Fish Care from Lou

Question
Hi
So what your saying is my fish should get better after spraying him with stress coat and putting some cycle into my tank. Also how long should i go with not feeding the tank I mean i dont think my other fish should suffer for the rookie. Also what disease do you think it is it seems to be green growth on his scales and now i think its on his back fin, but sometimes I just dont see these things until I want to. Also shouldn't the best thing for him be to eat in a human's case if you dont eat you wont get the nutrition to fight off disease.
Anyway off that subject. To put the stress coat on my killifish i used a baster since he wouldnt come to the surface I also use it to feed my fish thier frozen food. So in the future you can tell someone to use a bastor if there fish wont go to the top of the tank. Also have you ever heard of a fan shrimp? I'm trying to get one but i can never find them at stores, supposably they get reasonably big but cant hurt anything cus instead of claws they have fan like things like clams thay just filter the water. Lastly I have been using this new algea destroying substance the fish store i got it from said they used it on all there tanks and it didnt hurt anything like it says it does, accept it kills crustacians :( i also got this wafer they helps my plants grow it has co2 and other nutrients. Both these things are fine would you agree?
PS
if you ever get start up a new tank and need a heater dont believe the bs on the box that says made for 20 gallons cus i got one for a 20 gallon tank and used it on my 45 and it works perfectly fine. I coulda got a ten dollar cheaper 10 gallon heater and been alright. Stupid cheap companies.

Answer
Hi Lou,
The sad truth about the aquarium supply biz is that most of the fish die. The killilng is all about money. The fish are treated like cattle on their way to the aquarium shop. By the time they get there, often they are already on their last legs (fish don't have legs, but er, you get the picture). Often, the aquarium supply shops are less than careful with the fish. They often only care that they live long enough for the people to pay money for them. Usually, people go to the aquarium shop, spend several hundred dollars on hardware - tank, pumps, heaters, filters, fish, chemicals, food, etc. - only to give up the hobby in disappointment and guilt after they kill all the fish. It is rare to find a person who can really manage a tank. It is possible, but it's a highly technical hobby. Those little bottles of antibiotics, antifungicides, Ph balance chemicals, etc., are all part of the money making scheme. They know the fish will get sick, so they offer a whole pharmacy of items - it's all about making more money. Those remedies rarely do anything, since the fish are so mistreated and stressed out, death is often inevitable.
I used to answer about 5 - 10 questions a week through AllExperts in the categories of dream interpretation and writing, but I can't spend the time anymore. I only answer aquarium questions now.
I hate to think of all those poor little creatures dying in people's homes, and the grief it brings, which is why I still continue. The way I see it, the whole aquarium stock business is like slavery for a lower species than human.
I cannot guarantee that your fish will make it. I'm just saying that his best chance is to have the Stress Coat applied directly to his wounds. The green stuff could be anything, but yes, applying Stress Coat should help. As far as feeding, on my Steamboats.com/aquarium.html I have explained in detail about feeding. One flake or pellet per day per fish is enough for small fish; increase as necessary according to size.
Overfeeding is like this. Suppose someone came into your house everyday and threw about 15 hamburgers on the carpet, then left them there. After a few days, the meat would start to rot and smell, bacteria would start to grow, and the pollution would eventually make you sick. Someone could come in and clean the carpet, but if they start throwing hamburgers on the floor again, you would continue to be sick. Fish don't need to eat very much. In many tanks, they could live off the algae for weeks.
To your specific questions: the baster sounds good. I will suggest that in the future. Fan shrimp sounds good, but be sure to get your current situation under control before you introduce new fish. I'm not sure where you can purchase them. The algea destroying substance sounds a little expensive and scary. The co2 water sounds good. If you keep live plants in the tank, be sure to throw away any parts of the plants that die. They disintegrate and create the same sort of hamburger phenomenon, except it's like leaving wilted lettuce on the floor. Thanks for the tip about the heater. I agree with that.
Anything else, feel free to write back.
Nori