helps to get a few more blue rams, they will feel comfortable in a company of other rams (although they may chase each other around during feeding and creating teritorry but thats natural). get 4 more if you can.


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## bae

I wouldn't add more rams -- as soon as a pair forms, you'd have to take the others out unless you have a really large tank. Cichlids have complicated social and territorial behaviour, and unfavorable conditions can really stress them.

It might help if the fish have more cover, especially plants. 'Out of sight, out of mind' works well for these fish, so if there's enough cover that they can't see each other they feel much more secure.


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## Holidays

bae said:


> I wouldn't add more rams -- as soon as a pair forms, you'd have to take the others out unless you have a really large tank. Cichlids have complicated social and territorial behaviour, and unfavorable conditions can really stress them.
> 
> It might help if the fish have more cover, especially plants. 'Out of sight, out of mind' works well for these fish, so if there's enough cover that they can't see each other they feel much more secure.


That goes with most cichlid, you get a group of 6 or more and if you're lucky enough to get ones that paired up and you want to breed them, you'd have to separate them. that's what breeders do, or I guess you can buy a pair but I don't think OP got a pair

I prefer a tank with plenty of swimming space at the top and hiding space at the bottom. my discus are active in an 80 galon tanks, if the tanks are crowded with plants or whatever hiding objects, they'll just be hiding all day and standing still to watch untill feeding time. I used to have planted tank with discus.


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## Philip.Chan.92

Sounds like your fish is stressed out from the move. Did you acclimate it gradually? Also, turning the light off while adding it and keeping it off for the next 30 mins helps to cope with stress to the new environment.


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## mauve

Update: The swimmer is gone to a "better place".
I got a replacement today, and he is doing fine, showing off and trying to make babies.


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