Used tank came with fish, have several questions.

[zparticle]

Quick story: I saw an ad on CL for a 75g tank with stand. Went to take a look, once I saw how horrible the tank water was I decided I HAD to buy it just to save the fish. Any way got a boat load of equipment, the tank, the stand, food, decorations, siphon, etc. for $295 US. Seemed like a good deal.

Brought the thing home have spent the last 5-6 hours cleaning it. I don't think it had ever been cleaned. Looks better now. Also did a bit of repair on the stand, hard to believe the thing didn't collapse under the weight.

Questions:

1> Can you help me ID the fish in the video clip below? Some sort of large angle fish, some sort of algae eaters, and I think the two little ones are blood fin tetras.

2> I cleaned the heck out of EVERYTHING, except the filter media. There was a ton of slime and algae all over the tank and the filter casing. Did I do the right thing to leave the filter media as is?

3> Now that the tank is clean what to I feed the algae eaters, if that is indeed what they are?

The Fish and Tank

Thanks everyone.

 

[zparticle]

So I think the angle fish is a Silver Veiltail Angel. HN1 thinks the algae eaters are Chinese Algae Eaters.

 

[Khalix]

Yeah, definitely look like chinese algae eaters. Man, they're big! I'd get them some algae wafers. Mine really like zucchini. Tetra's do look like bloodfins.. hard to tell. They're always so fast. Good job saving them.

Very pretty angel.

 

[Somethingclever]

That is horrible that they wouldn't tank care of their tank. Props for saving those fish, you wouldn't happen to have a before pic would ya haha?

 

[zparticle]

No it was really bad. I thought about taking before pics but it was so bad I just couldn't and I was in a huge hurry to get the thing cleaned up and the fish in some good water.

 

[zparticle]

Yeah, definitely look like chinese algae eaters. Man, they're big! I'd get them some algae wafers. Mine really like zucchini. Tetra's do look like bloodfins.. hard to tell. They're always so fast. Good job saving them.

Very pretty angel.

Yeah they are a good 5-6 inches long.

 

[Khalix]

Happens a lot. So many of my customers realize it involves maintenance and a lot of them just leave it sitting there not bothering with it.

One lady came in with a pitcher full of fish recently asking if I'd take them.. she apparently sold her fish tank a week before but was only just then trying to find the fish a home. People are strange.

 

[zparticle]

Well youtube's video conversion really made a mess of this video but here is the tank with some decorations back in and a background on the tank. The CAEs seem much happier having a place to hide.

Video - Used tank clean up with decorations.

 

[zparticle]

Anyone want to chime in on #2?

2> I cleaned the heck out of EVERYTHING, except the filter media. There was a ton of slime and algae all over the tank and the filter casing. Did I do the right thing to leave the filter media as is?

Also I just noticed that the angel's pectoral fins are just about gone. There isn't must left but spines, I wonder if there is anything I can do to help them grow back.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Anyone want to chime in on #2?

2> I cleaned the heck out of EVERYTHING, except the filter media. There was a ton of slime and algae all over the tank and the filter casing. Did I do the right thing to leave the filter media as is?

Also I just noticed that the angel's pectoral fins are just about gone. There isn't must left but spines, I wonder if there is anything I can do to help them grow back.

Yep, I think you did the right thing leaving the media alone. Give the tank time to settle in after the big cleaning and maybe replace some of the media a bit at a time if you think it needs it.

As for the Angel, chances are the garbage water caused the fin rot and keeping it clean will go a long ways towards healing it. I've used Melafix with success before in injury issues, but I'd suggest a QT if you decide to try it so you're not dosing for 75g.

 

[Khalix]

I would have left the filter in, too, at least for a while. Would hate to lose ALL the beneficial bacteria, even if it is probably mostly grungy.

If the water was really that bad hopefully the angel just needs some time in your awesome fresh water to get back to her old self. Time and clean water for now. If there's no improvement in a week or two I'd probably step in and figure out a course of action. But for the most part mine snap back on their own. Good luck.

