some newbie questions [Archive]

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Woofy

07-01-2006, 11:49 AM

i have a two gallon tank with a one tiger barb and a few other fish, my tiger barb seems to already have killed a fish i'm afraid that he;ll do it again, should i seperate him or would getting him a buddy help?

DaisyTattoo

07-01-2006, 11:53 AM

That tank is really too small for a tiger barb. They should be in groups of at least 6 and probably a 20g tank would be the smallest they should be in. The larger the group, the less they pick on others bc they spread it out amongst themselves. There are very few fish I would recommend for a 2g tank.

darli

07-01-2006, 11:59 AM

OH !!! a 2gal tank is not suitable for a tiger barb. The only thing I would put in a 2 Gal is a betta. Tiber barbs need to live in groups of at least 6, in a min 10-15 Gal tank and that would be alone. your fish is probably unhappy about being in such a small space and that will make him agressive. :D

Woofy

07-01-2006, 12:54 PM

i dont understand why the pet store wouldnt tell me these things. from now on i'm buying my fish at a aquarium only place where the owner might haave some correct information to give me. thanks for the help dont know what to do with him now, i guess i'l give him away and get something else, what else should i get that will get along with platy and goldfish?

DaisyTattoo

07-01-2006, 12:58 PM

Um....a goldfish, if a fancy variety, needs a minimum of 30gallons. If the comet/feeder fish variety...they need even more space than that as they can get to over a foot long. I would give that back to the store as well. The store doesnt tell you these things, bc if your fish keep dying, you are going to come back for more. You really should research BEFORE you buy. Don't count on them to tell you the truth. I have a store I LOVE and sometimes they even give some bad advice. My advice for you is to get rid of all of your current fish and replace them with a single betta. BTW in a tank that size you need to be doing water changes every couple of days or so. You can always search this site by hitting search and typing in 2 gallon tank or something like that. Or type small tank and you will get a few hits, they will have the information you need. GOOD LUCK!

Woofy

07-01-2006, 1:08 PM

upto now the size doesnt seem to be a problem while they're that small i upgrade as i need to.i dont believe in putting bettas in a tank unless i need to. i know many people are probaly :devil: at me for saying that but my bettas are in little betta keepers like i've always hade them and they're fine. my sister in law has a ten gallon tank and has already lost two fish for no reason, so i think i'm doing pretty good.

dorkfish

07-01-2006, 1:08 PM

Those fish shouldn't even be together, and a 2g is not suffiecient for either of those fish. Goldfish are coldwater, and platys are tropical. That's why they shouldn't be together.Platys can grow to about 2-3 inches and will need atleast a 10g. Goldfish can grow quite huge, 12 inches +, and will need atleast a 50/65g tank (footprint of 36"x18") with minimal tankmates (only one gold and small tankmates such as a school of whiteclouds or rosy red flathead minnows).

Please do not take your LFS's advice for truth, do some research confirming what they say before buying anything. Here are some links to get you started in your research:

Age of Aquariums (http://www.aquahobby.com/e_home.php)

FishProfiles.com (http://www.fishprofiles.com/)

WetWebMedia (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/)

And here is a complete newbie article that covers everything you need to know about caring for an aquarium that I strongly advise you read:

The Freshwater Aquarium for Newbies (http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/The_Freshwater_Aquarium_for_Newbies)

EDIT: darn! jodi beat me to it. Well here's morre stuff for you:

Have you ever kept or seen a betta in a properly sized home(atleast 5g preferably)? Have you ever even seen a full grown betta? Have you raised your bettas into breeding shaped in a "betta keeper"? If you answer no to any of these questions, than who are you to say your fish are doing "fine"?

dadof3

07-01-2006, 2:05 PM

Do take some time to read thru the postings on this site, especially about "cycling" the tank.
This process is something I never knew about and was a real eye opener for me.
I too took the bad advise of a Petco guy then I found this site.
I actually thought that fish dying after a few days,weeks or months was a normal process, wrong!
They should live for many years with proper care.

I wouldnt be at all surprised if your dead fish might have been caused by deadly toxins in the water.

If you want to take the best measures to keep your fish healthy then you need to invest in a much larger tank (30 gal+), a good filter system, a test kit and a host of other things.

Everybody here is very willing to help with any information you need.

Oh, and be careful with advise from friends and family who have had "fish for years and never had any problems".

Fish keeping is an enjoyable hobby.
At first the setup may seem alot more trouble than its worth but once you get a routine figured out then you can watch the fish flourish.

Woofy

07-01-2006, 3:21 PM

as much i'de hate to get rid of the tiger i think i will. and move the rest to a 30gl, or 10gl as they get bigger or the tank filter cant handle it anymore.

Woofy

07-02-2006, 9:33 AM

Roan Art

07-02-2006, 10:41 AM

ok so heres the plan i'm putting the tiger with five other friends in a ten gallon, and keeping two platy and the adf in the 2 gallon, and goldfish are going bye bye. in a ten gallon with the barbs can i put something else? whats the smallest bottom feeder out there?
I wouldn't put anything else with the barbs if you are going to put them in a 10g. They really do need a min of a 30g tank. Cramped quarters like that, even when small, will bring out their vicious side even more. Wait until you can get at least a 30g before you add bottom feeders and don't add anything to the mid or upper levels of the tank. The barbs will just harass them to death.

Roan

TheZoo

07-02-2006, 7:19 PM