Tetras still hiding, not schooling, whats going on?

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icecubez189

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Feb 15, 2006
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hey, i've had my 7 black phantom tetras since the begining of July. originally there were 9 but two died from a fungal infection the tank had. (fungus is still in the water i think, but is not that much of a problem now, much less visible, i think more water changes will help.)

the thing is, my tetras still hide behind the plants in the back and do not swim around in the tank or school in groups. the only time they come out and swim together for a while is when i feed them. i always step back after crushing some flakes because they are afraid of my prescence near the tank. i have 3 males and 4 females, there are two dominant males that don't really hang out in the plants with the others, as they prefer to float in front, maybe spar with each other once in a while. is a month too short to tell or is something wrong? they look healthy and eat very nicely.

some theories of mine:
1. lighting too bright, 20 gal but only 15 watts (thinking about getting bigger for plants) but do BF tetras like subdued lighting?
2. not enough to school. i thought 7 was enough, i am planning to get 3 more anyways.
3. not giving them enough time to adjust? i would think 1 month is enough to get comfortable

water is a constant 80.6 degrees F, parameters are as shown:
pH - 6.8
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrite - 0.50ppm
Nitrates - 5.0ppm

i know levels are a bit high (were even higher a day ago, did 50% water change yesterday and will do another one tomorrow)

any suggestions/answers? thanks
 
I would say its the ammonia and nitrite in the water. Tetras are not happy with it and are not considered good cycling fish. Fish that dont feel well tend to hide.
 
Your fish seems stressed to me. Before trying to pinpoint "what could be problems", attend to the most visible problem at hand. You have problems with water quality. Do partial water changes as soon as possible. Your tank hasn't finished cycling yet so get the ammonia and nitrite out of your tank. Try to get them to a 0 reading. Prolonged exposure to ammonia and nitrites can lead to permanent damage or even death to the fish you have. Do as much partial water changes as possible. I'd go for 50% or more at a time. For all you know, water quality could be the one stressing your fish. A stressed fish will have a weaker immune system making them more susceptible to disease and/or infection. Which could also explain why you lost the first 2 to fungal infection. Do water changes, continue monitoring your water quality and good luck. :cool:
 
how do you guys explain my tank then?

full planted, cycled and established for about 6 months.

i have 6 silvertip tetras (going to add 6 more soon) that refuse to school. they are just all over the place. i have a regular light schedule, regular water changes twice a week, perfect water quality.
 
actually for the longest time, my levels all stayed at zero (except for the first few days after setting up, i used bio-spira to cycle my tank). i understand its probably the water condition, just wondering if other factors were involved (since water parameters were always good until my levels spiked just a day ago.)

i was going to keep on those water changes anyways, i know what crappy water can do to any fish, thanks for the suggestions. i'll keep posted.
 
RockabillyChick said:
i have 6 silvertip tetras (going to add 6 more soon) that refuse to school. they are just all over the place. i have a regular light schedule, regular water changes twice a week, perfect water quality.
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"schooling" fish dont necessarily follow each other around in a tight pack or play follow-the-leader all day. it is very normal for tetras to be "all over the place". adding more might make them school closer but dont be worried if it doesnt.
 
I agree with the post above. some tetras like to school more than others, depends on the species and even the individual fish themselves.
 
the thing is, at the LFS they had 7 silvertip tetras in a 15g tank by themselves, and they were in a tight little pack. that's why i decided to get them. now i get them home and they are all over the place.
 
the larger the group the better the schooling behavior with tetras.

I have had 6 BF's school at times. At other times they are all scattered about the tank.

water change, water change, water change. Attend to the basics first. Then worry about fish behavior.
 
thanks, i've already gottan some water prepared, not sure if i can do a water change right now, maybe tomorrow ASAP.

also, any idea how i can totally erradicate the fungus in my tank? well, i believe it is fungus. it grows small white bubbles on my ship ornament, some are wispy. much better now after i cleaned it twice over the course of July (first time with meds, second time with bleach because it grew back) This is some tough stuff. i've treated the entire tank before with Melafix and Pimafix when 3 of my tetras were infected (2 had cottony growth near gills, 1 had on a wound on its side) unfortunately 2 died, but the third one got better, and now i have no more infections on the fish. i have removed carbon filter pads and did water changes. seems to be under control now. will another type of meds do the trick (i know dosing meds here and there isn't that great, i don't want to do it either but would really like to get rid of this fungus so i can introduce new inhabitants) or will PWC's do the trick? thanks.
 
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