Newbie w/small tank one fish (pretty sure she already made a mistake w/something)

U

UFOtofu

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Sep 1, 2007
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hannahwho.blogspot.com
I am a complete newbie with fish and I fear I have already made a mistake.
I wasn't much of a fish lover until I got the fish I have now, purchased a few days ago on the spur of the moment (I have read that sticky "Before you buy a fish" now). And now that I love him, I want to give him the best, even if that means I might need to give him to someone else.

I have a plastic Kritter Keeper (or Kritter Karrier?) that is 5in X 5in X 8in. I don't really have the brain power to figure out how much water that holds, but I can tell it's probably not a gallon and definitely not more.

I have this thing called "Aqua Plus: water conditioner" that is supposed to remove chlorine from the tap water I use.

I have a stalk of ... water bamboo (? I don't know what it's really called) in the tank, along with some gravel.

And I have an air pump.

I didn't know any better when I first purchased my fish, so please please don't yell at me for my mistakes =(. I already feel very badly after doing all the research I've been doing since after the purchase (Yes, now I know I should have researched first [I'm tempted to try to defend myself by telling you my story of how it was a spur of the moment purchase...]). I'm never going to buy any pets again without doing adequate research first.

But now I have my Tiger Barb, I'm starting to name it Lucy, but I think it's a guy... And I've never fallen in love with a fish like this before. I want to make sure he lives happy. But I already know I've done things wrong.

Well, I guess to make my story complete, I should tell that I started out with five fish (petco had a five of $5 deal..=\) and I tried my best with them, but I only have my Tiger Barb left.

Weather has been around the mid 70's where I live, and I've also been using a lamp to heat the water the best I can 24 hours a day since I got my fish.

Can I keep my Tiger Barb in the current conditions?
Is it OK for him to live alone?
Is there any cheap way of making this work out? (I am only a poor college student, so I don't have too much to spend...)
And if I can't keep my Tiger Barb, are there any other fish I can keep in this small tank?

Thanks so much in advance for you help! I feel terrible about my mistakes now I want to make this right as soon as I can.
 
find a tank first off look on craigs list or any online place for local cheap tanks and then get a proper heater and thermometer also you will need a filter. you can most likly find a tank in your area with everything for cheap. where do you live i will check
 
I live in San Francisco, but I will be moving to Davis soon for the school year and hope to bring my fish with me.

Also, I forgot to add earlier that I've been leaving the lamp on all the time, but covering the tank from the light with a black shirt at night. I just wanted make sure that fish need the dark and night time.. right?
 
there are lots of tanks for sale in san fran you should be able to find one the little bit i looked i saw bunch of 10 gal tanks for cheap. i know my dorms allow up to 10 gal tanks if your not living in a dorm then this wont be a problem. also just to let you know tiger barbs do best in small groups.
 
Is this tank too small?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/hsh/410271284.html

I emailed the person and asked for the dimensions, but I'm pretty sure that's not 10 gallons...

10 gallons sounds kind of big to me, I was hoping for something I could fit on my desk =\... since my roommate is actually afraid of fish... I don't really understand that, I think she just doesn't like them...
 
i know people that hate fish but they are crazy lol. yea 10 is big for a desk but you have a tiger barb and they require a bit of room. that tank looks like 1.5 gal or 2. it would be better than what you have and i would offer like 5 bucks. you really need to get a bigger tank though. if you could find a five gal eclipse that would be better but people will yell at you for keeping that fish in such a small tank. i just want him or her out of that thing you have.
 
Your current tank is too small for the Barb. Since they prefer a grroup, even a 10 gal would be a bit to small for a group.

I would keep your one gal and pair of endlers or male guppies, but would prefer if you found a 3 -5 gal desk top tank for them. Even a single male betta would be better for the tank.
 
UFOtofu said:
I have a stalk of ... water bamboo (? I don't know what it's really called) in the tank, along with some gravel.
Click to expand...
That plant is not exactly going to live completely submersed.
 
10 gallons could be managable in a dorm room and you could add a few more tiger barbs. I agree with the others that 5 would be small for a tiger barb. I found a chart for you of how big tanks are up through 20 gallons, might help you plan desk space. Also, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain the water quality.

Tank Size Exact Outside Dimensions Weight Weight
(inches) (L x W x H) Empty Full
(Including frame) (lbs) (lbs)

2 1/2 mini 12 3/16 x 6 1/8 x 8 1/8 2.6 27
5 1/2 Gallon 16 3/16 x 8 3/8 x10 1/2 7 62
10 Leader 20 1/4 x10 1/2 x12 9/16 11 111
10 Long 24 1/4 x 8 1/2 x12 5/8 16 116
10 Gallon 24 1/4 x12 1/2 x12 3/4 21 170

15 High 20 1/4 x10 1/2 x18 3/4 22 170
15 Show 24 1/4 x 8 1/2 x16 5/8 22 170
20 High 24 1/4 x12 1/2 x16 3/4 25 225
20 Long 30 1/4 x12 1/2 x12 3/4 25 225

Craig's List has some AWESOME deals on tanks from time to time, I've occasionally seen small tanks on Freecycle.org (you subscribe just to your area), also try Goodwill or Salvation Army. I recently got a 10 gallon with lid, light, filter and heater for $25. I've found it's frequently cheaper to get a used tank that comes with everything than it is to get a free tank only and have to buy all the other stuff.
 
Wow, you guys are amazing! Thanks for all the help and advice!

The stalk of bamboo I bought at petco was completely submerged in a tank when I bought it, so I thought that was the way it should be kept. Should I not keep it completely submerged?

And my Tiger Barb is only an inch long right now. I don't really know how to word what I'm trying to ask... but basically it's something like... is she going to get a lot bigger? I can't imagine a 5 gallon tank being small to her, and it would look like a one or two other fish her size could fit with her in a 5 gallon... am I looking at this all wrong? Can you explain why a 5 gallon would be too small for one Tiger Barb? Sorry I don't really understand yet.. Is what they told me at petco about "One inch of fish needs One gallon of water" not true?

And also, I thought Tiger Barbs shouldn't be put in the same tank as male guppies? Male guppies were actually 2 of the five I started with, and the Tiger Barbs would nip at their fins and tails.
 
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