 

[Khalix]

And Mr Limpet beat me to it!

 

[zparticle]

Okay so I took the CAEs in to the lfs and traded them for some credit. I wasn't happy with the way they were freaking out the angel fish. Also frankly they just weren't what I'm going for, style wise. I bought 10 Kuhli Loaches and 5 Glass Cats.

Someone here told me GCs are hard to keep alive so I stuck with 5 for now to see how it goes.

I also picked up a big bottle Prime just in case I have trouble with this tank and need it in an emergency. Fingers are crossed that it won't be needed. One of the wheels on the filter system wouldn't spin consistently so I took it apart and realized I had one of the filters jammed in the wrong place so that is now fixed.

The angel has this strange place on one side where if you look at just the right angle there is what looks like a large number 3 on him/her. So that fish's new name is #3 like the TV show The Prisoner.

 

[Deckape]

Okay so I took the CAEs in to the lfs and traded them for some credit. I wasn't happy with the way they were freaking out the angel fish. Also frankly they just weren't what I'm going for, style wise. I bought 10 Kuhli Loaches and 5 Glass Cats.

Someone here told me GCs are hard to keep alive so I stuff with 5 for now to see how it goes.

I also picked up a big bottle Prime just in case I have trouble with this tank and need it in an emergency. Fingers are crossed that it won't be needed. One of the wheels on the filter system would spin consistently so I took it apart and realized I had one of the filters jammed in the wrong place so that is now fixed.

The angel has this strange place on one side where if you look at just the right angle there is what looks like a large number 3 on him/her. So that fish's new name is #3 like the TV show The Prisoner.

Awesome! You have earned my respect! Great job saving those fish. Hat is off to you

 

[zparticle]

Awesome! You have earned my respect! Great job saving those fish. Hat is off to you

Thank you sir. Now I just have to get the angel back into good health, get those pectoral fins grown back. The Tetras are already moving around more now that the CAEs are gone.

 

[huma-huma]

IME the angels just need time I had some fin damage to 2 of my angels from a darned tiger barb, after removing barb, it took about 2-3 weeks and my angels were back to 100%. I don't know what it is with our society now, it seems we feel that we should be able to buy any pet we want, place them in some container, and they will be ok.....its a shame. Much respect for gratefully unloading this tank from an obviously unwilling owner.

 

[Deckape]

Thank you sir. Now I just have to get the angel back into good health, get those pectoral fins grown back. The Tetras are already moving around more now that the CAEs are gone.

Whatever the outcome, hopefully good, the fish are better off with you.

 

[Rutrag]

Having worked in the aquarium industry for about 10 years, I'm willing to bet the reason that the previous owner had all those Chinese algae eaters is because he or she thought that they would clean the tank for him or her. I'm willing to double down since the OP indicated the tank was filthy. I always hated selling any kind of catfish or these guys (which I think are actually cyprinids) to people who wanted a "scavenger." Most of the time, they failed to realize these guys don't eat scat and are not going to do for their tank what a pass with an algae magnet and a water change with a gravel vacuum will.

I think it was a good move trading in the Chinese algae eaters. in my experience, they tend to become more aggressive as they grow and often will graze on the sides of large slow-moving fish like the angelfish.

On a side note, at one pet shop I used to work for, we had a common plecostomus do this to a large (14") pacu and strip all of its scales off behind its gills. (I've never known a pleco to do this before or since to a fish that wasn't already pretty much dead.) It fungused over its entire body. We were able to save him with lots of meds and water changes.

The tank is looking good!

 

[zparticle]

I think it was a good move trading in the Chinese algae eaters. in my experience, they tend to become more aggressive as they grow and often will graze on the sides of large slow-moving fish like the angelfish.

Yep I'm very happy I made the decision to trade them in. They were pretty well out of control.

 

[zparticle]

Tested everything in the water today and all numbers are looking good except I see no nitrates, I suppose with a tank this size that is possible. Have to keep an eye on it.