Overwhelmed Newbie

[bekmo]

Hello! I'm new to this site as well as to fish keeping. My renters left fish tanks at my rental property when they moved out. Poor fish had been abandonded, and I am clueless. I have identified the fish and I think a few problems. there are 2 20 gallon tanks and 2 5gallon hex tanks. each 5 gallon hex tank has a betta (one male and one female) I have added a heater, filter, gravel and each has a cave and plant(plastic). 20 gallon tank #1 has 5 black skirt tetras, 3 spotted cory catfish and a betta (gravel, caves, airstone, plant, heater and filter). 20 gallon tank #2 has 5 ballon belly mollies and 5 platies...oh, and problems (filter and heater)most of the fish have white spots-ich. one is so bad that she can barey swim. We are moving in 4 days, about an hour away. I have had these lil' buggers about a month and have become slightly attached (blush). The renters also left behind a brand new 65gallon tank, stand, filter, etc for a new set up. I will honestly say that I am not enjoying all these tanks sitting around, but don't think i have much choice right now. any ideas or suggestions are greatly welcomed!

 

[CrazyAirborne]

well i cant give you much advice but I can give you some support and say its great that u want to help these guys out! how horrible for people to just leave them!!! but it does sound like you got yourself a nice collection of equipment now! I hope it all works out for you, and if you take some losses, remember you did everything you could do! dechlorintated water changes would be the first thing i would do if i came into some abandoned tanks, but since uve had them a month, im sure uve done that!

and uve come to the right place for advice! maybe post in the emergencies forum for faster responses!

 

[KittyKat]

20 gallon 1: leave as is for the moment
20 gallon 2: raise temperature to 30 C and treat with an ich medication such as Sera Protazol
5 gallon male: leave as is
5 gallon female: make sure is not a plakat male and move to 20 gallon 1, empty the tank

For moving:
* get a polystyrene box and fish bags from a fish shop, ask them to show you how to use them and explain that you're moving house
* take the 65 gallon and the 5 gallon from female Betta to the new house and fill with warm dechlorinated water (add heater, but no filter)
* bag fish and filters
* drain the male's 5 gallon
* drive the male's 5 gallon, fish and filter to the new house
* put the fish from the 20 gallon 1 into the 65 gallon, put the fish from the 20 gallon 2 into the 5 gallon female Betta's tank, put the male Betta into his own tank
* go back to collect the other tanks, then move the platys and mollies back into a 20 gallon

It is possible to move in one trip, but it is not fun.

Once the platys and mollies are clear of whitespot for two weeks, you can move them into the 65 gallon.

 

[ARMS87]

welcome