Jun 4, 2009
Posted by Freshwater Aquariums in FAQ | 6 Comments
What Size Aquarium Should I Have For A 3 Inch Tinfoil Barb?
I heard a one gallon aquarium will do for now until it starts to grow, but that sounds too small. Anyone know what size aquarium I need? Thanks.
One gallon per inch is crap. Get it at least a 20 gallon, heated and filtered tank for now. Within a few months, you will need to upgrade. Tinfoils get about 12″ long, so you will need at least a 55.
You made a poor decision in buying a tinfoil barb, but it’s not too late to take him back and look further into what would be suitable for you.
First off, you really shouldn’t have just one tinfoil barb. Take a look at how closely they school – keeping fish is all about keeping them properly and as natural as possible.
Secondly, these fish grow big, and they grow quick. You should not start with anything less then 30 gallons, and should only get these fish if you have plans of upgrading to at least a 75 gallon tank. Even a 75 gallon will become cramped eventually (I had to find a home for my 4 tinfoils when they approached 7-8″ even though I had a 75).
Keeping fish requires research into what they need and how big they get, so do the responsible thing and start over properly!
And a 1 gallon home isn’t suitable for any fish, not even a betta. As a minimum sized tank for a decent home for fish, get yourself a 10 gallon – then stick to fish that are small and stay small, and if they’re schoolers get more then one!
The current size of the fish isn’t what you need to worry about, it’s how big the fish will get. As another poster stated, the 1″ per gallon rule is crap, and these barbs can get pretty big…plus, they like company.
You should have 1 gallon of water per every inch of fish, but if you’re planning on getting more fish get a larger tank. A one-gallon is okay but will not sustain your fish. Hope this helps!
It is too small. Get a 10 gallon tank. They are the usually the cheapest in every pet store I’ve been to. Pet Stores seem to stock more of this size than all the other sizes.
Then, you’ll have the room and spare change to get him a tank-mate.
The smallest tank I’d recommend is between 7.5 to 10 gallon tanks. They’re the rectangle type and they have some really nice setups out there, plus you can hang a flow filter off the side, which is the best type of filter to use compared to that lousy bubble filters. Also get a Pleco sucker fish to stick in too, they’ll clean the algae for you, so then all you have to do then is make a 20% water change every week.