# Rams acting wierd



## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

I have a pair of german blue rams that have been acting quite wierd. The female lost her colour. The male still has his. the female became bulkier, they're both swimming with thier anal fins down and the're always hiding behind a caly pot i put in. The male usually swims right in front but the females always behind there. WHAT IS THIS BEHAVIOUR? IS IT NATURAL? IS IT OK? IS IT PARASITES?
thanks for everything
Mike


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

fishlover93 said:


> I have a pair of german blue rams that have been acting quite wierd. The female lost her colour. The male still has his. the female became bulkier, they're both swimming with thier anal fins down and the're always hiding behind a caly pot i put in. The male usually swims right in front but the females always behind there. WHAT IS THIS BEHAVIOUR? IS IT NATURAL? IS IT OK? IS IT PARASITES?
> thanks for everything
> Mike


anal fins down like clamped? Like you cant see the anal fin because its so close to the body?

More info please.

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3347


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

no they are swimming very close to the bottom of the tank and their anal fins touch the ground. that isn't the main problem though the main problem is that the female always hides behind something and she's pale and when i got her she was never afraid of me!!


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

fishlover93 said:


> no they are swimming very close to the bottom of the tank and their anal fins touch the ground. that isn't the main problem though the main problem is that the female always hides behind something and she's pale and when i got her she was never afraid of me!!


Can you see the breeding tubes extended? Are the fish eating? Any other strange behaviour?

Its possible this is spawning behaviour but much more info is needed.

Please provide all the info layed out in the help us help you thread I linked to above so we can help you


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

Pablo said:


> Can you see the breeding tubes extended? Are the fish eating? Any other strange behaviour?
> 
> Its possible this is spawning behaviour but much more info is needed.
> 
> Please provide all the info layed out in the help us help you thread I linked to above so we can help you


First what do breeding tubes look like because the female does have a small black thing beside her anal fin. I don't see that in the male though yes the fish are eating and there are no other strange behavior except for the fact that sometimes the female gets really pale and turns from colorful yellow pink blue to gray and black.

Well i have never bred german rams so i don't know the behavior of them and i found some site that say 4 totally different info about the behaviors none of which look like mine!!
The ph level is 7.5 aroundish
good lights 25% water changes everyweek and the tank isn't planted but it has some moss growing in it.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

http://www.fishpost.com/images/Feb2008/ptychofemlaying.jpg

See the extended breeding tube underneath? Thats what it looks like


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

no i don't see any breeding tubes!!


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Actually, you can see the breeding tube much better on this photo: http://www.bellaonline.com/misc/rateme/photos/c15/photo3154.jpg

You can also see the breeding tube in the second photo on this page: http://cichlidae.com/tank.php?id=368


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

Tabath thank you so much with those photos i am now sure that they do have their tubes out(i thoght it was a parisite infection but seeing the photos those are tube!!!) i'm soo excited!!!!!!!!! thanks to both of you now how long is the females gestation period?


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

When you see them cleaning a flat surface together, spawning is imminent within a day or 2.

Here's You Tube video of my Bolivians spawning. Eggs hatch within 2 or 3 days.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

fishlover93 said:


> Tabath thank you so much with those photos i am now sure that they do have their tubes out(i thoght it was a parisite infection but seeing the photos those are tube!!!) i'm soo excited!!!!!!!!! thanks to both of you now how long is the females gestation period?


theres no gestation period technically- but the eggs take about 2 or 3 days as mentioned to hatch


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

if theres no gestation period then once they spwan she lays eggs?


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

The only way I can tell when my Bolivians are about to spawn is when they pair up, start defending a territory and cleaning a smooth flat surface together.

Bolivians are much bigger than rams, I'm not able to tell when the female is full of eggs as mine do not appear fatter than the males, just shorter in body. Bolivians are much more difficult to sex than rams.


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

i see but how long is it before she lays the after they mated or spawned?


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Rams don't have sex per se. The female lays eggs then the male follows and fertilizes the eggs. Please take the time to read the article in the second link I provided for you, the one with photos.


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

*Bad News*

As he days went by i started to notice that the female was bloating. I thought those were the eggs but apparently this was dropsy!!!!!!!!!   The female is hanging in there and I'm doing everything i can to save her!!! I've read though that dropsy cannot be cure at a later stage!!!      I am dropping salt and water changes are everyday!!!. my male isn't sick with it luckily but he really seems stressed out!!! Can you guys help me and extra info would be nice also any remedies other then antibiotics and salt!!!!!


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Reading this may help until someone that knows more responds. It doesn't sound promising though.  Quarantine if you can. Read the bottom about salt and epsom salt.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article24.html


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I wouldn't put salt in every day, it stays in the water column.


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

i have been reading but i thought maybe some of you might have new remedies. i did quarantine her. And yes i know putting salt in everyday may be fatal for her. But its really weired how long she's been holding on!! i think now shes been sick with it for more then two months and still alive!!!


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