Re: Typical M. Ramirezi & Gold Ram

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

Sherry writes:

>  Well, these particular fish are not an issue anymore. :( Two died in two
>  days, a third didn't have too much time left, so I took the sick one and 
the
>  last surviving one back to the store before the guarantee wore off.
>  
>  One of them was sick when I got it home (the gold one that I hadn't wanted
>  to begin with). I medicated for gill parasites, which is the only diagnosis
>  I could find for the hard breathing and swollen gills they were showing.

Sounds like ammonia poisoning to me.  The ammonia will burn the gills, and 
then they swell, and the fish has to pump more water through the gills to try 
to get enough O2 transfer through whatever good gill tissue may remain.  Next 
time you're there, you might see if they will let you test THEIR water for pH 
and ammonia.  I'll bet they are both high.  I recommend you not buy fish 
there again unless you first test their water.

> It
>  didn't seem to be helping though.<snip>> 

If is is indeed ammonia damage, it is permament, and the most humane 
treatment is to put the fish in the freezer.

>  This is a very interesting subject though about the crossbreeding between
>  the blues and golds. You say the first few generations aren't very pretty
>  though. What do you do with the fry? Are you able to sell the excess that
>  you don't need for breeding?

I would make a cute remark here about Oscars, but the more politically 
correct among us would perhaps get their feathers in a ruffle.

Bob Dixon
Cichlid Trader List Administrator


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