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FAQs on Dwarf Ram Cichlid Foods/Feeding/Nutrition
Related Articles: Rams,
Dwarf South American Cichlids, Discus,
Juraparoids,
Neotropical Cichlids,
African Cichlids, Asian Cichlids,
Cichlid Fishes in General,
Related FAQs:
Rams,
Ram Identification,
Ram Behavior, Ram
Compatibility, Ram Selection,
Ram Systems, Ram
Disease, Ram Reproduction,
Cichlids of the World,
Dwarf South American Cichlids, Cichlid
Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Disease, Cichlid
Reproduction,
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A fish no one knows about
7/18/08
Hello. I'm Samie. I'm 16. I can take care a lot of different fish, but I
seem to have an eye for trouble makers.
<Oh?>
I have a 10 gallon tank. It has been set up since January. My pH is
7. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all at 0. I have drift wood and
1 small plant.
<All sounds fine, but do bear in mind that 10 gallons is really too
small for the fish you have chosen, and long term are likely to have
problems. Because 10 and 20 gallon tanks have almost the same
footprint and cost almost the same amount of money, I always
recommend people go with 20 gallons when starting out.>
The fish I have are tetras (2 white skirts, 1 rosy, and 3 x-rays)
Ghost Shrimp, and Balloon Body Gold Ram.
<Ah, now these fish aren't compatible. White Skirt tetras are albino
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, a notorious fin-nipper and going to get
quite large, about 5 cm long. Rosy Barbs (what I assume the "rosy"
is) are Puntius conchonius, a subtropical species able to get to 14
cm and so obviously way too big for your tank. The long-fin version
will also be vulnerable to fin nippers. X-Ray Tetras are Pristella
maxillaris, a superb species, but in my opinion slightly too big for
a 10 gallon tank. All these fish are schooling species, and MUST be
kept in groups of 6 or more if they are to be happy. Keeping them in
the numbers you have may be convenient to you, but it is intensely
stressful for the fish, and long term they may exhibit aberrant
social behaviours, such as shyness, fin-nipping, or chasing.>
My problem is, no matter how many people I ask, no one seems to know
how to help me.
<We'll do our best...>
My Balloon Body Gold Ram is not eating.
<Likely too cold, wrong water chemistry. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi can
ONLY be maintained in very warm (28-30 degrees C), very soft (less
than 10 degrees dH), very acidic (pH 5-6) water conditions. None of
your other fish will tolerate this, and some, like the Rosy Barb and
the Shrimp will be quickly killed by such conditions. Mikrogeophagus
ramirezi is simply NOT a community fish, and the majority of
specimens die within months when put into community systems.
Specifically, when kept too cold and too hard water their immune
system is suppressed, and they become prone to diseases such as
Hexamita and Hole-in-the-Head.>
?? I have tries frozen foods. Micro Pellets. Betta pellets, Betta
flakes, tropical flakes, and he/she won't eat.
<Likely sick, dying.>
He/she has a red spot on he back. So I started treating him with
MelaFix. Since it's been only 1 day.
<Could be Finrot, another opportunistic infection that affects fish
when they are stressed by a poor environment. So this is consistent
with my analysis.>
There is no change yet.
<There won't be. Firstly Melafix may be cheap but it isn't effective
so serves no useful purpose except perhaps as a preventative. Once
fish get sick, you need more useful medications like eSHa 2000 (in
Europe) or Maracyn (in the US).>
If know anything about this fish.
<Much information in cichlid books; look up Mikrogeophagus ramirezi.
Widely kept, bred and so the basics for its care are very well
known. It's a shame retailers don't tell people what they need PRIOR
to purchase. Underlines our mantra here that you should always
RESEARCH a species BEFORE buying it.>
Why he/she won't eat.
<Wrong environment. Doomed.>
or even if it guy or a girl.
<Difficult to sex, but males tend to have longer dorsal fin rays.>
Please help me out.
<Have certainly tried.>
Thank you.
<Cheers, Neale.>
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FW Ram and Plant Questions - 5/2/2006
1. My rams have been doing very well lately but I just have 1 concern. On
the bottom of their bodies, they are fine but about half way to their tail
and
their body's curve inward. Is their stomach not full? Are they hungry or
starving? They always eat but my other fish are really quick and I don't
want to put
more food in because if my other fish are full... the rest will go to waste
and pollute my tank. What should I do?
< Over feed them some live brine shrimp or Tubifex worms and see if they
fill out. You may need to change the food to sinking pellets to make sure
they get enough to eat.>
2. I have one Brazilian Sword and it has 4 open leaves and one that is in
the process of opening. Will it grow more stalks with more leaves or is this
how
little it will be forever?
< The Brazilian sword plant is actually not a fully aquatic plant. The
leaves should be out of the water. You plant will slowly waste away after
awhile. Try switching to a fully aquatic plant like an Amazon sword.>
3. If there is a slight tear and around that tear, brown spots on one of my
swords' leaves, should I cut the entire leaf off because then my plant will
look really skimpy? Also, I if I cut anything off, I should cut it as close
as possible to the roots as with any plant right? Thanks
< The Brazilian sword is already rotting away. Swap it out for an Amazon
sword.-Chuck>
Revisiting the Ram - 07/12/2005
Hello!
<Hi, again! Sabrina here....>
I have a 10 gallon tank with 5 guppies, 1 Cory and one ram. I have had this
ram for only one day, and it's not eating.
<One day.... If by this you mean you got it earlier today, I would not be
concerned about it not eating. If you got it yesterday, it might be a
different story. Be sure to offer a variety of tasty foods, and keep in
mind if the ram is large enough, or the guppies small enough, if you don't
get food in him soon, he may be looking at those guppies and licking his
lips pretty soon. Rams are timid, but cichlids nonetheless.>
I think it is still a little bit in shock, but I just want to be sure. Also,
I want the Ram to have the best colors and I would like to know what would
be the best food to give it... I have flakes and dried bloodworms, but what
else?
<I would try high-quality frozen foods, or failing all else, I would try
live foods.... never tubificid worms (Tubifex, blackworms), but live
bloodworms, mosquito larvae, or brine shrimp are an option, if he refuses to
eat over the next few days. Once you get *something* in him, it'll be
easier to get him to eat other foods. Also, as timid and shy as rams are,
be certain that there is plenty of cover and lots of good hiding spots for
him, so he'll feel safer in coming out to eat. If he's scared, he may just
refuse to eat and may even starve.>
Thanks a ton! Christine
<You bet. Good luck with your fishes, -Sabrina>
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