Someone Gave Me A Very Dirty Tank With Fish

[corygirl]

someone gave me a 10 gallon tank with over 30 guppies in it. the tank was pretty dirty so i had to clean it, i got rid of most of the fish but the ones i kept i put in a large fish bowl while i cleaned the aquarium. when i took off the hood, i saw that there was a thick layer of mold/fungus on the underside. then i noticed the fungus growing on the inside of the aquarium, the water was brown. the filter was full of thick brown sludge, in and under the gravel was black.

i cleaned the tank and put the fish in with clean water. i dont know how to tell if they are sick or not. i was planning on moving my current fish into the tank with the new fish but i dont want risk infecting them with anything. any advice? there is also a catfish and a suckerfish.

i only washed the tank with plain water but because of the mold should i sterilize it somehow? or at least wash it with soap?

 

[mcdanielnc89]

I'd wash that puppy out with BLEACH, and then watch it out AGAIN with regular soap. Make sure u clen it really well. and it should be fine. jsut make sure u get it all.

AS for the fish, So they act weird? I honestly dunno if thier sick or not. they could be... DO u know how long they've been in the tank?(prolyl a very stupid question)

 

[corygirl]

i have absolutely no idea how long they ve been in the tank but by the looks of it, pretty darn long. they dont act weird, they act fine. i just dont know what to look for as far as sickness. but they ve been living in filth and fungus....

I'd wash that puppy out with BLEACH, and then watch it out AGAIN with regular soap. Make sure u clen it really well. and it should be fine. jsut make sure u get it all.

AS for the fish, So they act weird? I honestly dunno if thier sick or not. they could be... DO u know how long they've been in the tank?(prolyl a very stupid question)

 

[dthoffsett]

Don't wash it out with soap, even with a lot of rinsing there could be residue left. However, if you are worried about it, a solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water should kill off anything left, just be sure to rinse very well, then double dose with your water conditioner (bleach is chlorine after all). You should also wait to add your fish until you are sure the new fish aren't sick. Leave the new fish in the tank for 2 to 3 weeks and observe them closely for any signs of sickness. Also, unless you only kept male guppys, they'll quickly fill the tank back up since they breed like rabbits.

 

[corygirl]

actually i only kept females
and the cory and the suckerfish.
okay ill wash it again but this time with bleach then, thanks )

 

[Amunet]

You should bless out whoever gave you that tank! How terrible that someone would let it get that bad!
Those poor guppies

I hope everything works out well for you and your fish though