Speaking of fish living in horrid conditions. About 6months ago I helped my sister move into a house she had bought. Upon arrival I was pleased to find a 20gallon long, and a 3foot 35gallon tank empty in the garage. The 20gallon hadn't been used in what looked like years as it was full of saw dust and many other things. As for the 35gallon, it still had a substrate with some water in the bottom, so it had recently been drained. After about an hour of being there I went into the washroom, only to find a pleco in the toilet. After talking with my brother in law apparently the house had sat empty for nearly a month. Meaning this poor fish had been sitting there the entire time. Long story short, he is now happily living in 42 gallon tank right next to my desk... Only bad news is I believe it is a common pleco and need to rehome him or invest in a bigger tank
edit: As for leaving a tank setup for a year with dead fish in it... that is sick.