Problem With Fish Maybe

rainbows of all species are reputed to need big weekly water changes, and are susceptible to water quality. Have you been keeping up with your water changes?

The ram, are both eyes swollen or just one? Just one is likely to be an injury, but both is more likely a disease. The problem is that it really needs antibiotics to treat an infection and we can't get those without a vet's prescription. You could try eSHa 2000 or Interpet anti internal bacteria but they might not be strong enough.




I know absolutely nothing about Malawis except they need hard alkaline water, should be overstocked to prevent aggression, and look gorgeous in shop tanks. If my water wasn't soft, I'd be tempted as well 

Hi George I'm assuming you don't want to put your hands in the water because you don't want to get any nasties in your wounds? If you keep the water really clean, cuts shouldn't really be a problem. I have rabbits which sometimes give me pretty bad scratches when I'm trying to cut their nails and I've never worried about putting my hands in my tank; just make sure you haven't put any creams on your hands before you put them in the tank or you could harm your fish.
I would recommend you do a couple of really big water changes over the next few days, like 40% every second day until it's really clean again.  If you're really worried about your hands then maybe you could ask your mum to help you with the first couple of water changes? Also make sure you clean your filter in non-chlorinated water and give your gravel a good vacuum as well . You might well need to get some medications, but I think that Sue or one of the other more experienced fish keepers on that site is better to advise you on that then I am.
Hope that helps and good luck!

Those general tonic meds are usually a waste of time.

Rams can be tricky fish to keep. If they've had a wild caught ancestor within the last couple of generations, they do need very specific water conditions - soft, low pH and higher temps than most fish can stand. If they've been tank bred for lots of generations they can take a wider range of conditions but some breeders use wild caught fish to widen the gene pool. If the father/mother or grandfather/grandmother of your fish was wild caught, they would need those special conditions.

Ah, forgot that 
Bolivians don't have the picky requirements of ordinary rams.

You posted that the fish had died in December. If that was the last fish to die, I wouldn't add any meds now as it is a few weeks since.

One of my honey gouramis is fat like swallowen and it floats about seems like it can't control itself a bit why is this ?


I may get rid of the fish to MA tell them I have had a few probs with the fish and get rid of my tank from day one I have had problems with it it was also a used tank I wana start all over again

Think so ye what am I best doing,?

Will MA accept my fish ?

Ok thanks

If it doesn't look well, no shop will take it as it could have something that would infect all their fish. So yes, if it doesn't look well and you want to get rid of all your fish then you don't really have any other option I'm afraid.



You mentioned a while ago about moving into Malawis. You could remove all your current fish then add ammonia to the tank like for fishless cycling to feed the bacteria until you find the fish you want.

Can't catch fish and they will die from stress anyway only caught 3 am best putting them all to sleep with ammonia I think what do you think sue

cant believe what i said above was just stressing out myself, i wouldnt dare do it anyway i still have the fish and tank, going to do my water change now gonna take 5 buckets out instead of 3 this time

heres a picture i took few days ago