Hi All

done my tank and cleaned filter after hard work with my filter but anyway tank is done 

i found some more pebbles underneath my tank in the stand i put them in a bowl and filled up with boiling water to get anything off them if there was anything, this is fine isnt it?

also i found my green scrubber to clean my glass, its like the back of a washing scrubber i boiled that aswell in water in the bowl is this ok too? one thing with the green scrubber i could see a white colour coming off it, not pure white just when i squeezed it you could see a faint white colour coming off it hopefully this is ok ?

i have took some pictures before of tank just for you all to see


i also moved things around in tank for a fresher feel aswell

if you are already looking at my post refresh i posted more pictures also could some answer my latest post please about the pebbles etc thanks

i see you are reading now sue i have added more comments and things if you could refresh you will see everything thanks 

thanks sue like i said problems so much with this tank just so much bad luck

after i did my change on tuesday fish were more active and happier ( understandably ) changed things around etc

now today my ram looks weak and hes just basically on the bottom of the tank which is not like them/him i can just tell theres something wrong with him, i took pictures because as you said is he a male or female ( lol at he i have always just thought it was a he ( male ) ), so ye i took pictures of the ram yesterday because i was going to say what sex is he as i cant remember and i have already asked about this but cant find were i have asked in the forum, because i was thinking of getting another ram or more rams to put in the tank as you say they are picky and he is very picky hes been my first ram i bought, hes bullied one to death  and another i had to get rid of had to take it to MA but i kept him because hes been there from day one, anyway i was gonna risk after sexing the ram and get a mate for the ram because he seems lonely even though you say hes ok on his own which is fine but i dont want the ram to be lonely but i wont bother asking much about the rams yet as my one now looks weak after looking fine the other day

this is him on tuesday after my water change( the first 3 pictures)

and this is him now the 2 bottom pictures




i just finished my water change today which is my 2nd of the week and now will wait till monday to do another 1 then another 1 in the same week then i will go back to doing 1 water change a week after next week,

now when i did my water change on tuesday as you know i use seachem prime and i usually put 0.3 measurement in a shringe but tuesday i did 0.5 in each bucket ( 3 buckets ) so i am wondering if that had an effect but the others seem fine its just the ram, todays water change i went back to 0.3 and will stay at 0.3 just every last bucket i put in i usually do 0.4


the pebbles were from a fish shop yes i put them in a bowl and filled up with boiled kettle water then put it in the sink and overflowed the bowl with cold water before putting them in the tank

i hate my tank so many problems hardly good moments


going back to the rams a second my mum went to MA today before she went she said what sex is the ram i said i dont want one i am talking to sue about it at the moment i asked her to get me a water test kit she said ok if its not too much as i havent had money for a few months i dont claim job seekers as i have been sanctioned and i havent had luck with a job yet so hopefully she can afford one for me if not then nothing i can do until i get money whenever that is

anyway thats all i can think about at the moment, thanks again everyone

There are a couple of things that can indicate the sex but they are not 100% reliable.

The first few rays of the dorsal fin (the one on its back) are extended in a male but not a female. This makes yours look female.
The anal fin (that last one underneath before the tail) overlaps the tail fin in a male but not in a female. Again this makes yours look female.
A male's underside is flatter as it goes towards the tail, a female's curves outwards. This makes yours look male. But a female that isn't eating can look like that too.

I think you have a female that hasn't been eating properly, maybe because of an internal infection. But as I said before they are very difficult to sex unless their breeding tubes are showing.

I don't think I'd risk getting another ram because if this one isn't well, the new on could well pick on it.

with you saying the ram isnt eating well is this because i dont feed them every day? i feed them 1 day but leave a day out then feed the next, i am going to start feeding every day i think from now on

would you get more rams ? have you lost one before? i like them they, kribs seem to hide alot i think so pointless getting fish you wont see, i cant buy anything yet as need to keep an eye on tank plus money, before i do buy i will come here first asking for suggestions or if types of fish i want are ok etc

thanks again sue