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Hi Everybody,

I have bought a pair of Rams about a month ago and since then they seem to be doing fine. They swim around, gained a little weight (especially the female, who became quite orange too). But there's something going on and I'm not sure why.

I like to feed my fish with live blood worms almost once a day, and of course all my fish like it. The problem, if it is a problem, is that the female Ram gasps at the surface after having her share of the worms. It's nothing to do with the worms, as I buy them at a very good shop. I change the water the worms are in every evening and add a drop of dechlorinator. I thought that she might be a little too greedy and eats more than she can handle, but it's just a thought...

Before you ask, water parameters:
Ammonia/Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5 - 20ppm (my test kit is not consistent...)
pH: 6.4
Temp: 26-27c

Any thought would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Last edited by untitled at 14-Jan-2005 12:38

i cant say for sure about why the ram is gasping. has be completly confused actually lol. could be goign up for a buble to help digest the food. not sure rams even do this or not.

on another note i think worms once a day is a bit to much protien. twice a week would prolly be alot better ( and cheaper lol ).

like you say though it could very well be that the ram is eating to much at once. bloodworms are like chocolate to fish lol. you can eat as much as you liek but you cant take any home with ya. ya i would be a bit stuffed myself if it was my favorite food lol.

rams often get bacterial infections in there gills
how is her breathing when shes at rest? to check this in the night turn the lights on she should b very dormant n breathing slow if shes not thats reason for concern
rams shouldnt gasp for air at the surface myn get bloodworms every day to with out incident
u may try frozen brineshrimp

Thanks to both of you for the replies.

Brybenn: she didn't gasp all the time, only just after being fed. She didn't gasp any quicker than the male, who never gasped at the surface. At one point I thought she might not be gasping at all, but looking for more food to fall out of the sky.

Anyway, I think I solved the problem. At the time when I posted my first post, I had quite a few guppies there which were since then removed to another tank. When they were there, I had to give quite a lot of food so there will be something left for the rams and the cories. Since they were removed I can now feed much much less and make sure everybody gets a nice bite, but not too much. I think that over eating was her problem, because now she doesn't do that anymore.

I would also imagine that if she had any bacterial problem, her colours might go pale, but it's the opposite happens. Her colours are now very intense and she looks very different to what she looked like when I bought her about a month ago.

Thanks again for both of you. I'm new to rams and having heard how sensitive they are, I prefer to ask even the silliest question than to be sorry.