If a fish and a half weighs a pound and a half...

Hello All,
Big time fish noobie here. Few weeks ago (before I found this site) I bought a small tank, 3 gallons, Height: 12", Length: 12", Width 8",
with the bio wheel filter system. Just want it to sit on a bookshelf, nothing extreme. Treated the water, ran the filter, bought a few fish:

1 Small Angel
1 Pleco? (i believe, bottom feeder that sticks to things)
1 fish which i don't know what it is. It was in the "community" tanks at the pet store. about 1 1/2 inches long. Black with a white striple. Had two almost whiskers coming out the face. Same body shape as a pencil or pen, long and skinny.

(also note, the pet store tried to sell me a few more fish, this is a 3 gallon tank, i knew that i was pushing the limits to being with)



So, back to the story, fished lived for a week, then the long fish died, followed by the angel. Both had some fin rot or thining, so my assumption was a PH problem or a fungus.

The pleco is still alive.


The truth is, I took the dying of the fish to heart, it made me feel bad, because i felt like i killed them (which i did). I didn't realize that there was all this cycling to do and had to worry about nitrate and whatnot. The instructions that came with the tank made the whole process seem so much less complex.


With that being said, I'd like to do this right now, so i'm looking for some suggestions:

1) What should I do with the tank water and living pleco. Is the water diseased and he just hanging on? Can i kill off whatever bacteria/problem in there and start with just him/her? Should i sacrifice him for the good of himself and start the whole cycling from scratch, clean the tank, etc.

2) Once I have the tank up and running correctly (either with the existing pleco or freshly cycled), what do you suggest i stock in this tank so I can keep it living? I've read about the inch per gallon thread and others, so i'd like some more expert advice of what some good stocking options would be, preferably, "lower" maintenance types, because i'd be really bothered by killing off more fish.

3) What additionals should I buy? What type of testing kits/water purifiers/chemicals?


Thank you all in advance for any help.


cheers

Thank you very much for the quick repsonse. I felt very uneasy leaving the store, like I should've done some more research, but I took their word for it.

Ok back to the fish. I'll return the pleco, cycle the tank with the existing water, or clean it out and start again? I

f i use the same water, has the cycling already started? If new water, I would assume I have to use one of the methods (fishy or fishless mentioned).

I have a few small plastic plants in there, are they sufficient, or should I buy live?

I've read through all the different opinions of how to cycle, but in the end, whatever method i choose, i'm just waiting for the levels to bump, and the remain steady correct?


Thank you again, and i'm sorry if these questions have been asked a million times, i just feel i need clarification.

TheMightyQueenPixie said:

Keep the filter media and change the water...Doesnt hurt to start with fresh declorinated water...You will have to dose manually with bottled ammonia. See fishless cycling thread...If you dont already have a test kit,get one...A good kit is 15 bucks and lasts a long time. Without it you are flying blind and you need to know what the numbers are. This small tank thing comes up ver often...Personally I think we should have some sort of contest about them...Who can come up with an interesting tank, that thrives and is a good environment for the selected species...Could be fun and useful at the same time.

Click to expand...

Do I need to clean to rocks/plants/tank? Or just empty the old and add the new water?

So i just did some testing, with the old water and the one living fish. Here's what I have. Can someone tell me my next step?


Temp 75
PH 7.7
Nitrite .5
Ammonia 5 ppm

My tap water PH 6.4


I'd assume i want to do a 30% water swap ASAP correct?


What else would be suggested?

thanks