Hi Steve,

I'm just curious as to what point you think that this tank is
overstocked.?..With the exception of the larger clown loaches (2 x 3"0) and
the Gouramis, the fish are pretty small. So if you are looking at inches per
square surface area I've actually been quite good.

The current stock is:-

6 Platy's plus one baby growing well - max size I/2 inch
5 Guppies - max size approx 1/4 inch
4 Blue Spot Gouramis - max size 1.5 inches
6 Platys - max size 1/2 inch
6 mixed clown loaches - 2 are approx 3 inches the rest around 3/4 inch max
mainly 1/2 inch
8 to 9 Neon tetras - max size is 1/8 inch

I also have now a Clown Pl*co....his max size will be 5 inches...he is now
about 4.5 inches (I have an algae prob plus fell in love with him)

It is a 1200mm tank x 600 high x 450 deep

I bought Mr Pleck post the demise of my Rams so he isn't in the picture

Gill

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
.. .

"steve" wrote in message
oups.com...

Gill Passman wrote:
Initially I bought 3 Gold Rams and put them in the main tank. Within
4 hours
2 of them had died. There was a very slight trace of ammonia (and I'm
talking hardly off the scale) so I moved the remaining Gold Ram to my
son's
tank where it was very happy.

At first glance, I'd say it was stress, probably related to water, most
likely high nitrates and/or the ammonia.


Once the ammonia settled down and all readings were 0 apart from the
PH
which was between 7.0 and 7.5 I bought another Gold Ram for the main
tank.
Again he was very happy.

My son then wanted a Betta for his tank which we bought. The Gold Ram
in
that tank bullied the Betta so we moved him into the main tank
downstairs.
Within a few days he started to be unwell....I tested the water and
all was
fine and moved him to the "hospital" where I treated him for the
"Pop-eye"
he had developed. Unfortunately it was too late. About 2 weeks later
the
second Gold Ram went downhill very rapidly and before I had a chance
to move
him (power cut coinciding with me spotting this) he had died.

Again I bet it was water, and maybe even bullying by the already
established inhabitants.


The main tank has the following inhabitants/history

4 Blue 3 Spot Gouramis - at the time of the initial introduction
there where
2 males and 1 female. Another 2 females were introduced. Just prior
to the
demise of the first Gold Ram the non-dominant male was killed by the
Dominant male

6 Platys - breeeding quite happily as platy's do :-)

6 Clown Loaches - the two largest starting to fight it out (in a
friendly
way of course) for dominant fish. All resolved before the second Ram
died.

5 Fantail Guppies - all male but not very aggressive

A number of Neon Tetras - was 11 but hard to count how many are in
there
right now

1 fry - presumed to be Platy

The tank is 47.5 UK gall so enough space I believe....


I think that is alot of fish for that size tank. You don't mention
plants, got any? And related to the deaths and the bioload in the
tank, I think a nitrate test kit is a must have for you. Check that
and we may find the culprit.

Thanks
Gill

You're welcome. These are just my opinions, I'm not a Ram breeder nor
an expert. It just seems like the most plausible explanation to me.
steve


Hi,
Tank is fully planted. I do water quality tests at least once a week -
everything is 0 (nitrites, nitrates and ammonia) apart from the PH which
is
7.0 - 7.5. Tank has been up since beginning of September and after the
initial cycle and one minor ammonia glitch were the reading was 0.6 which
got fixed months ago these readings are consistent. I checked the water
quality on all three occassions when I lost the fish and it was only when
I
originally put in the 3 Rams when the ammonia was 0.6 - everything else
was
zero. We do a 20% water change once a week plus add Cycle and Waste
Control
occassionally. So it's not water unless it is down to the PH and the fact
we
have hard water - so does LFS and everyone else local.

Got a Fluval 4 Internal filter and a Fluval 304 External so filtration
shouldn't be an issue.

Agression is an issue with the Gouramis but one of the Gold Rams lived
happily in that tank for 2 months until I put the original one back. When
the two were in together they pretty much left eachother alone.


Gill