Am I Moving Too Fast?

[Slayvoff]

This is the first time I have gotten back into the hobby as an adult. Purchased a modest 5.5 gallon tank and have it stocked with a beta, a barb tetra glofish, a neon tetra, and a guppy. They've been around for a couple of weeks now.

I already find myself wanting a bigger tank, and somewhat wishing I started off bigger. I am thinking 40-50 gallon, maybe even saltwater. Am I moving way too fast with the hobby? Should I enjoy what I have for a good while before considering a size increase? A lot of the beautiful fish that I really want are of course too big for a 5.5 gallon tank. I see myself also wanting (for freshwater) various discus, blue german and bolivian ram, various cichlids...there is a whole host of fish I want to add that I just can't because I started small. Would love some advise from those who know where I am coming from.

 

[Slayvoff]

Can't edit, but I actually didn't get the glofish I forgot. So just have betta, guppy and neon tetra.

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

Well, first thing is, I would recommend you return the neon tetra and guppy. A 5.5 gallon tank will house the Betta, but not with anything else. The problem is, that neon tetras are shoaling fish, meaning they must be in a group. Six is the minimum often suggested, though it is always going to be better with more. But there is no speace for this species in 5 gallons. And if the one neon is left alone, he will become stressed from not having the expected group, and turn aggressive, which is not good for the Betta who will then also be stressed. Guppies don't need a group necessarily, but they often do not get along with Betta, or the Betta with them, so before this erupts I would remove the guppy.

I won't get specific about all the other fiish mentioned, except to say that many of them will not work together (in the same tank), so before you do get another larger tank, decide what you want in it. Shoaling species need groups, not all will get along with others (or each other), etc. Ask questions here, many experienced members will advise.

Byron.

 

[Slayvoff]

Great, thanks for the info. I figured the species I mentioned wouldn't all work cohesively in one tank, but I guess I just want to express that all of the fish I really want to pick and choose from are larger and require a bigger tank. So while I do love my betta etc, I also find myself yearning for a larger tank for more fish and more space to decorate. At the same time, I don't want to "move too fast" and find myself in over my head so I'm curious if you all would recommend taking it nice and slow with upgrading, or jump right in. For clarification, the biggest I'd even think about going is 50 gallon, though probably more like 40.

 

[Gruntle]

It may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but a larger tank is actually easier to look after than a smaller one. More water gives you more time to fix any issues before they get to the point of being harmful to your fish.

 

[Byron]

From someone who has been active in this hobby for 25+ years, and who has twice gone through "MTS" as we term "multiple tank syndrome," go slow. It takes a few weeks to get a new fish aquarium fully established, and during that time there can be issues. With only one at a time, it is easier to learn to identify the issues and deal with them promptly.

First thing is to deal with the 5.5 gallon. Remove the guppy and neon (hopefully back to the store) and enjoy the Betta settling in. Think about what space you have available for more tanks, and what fish you would like. This latter is not something to rush through, as you may find likes for this or that fish change. Jumping into anything in this hobby is a recipe for failure.

This hobby is the only one that has aspects that are actually totally beyond our control--the biological processes of fish and invertebrates, and the water chemistry processes--because they are part of the natural world and we can sometimes affect them but never control them. So we must understand what will occur when we put our tap water in an enclosed space with the substrate, and add living organisms (some of which, like bacteria, appear on their own), and what may occur as a result, and be prepared. Otherwise, the fish will not be healthy, and usually die before very long.

Somewhere I once read that the successful aquarist must be part biologist, part chemist and part veterinarian. It takes time for most of us to achieve this in at least the most essential and basic stage, but it is true. Advice from fish stores is too often not worth listening too, which doesn't help. I entered this hobby when there was no internet source, and I was extremely lucky to have chosen a fish store owned and staffed by experienced hobbyists. I have researched extensively since then, and that is key to success...always, always fully research before acquiring any fish. Know what it needs, what it "expects," how it will behave, how it interacts...there is much to it if we want our fish to be healthy and "happy."

Byron.