Serpae Tetra Problem

[helplessly_stoned]

Hello,

I have a 29gallon tank that was planted and without fish for some time. I had gone on a trip and unfortunately a problem while I was away killed off my tank. I cleaned everything out and bleached the tank as I was worried about what had killed the fish. Everything was sterilized, I replanted after a week of daily pwc's and heavy de-chlorinator to eliminate all the bleach from the water. I did a fishless cycle over the course of about six weeks and tested regularly until I decided to add a few fish last week.

I got a group of six serpae tetra. I noticed white stuff on the lower lip of two of the fish this was not there when I brought them home. They all appear to be acting normally, and all are eating. There has been some aggression since they got in the tank, however they are alone for now and its just a lot of charging a little nipping. Generally they are pretty calm and there doesn't seem to be any one bully among them.

The tank is 29 gallons, it has a Marineland Penguin 200, a nice 200 watt heater, and a sunglow bulb, 2 airstone disks running on an 80gal air-pump, a few different anubias, some java moss in fiberglass screens growing out, a moss ball, and some mondo grass which I recently learned is not an aquatic plant. I also have a few other artificial decorations and some nice stone pieces and caves.

I feed them flake and pellet and the lights on a 12/12 timer. Co2 runs on a 11/13 timer so the plants have time to soak up extra Co2 before the lights go out. I run the air 24/7 normally on a higher setting at night.

Here is a gallery of some pictures I was able to take.

Aquarium - Imgur

The water conditions are currently:
Temp: 76
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 5.0

Anyone know whats going on with my fish?

 

[Homedog98]

Most tetras are just nippy fish. More tetras, or a "predator" like a ram or something, will help them school better and quit nibbling each other.

 

[helplessly_stoned]

The nipping isn't a problem and I know that the Serpae Tetras establish a pecking order. I plan on expanding this school as well to reduce this. I was wondering about what I suspect to be a fungal problem if you look at the pictures you will see the white stuff that is growing on a couple of the fishes lips. I am new to the hobby and have not really dealt with identifying/treating fish diseases.

 

[Homedog98]

Oh! That part! (mind blank... My bad!) as for that stuff, go out and get some melafix. add 1 teaspoon of melafix for every ten gallons. It's totally natural, and plant safe.

 

[helplessly_stoned]

Thanks,

I will begin adding the melafix tomorrow evening when I can pick some up. What about doing a heat treatment and taking the temp up?

 

[Homedog98]

Heat will help ich, but this sounds like cotton mouth. Heat and salt is usually the treatment for ich, but no salt for you since you have live plants.