Over Crowded Tank/Incompatible Fish?

[taylorodw]

Hello all,
I am new to the forum and I've been keeping a tank for about 3.5 months.

I was given a betta fish in a bowl for Xmas. It was wonderful, but I felt the cramped, unfiltered, unheated environment was cruel. So I bought a 10 gal tank, and after cycling it shortly I let the betta run free.

I went to Petco and spoke with an employee - I was already aware that male bettas can be quite territorial and deadly tank occupants, but the employee assured me that Pristella Tetras and Tiger barbs would be fine. I bought 5 of the tetras and 3 barbs.

I came home and researched the species (d'oh! Should have researched first) and found that the Tiger barbs are fin nippers and can be pretty aggressive - not a good combination with a betta with long, flowing fins! Especially in a small group of 3. Needless to say, I was quite dissatisfied with the customer service.

One of the tetras got his fin nipped (it healed), but other than that, there were no problems until this Saturday, when one of the barbs disappeared! He must have been killed - a shame. The two remaining barbs were fighting a lot, so in an effort to stabilize the school, I bought three more for a total of 5 Tiger Barbs.

This puts me at 5 Pristella Tetras, 5 Tiger Barbs, and 1 betta, in a 10-gal tank. The fish are all 1-1.5 cm long, except for the betta which is about 5 cm long.

I think the tank is overcrowded - the fish are eating more, which I know can be a symptom of overcrowding, and they aren't schooling as consistently before, especially the tetras. Whereas before they would stick closely together, now at least one, and often two, are separated from the school.

I am currently trying to acquire an additional tank (30 gallons) so that I can separate the barbs and have a more aggressive tank. However, I am quite financially limited and can afford to spend about $50/mo on this venture.

In the meantime, I feel like it is inhumane to keep all the fish together as it is - they seem a bit stressed. Would it be more humane to keep the betta in the bowl to relieve the overcrowding? The bowl makes me sad, but I don't want to stress my fish.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any advice you may have!
Taylor

 

[asudavew]

I'd grab a 10 gallon tank. 12 bucks at Petco. A cheap heater. 12-15 bucks at Walmart. And a 10 gallon filter. $20.00 bucks or so.

I would put the tiger barbs in the new tank.
And then start saving for a bigger tank.
Tiger barbs can be mean!

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

just get a 20... 29 gallon.. first off the rule of thumb goes 1 inch per gallon...

Secondly most fish wont school unless they feel a bit of hostility in the tank. If they feel threatened in any way.. most wish will school

As far as the beta.. its a pretty nasty fish as far as water goes. the bigger the better. if you can get ahold of that 30 gallon, get good filtration in it. and good luck!

 

[jsoong]

Well yes, if money is no object, then a 20 gal for the betta is palatial .....

One way is to see if you can get a used setup for cheap .... check garage sale & craigs list, etc. <I started out with a used 75 gal complete for $100.>

It may be more economical for you to get a 5-7 gal tank for the betta - he doesn't need much filtration, so the stock filter in the kit will do. You might be able to get a kit new for $20-30 or so. Used ones often can be found for $10. Add a small heater & you are done.

Then I would save up for a 20 or 30 gal (or larger) setup for your community.

 

[taylorodw]

I don't want the betta in his own tank permanently so buying an additional, smaller tank would be the last option.

I guess I'll put him in the bowl for now to calm down the group.

I am looking into obtaining a larger tank (a full 70 gal set up for $100 would be right up my alley). Thanks for the advice.