New here, how am I doing? (LONG post)

7 months ago I rescued a tank from a friend. He was about to dump his, supposedly 38 gallon tank, containing 1 large fake log, 1 large castle, 3 common goldfish and an albino bristlenose pleco, into a pond in maine in October. Basically I rescued them from death but had no idea how to give them a good LIFE. Though we did add an air stone and magnetic algae cleaner.

Long story short(er) jump to a month ago, roughly. A common dies. The fiance and I decide we want to invest some money into upgrading the tank. I start doing some research and choosing what we will add (like definitely a black moor). Then one day, about a week later, he comes home with 3, yes 3, beautiful black moors. With no way of quarantining them I put them into our tank. Knowing that this would require a MAJOR tank upgrade SOON but not wanting to pop his bubble.

As you all know, and I had yet to learn (the VERY, VERY hard and depressing way), this was a terrible idea. A week later ich and fin rot run rampant through the through the tank. Ammonia spikes and kills a black moor. I call my favorite LFS (in business for 30 years and run by the same man. Also my sisters first job for 4 years) and I go through a research fit, putting our 16 month old baby through a rough week. I find out I have a 28 gallon tank (30x18x12") with a highly inadequate 15 gallon filter, this in addition to what you all know.

That was Monday 5-19. With 2 days to go before I can do anything I do a 50% water change with untreated well water and add 1 Tbsp/5 gallons of uniodized table salt (well dissolved of course).

Tuesday lost 1 common. Was later deduced to have jumped. We found him under the couch. Another 50% water change replacing only the salt taken out.

Wednesday I make the 1 hour drive to aforementioned favorite LFS and I spend as much as I can afford. Bringing home a gravel vac, stress coat, API ammonia test kit (couldn't afford the others), thermometer, 2 free ferns, bloodworms and a lovely Marineland Emperor 280 with biowheel and free macaronI tile. I intended to get ich treatment but it got left behind. We clean the gravel, 50% water change with stress coat and replacement salt, add the plants and set up the filter with old carbon behind new.
After all this our ammonia was .25ppm.
Temp 68 F

Thursday second black moor dies of fin rot. Whitish pink fins. Obtained Kordons Ich Attack. Called LFS was advised to add 150% dose without removing the carbon filter as it was so freshly set up. Checked Kordons website and found this was ok (I can't find the page again, I forgot to bookmark it). I did as instructed with 35% water change.
Ammonia .25 ppm
Temp 68 F

Friday 25% water change replacing stress coat, salt and Kordons from removed water as well as a fresh 150 % dose of the Kordons.
Ammonia .25 ppm
Temp 68 F

Saturday there are fresh blooms of ich appearing so I remove the carbon. Fresh 100% dose as I had removed the carbon.
Ammonia .25 ppm
Temp 68 F

Sunday 5-25 there are still fresh blooms appearing so we purchase a heater and API test strips (all we could afford). Increase heat 72 (heater has 4 degree increments and raises/lowers over 4 hours).
GH 60 ppm
KH 120 ppm
PH 7
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80
Ammonia .25 ppm
I do immediate 50% water change with gravel vac. Again replacing stress coat, salt and Kordons. Fresh 100% dose of Kordons later that evening.

Monday 25% change replacing as before. Fresh 100% dose.
Ammonia .25 ppm
Temp increase to 76

Tuesday fresh blooms appear AGAIN! I stop use of Kordons and replace carbon.
GH 60 ppm
KH 120 ppm
PH 7.5
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 80 ppm
Ammonia .25
I do 35% water change upping salt to 1 tsp/gallon.
Second test was same except
PH 8.0
Nitrate 40 ppm
Ammonia .10 ppm (not sure wasn't quite either 0 or .25)
Temp increase to 80 F

Wednesday I do 30% water change upping salt to 1.5 tsp/gallon.
GH 60 ppm
KH 120 ppm
PH 8.0
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 40 ppm

Thursday No fresh blooms since Tuesday. No sign of ich on fish. I return Kordons and get API master test kit (YAY!).
PH 8.2
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 10 ppm
Ammonia .10 ppm
Temp 82 F
Pleco has seemingly poor reaction to salt or possible oxygen problems. I do 33% water change bringing salt back down to 1 tsp/ gallon. Reduce heat to 76 F.


