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I have been caring for a friends 12 gal (eclipse) tank since we started it in March. The tank was doing fine, a little overstocked with a dwarf gourami and 6 serpae tetras but I kept a very close eye on the water parameters doing frequent water changes. (I had to fight with him to have that few fish) The tank started getting brush algae a couple of weeks ago so he bought very small 2 common plecos late last week (without telling me) to clean it up (his mother the "big fish expert" told him he needed "to do somthing" before the algae killed the fish). Anyway to make a long story short, as of last night all he had left was the gourami, the plecos died sun and mon and the rest of the fish last night. Whatever the plecos brought in killed the rest of the tank pretty fast. From talking to him on the phone last night it sounds like a nasty fungus.
Question 1. Since I am guessing the gourami isn't going to make it what should I do to clean the tank? Throw out the gravel & plants and bleach everything real good including the filter?
Question 2: any ideas for restocking? He said he wants to go with something different than what he had. I was thinking of Endlers or maybe killis.

I guess he learned his lesson about buying fish from a store he didn't know and just throwing them in a tank without acclimating or QTing them.

Steph

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

On cleaning. Baking the gravel, or just tossing it is an option, I'd be cautious about bleaching wood, or gravel that could possible absorb alot of the bleach. Fake plants can be carefully boiled, filter bleached or tossed....it all depends on the budget I suppose.

If the gourami is still in there you could try suggesting medicating the tank, that should also kill whatevers in the filter ect.

As for the restocking....I'm not sure I'd go with something like killis, from my understanding of the fish they need specific water chemistry, and he doesn't exactly seem up to the task .

^_^
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Toss the gravel, it's cheap and not worth trying to mess with.

As for the filters, a 1:10 solution of bleach and water on a chunk of filter floss or non treated sponge wiped over the tank and filter will be fine. Remember that bleach eats rubber, so take care around the filter. A good good good rinsing (like rinse for half an hour) rinsing and letting it air dry in sun and filling the filter and anything else that'll hold water up with a wikkid overdose of dechlor and water. I've also done this method with platic plants, never silk.

[font color="#000080"]For the new stocking idea how about 2 Blue Rams, that would be simple and they're great fish too.
Or maybe a Betta, or what about just some cardinals.

PJ from the sound of things his friend wats to put as much fish in the tank as possible. I doubt he would like 2 rams in his tank. I like the idea tho of the cards. Say 10 of em in a 12 gallon tank should be fine imo. As for gravel just toss it really no big deal cheap and all. As for plants mine have deformed when been boiled so perhaps freezing them would do the trick?? Good luck with the tank

Well, the gourami made it so I didn't have to break the tank down or do any major overhauls. I did talk my friend into getting a bigger tank so I think his mother is getting him a 30 gal for Christmas. He'll be much happier being able to pack 2x as many fish into it.

Steph

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

He'll be much happier being able to pack 2x as many fish into it.

Glad the gourami made it, just keep an eye on the tank for awhile, and watch out for mini-cycles and all that jazz .

^_^
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