Fish tank left behind

Epicbutterfly

Hi everyone, I've just moved into a new rental property and the previous tenant left a fish tank with 2 fish inside. We advised the landlord who said the fish would be picked up that week, 6 weeks later we still have the fish. They look like goldfish but with a mermaid like tail and are quiet small. Only two left in the tank which is quiet large. I feed them and actually enjoy them. However I know the tank needs to be cleaned which I don't have a clue how to do. Also today I noticed something like a tick or something attaching itself to the glass of the tank in numerous places.

Any advice on how to care for these two orphans?
I have pics just don't know how to add them to post.

goz83

Pm me and I'll send on my email address. I can advise you, or I can rehome the fish if in Dublin, as I have a pond for them. Gold fish should not be in a fish tank even if it's a larger one.

goz83

From your description it sounds like you have a fantail species of gold fish, unless the head looks like the brain is on top of it (oranda goldfish). I can't think what the "tick" could be. Depending on the tank size, you could do quarter water changes once every 2-3 weeks. If the tank has a filter, this should be cleaned every other water change but best habit is every change. Use only water taken from tank to clean the filter media (sponges in the filter) because the bacteria are good for the tank. This is why quarter tank changes are better than half tank changes. Feed them a pinch of food every day. The food should be eaten within 3 minutes. If it lasts longer, you're over feeding them. There's tonnes of info online, but this is the basic stuff. Adding more fish adds to the waste load and can stress and kill fish if not managed properly.

Enjoy your new pets

goz83

Ok. I got your pictures. You have a tropical set up there and they are guppies in the tank. It's very hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like you have little thread worms on the glass. They are harmless but unsightly and can be a sign of overfeeding. I'm not an expert on this, but I find that controlling feeding helps this. I would remove that tick. Looks kind of like a snail. Nasty thing. The same stuff applies in the post above but also make sure the heater is on and at about 25 degrees Celsius.

Epicbutterfly

goz83 wrote: »

Ok. I got your pictures. You have a tropical set up there and they are guppies in the tank. It's very hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like you have little thread worms on the glass. They are harmless but unsightly and can be a sign of overfeeding. I'm not an expert on this, but I find that controlling feeding helps this. I would remove that tick. Looks kind of like a snail. Nasty thing. The same stuff applies in the post above but also make sure the heater is on and at about 25 degrees Celsius.

Thank you so much for the help! The tank was completely turned off when we moved in. So I now need to clean the tank out. I'm sure any pet shop will give me information on the best cleaning materials. Can I take everything out and get rid those worms and snails? I wonder would they like if I added a few more guppies for them?

telecaster

Do some researching before cleaning out the tank. Don't change all the water. The water you add to the tank ought to be treated to have the chlorine removed, or else use rain water if you have access to a water butt etc.

Replacing all the water with tap water in one go will almost certainly kill the fish.

This info here is pretty good and straight forward:
http://www.fish4beginners.com/cleaning/

goz83

You would have a very hard time removing the wormy things. They are a good indicator of feeding control. I use tap water when changing my tank water and it never causes an issue but try to keep it at a quarter out and no more. A good pet shop will certainly advise you. If they try to sell you a tonne of crap, go elsewhere. It can be a good idea to get a water testing kit for ammonia, nitrates and chlorine levels if you want to do everything perfectly. I don't use the kits anymore but a larger tank is easier to manage than a small tank.

Do the water change first. Then slowly add fish, no more than 2-3 guppy sized fish at a time. The general rule is every inch of fish needs a gallon of water. Go by half that and you'll do well. In other words, don't over populate the tank.

Silver Dollars are usually good and plecos are good too. They are easy to manage and are hardy fish. You can't just add any fish, because they could attack or be attacked. Keep your fish price low and don't buy tetras....they never last long. Spend between €5-€10 per fish or less. Guppies are about €3-€4 each.