Today my remaining 4 inch common, 2 inch moor and 3 inch pleco are all having trouble with oxygen and all have very little remaining fin rot. The common shows signs of healing ammonia burns. I am still running 1tsp/gallon of salt, I lowered to temp to 72 F and added a dose of melafix to assist in the final healing stages.
PH 8.0
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm
Ammonia .10 ppm

In the near future I will be purchasing an established, cycled, 45 gallon cube/octagon style tank.

If you made it this far, sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any input! Which brings me to my original question. How am I doing?

 

I'm going to read this all and reply right now, but I'm going to pause and politely scold your friend for dumping 3 common plecos in a 36. They don't like being housed together, and a common needs about 100 gallons. I'll have a detailed reply soon (so will a lot of others), but that was a real bad look by your friend and I had to say something.

 

I'm going to read this all and reply right now, but I'm going to pause and politely scold your friend for dumping 3 common plecos in a 36. They don't like being housed together, and a common needs about 100 gallons. I'll have a detailed reply soon (so will a lot of others), but that was a real bad look by your friend and I had to say something.

So sorry for the mistake! 3 common goldfish! I apologize!

I think after seeing what we have done he knows now. I made sure to tell him what a special fish he had with the albino bristlenose pleco, too.

 

Ne'er mind. Misread the levels.

 

Well... Welcome, first of all. You're positively done with the worst part... ICH sucks, and I'm sorry for you and your fish. I'll be linking an article on fin rot at the bottom. My #1 priority if I was you, would be to go and buy a new filter. Fin rot is caused by poor water conditions, which the current filter would explain. You're going to need to re-home your plecos as soon as you fight off the fin rot, as they will have stunted growth if kept in there too long, and you can't be expected to buy a 100 gallon tank for them. I use API melafix as a fin rot medication, but someone might suggest a better product for fin rot. Since you're on a budget, (a lot of us are) you should check out the DIY section of the forums, there's a lot of great stuff there. I'd also like to say thanks for saving the plecos, as they were as good as dead if he had dumped them in the lake. (Sorry for the scatterbrained post, I'm really tired )

Fin Rot https://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/feb08/fish-finrot.htm

Melafix

 

So sorry for the mistake! 3 common goldfish! I apologize!

I think after seeing what we have done he knows now. I made sure to tell him what a special fish he had with the albino bristlenose pleco, too.

That's OK. Common goldfish present the same issue as the Moor would in that goldfish and plecos do not go in the same tank. You did a good thing by trying, because it would be REALLY bad if he dumped sick fish in a natural body of water. I can't even believe that arose as a viable solution. It's extremely frustrating because it's just wrong. It's wrong to the fish he is throwing away and wrong to the fish in that body of water.

 

Thanks for your input. So far the pleco has been very docile, using only his fins as warning. If they all survive I'm going to try keeping the pleco where he is and putting the goldfish and moor in the 45 gallon when I get it. If I can find space for them both. In the meantime I watch them closely and always inspect for any aggressive signs.

As far as the tank goes I thought my current levels were indicating it's cycle completion? They are still toxic?

Thanks again for the quick response!

 

you're right. I read nitrite as nitrate. oops. I almost fell off my chair when I saw nitrites that high.

 

you're right. I read nitrite as nitrate. oops. I almost fell off my chair when I saw nitrites that high.

Hahaha I imagine! So they have a chance then? I don't know if I can handle another fish death. I'm up at night checking them after horrible dreams about them!

 

They have a good chance now. You did great. Thanks for caring and stepping in!

 

Thanks Adam55! I promise to move the pleco ASAP if he does any damage or shows aggression to the moor.
As far as stepping in, I HAD to. As you said, it is atrocious to buy fish and then dump them to die. I hope our example has made this very clear to him. Whenever he comes over I make sure to do some sort of maintenance to show him it's a job not a tv.

 

Wow what happy ending to a horror story well done you! That's a lot of work and money put in there!