Sick Swordtails

[Subcontrariety]

Hello,
I set up a 37 gallon hex aquarium several weeks ago. Thursday the nitrite finally dropped, so I did a water change and bought some fish - 3x swordtails (1 male, 2 females), 5x X-ray tetras, and 5x flame tetras. The tetras all seem to be doing fine, but the two female swordtails spend most of their time laying on the bottom. Occasionally they swim around, hover at the top in the bubbles, or flick their sides against the sand, like they're trying to scrape something off. They're also breathing rather rapidly, and never seem to open up their fins. There appear to be a few white patches around their mouths.

I don't see any other symptoms, although they are dark red, so any inflamation would be hard to spot.

Ammonia and nitrite are at zero. I haven't tested nitrates, but I did about a 30% water change just before I put the fish in. The pH is right around neutral, possibly a little higher. Our water is fairly hard.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Ashley C.

 

[WILDER]

If there laboured breathing not sounding good i'm afraid, if they do have white patches around there mouth yes it mouth fungus columnaris, can you issolate them.
Can you increase aeration in the tank.
Just want to check are any other fish flicking in the tank, and the swordtails are they rubbing there mouth do you mean.
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdcolumn.htm

Look under columnaris aka mouth fungus.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[Subcontrariety]

Thanks for the info. I have moved the three swordtails to a 10 gallon, and added 2 tablespoons of salt. I don't have an extra filter, so I put in an airstone and a couple nylons full of filter media from a cycled tank.

I'm not absolutely certain there are white spots around their mouths - its very hard to tell whether or not its just normal color variation.

 

[WILDER]

You will need a med for them bacterial, don't no your location.
States maracyn one and two, uk myxazin and pimafix.
If the spots are bigger than grains of salt i would still treat it as columnaris, good luck.