[Cspencer83]

Hi, I got a 20 gallon tank yesterday from someone yesterday fully set up and ready to go and it came with 2 red fin Tetras and a 10 inch pleco. I didn't know when i got it that the substrate was nasty with old algae and fish poop which i got ALOT of it out yesterday while vacuuming the substrate. also from the travel from there house to mine the I can only think it is algae that is in the water giving it the green tint but correct me if i am wrong is making the water greenish. So my question is will that go away by its self or do only by daily water changes?

Thanks for your time and have a nice day.

 

[Sylverclaws]

Some, if not all, is likely algae, but because of the filth it could also be that.

Don't clean it TOO much, if you just got it from someone and it was so poorly cared for, it's likely not a stable one, or may not be...so change a little at a time daily. You gotta get the poo out of course, but try not to go overboard as it can shock the system and the fish. Use Prime to help neutralize the toxins and clear out ammonia and any high nitrites and nitrates, stress coat+ may help the fish a little bit and help with their slime coats, and clean...uhm, I am not sure how much to recommend a day, perhaps someone else will, otherwise I'd suggest maybe ten percent a day, but more may be needed. Just don't do it all at once, you may hurt the fishies. After that find your pleco a new home before he stunts if he hasn't yet(likely not, they can take a couple years to hit full size...the commons can anyways, though I wonder how valid that is since my previously three inch pleco is now around seven inches in only a few months....), he's way too big for that tank. =( If he's not ill, he also may help clear up the algae with regular changes...a little if not a lot.

 

[Cspencer83]

Well the tank its self doesn't look bad other then some scratches and a little algae on the walls and rocks and stuff, but the substrate was nasty like it hasn't been properly cleaned in a long time. I didn't go over board and i am sure there is still more in there for later cleanings but i didn't want to change the tank too much in fear of killing the fish. although i did after filling the tank back up cuz we took out about 60% of the water for transport take out about 40% of the water i added in cleaning out the gravel which each bucket full was Dark green till about half way through the second bucket when it was only light green coming out of the substrate and i left it at that. I use prime as my dechlorinater and added stress Zyme+ to help in case it needed some extra bacteria i may have messed with in the gravel and used a net to catch what floating stuff i could catch with keeping what old water i could with getting what crap i could out. Today the fish look happy and are nicely colored compared to last night after the trip and cleaning and the tank doesn't smell bad anymore it just has the normal fish tank smell.

 

[Sylverclaws]

Alright, good. See if your pleco wont finish up the algae in there. It may not, it sounds like there was either too much for it in the first place, or it may be ill and not eating...or perhaps it didn't like what it was tasting. Try putting in a small half inch chunk of a boiled or steamed, SOFT, broccoli stem. I find most plecos deem it irresistible...if he doesn't go for it or any of the algae already present, he may be ill, so watch out for that, or possibly that may get him going again. He needs more than algae. :3 Sorry, I tend to worry about plecos more than...the usual. I have a rescue I'm very fond of, he survived some....extreme odds he really shouldn't have(petshop I took him from housed a bunch of babies with african cichlids who ATE his tankmates and ripped off every single one of his fins, including his dorsal and tail, damaged his back and head...so he shoulda died, but he's grown them all back now and got big!).

Good luck, I hope it cleans up wonderfully, and congrats on a new tank! With proper maintenance, it should clear up now. =) Should...if you have further issues, try keeping the lights out for two days or so and then lessen them, or if you're comfortable with it, a full black out for several days.