Help with Ram cichlid - different symptoms

Question
Hello and thank you in advance for your help.  I am at a total loss on this one.  Bolivian Ram - about 1 1/2" - have had for 7 months.  Tank kept in:  75 gallon w/angelfish, 2 other rams, clown loaches, and pristilla tetras.  Water parameter (just checked today) - ammon 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 25, ph 8.0 (I know high, but this has been the ph the entire time I have had him).  Several caves and silk plants.  Diet includes:  frozen bloodworms, frozen community menu )with cichlid delight included), cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, tropical flake.  Fish all doing fine with each other, have not noticed any bullying or picking.  No other signs of illness in any other fish.

Ram symptoms:  1 week ago - drastic color change within a matter of hours:  light grayish to a very dark gray color - maintained black markings and red coloring on fins.  Still eating, appropriate behaviors, no other difficulty noted.  Just kept a close eye on him.

2 days later - color continued.  Noted that not eating as much as usual, not as excited about feeding time - still swimming fine, no other symptoms.

Next day - noted not swimming well - was balanced, but sluggish.  Not eating, other fish picking on him.  At this point I took him out of the tank and put him in my 2.5 gallon hospital tank.

In hospital tank for 3 days:  Have added 1T. of aquarium salt.  Tank has filter and air stone.  Have heater set at 81 degrees.  Has not eaten at all - have tried his favorite food (bloodworms) and I have soaked his food in a garlic liquid made by seachum.  Still not eating.  Does not look like he has lost any weight.  Is swimming around fine in the tank, but not as active as normal.

Besides the aquarium salt my first thought was internal parasites, which I tried to treat with medicated food.  Could not get him to eat it.  I'm having second thoughts about this because he has not lost any weight.

I am now thinking it may be external parasites - although I don't see anything on him.  My next thought is to treat with Maracide by Mardel.  

I am at a loss - can't find anything to explain the rapid color change.  He is definately fighting for his life in the tank.  

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and help me and my fish.  Sorry this email is so long.  Please let me know anything that may help.

Answer
I would do another small water change and definitely try to bring down the pH slowly.  I would offer him live brine shrimp and see if he eats those... I would not put anymore salt in his tank yet.... if he wont eat the brine then let me know... You might be able to medicate him with triple sulfate which is a milder antibiotic but I would only do so if he is eating... dave