Tetras and bettas! Am I crazy?

[Cheezycake]

Hey, as you might find out I'm new to this place. So, Getting down to business I have a Betta. His name is Takuto, he lives in a Half Gallon tank, and before you go scolding me on how I'm torturing my Betta, I know, it's a bad thing to do but with the money I had at the moment that was the best I could do and honestly I was just glad to get him out of that horrible cup he was in. so MLEH. :P

Alright now on to the others. Just yesterday I bought a Five Gallon tank. (I know still not big enough but considering the fact that my mom didn't want me to get a bigger tank in the first place, I figured better safe than sorry.) ANYWAY~... I've got two Neon Tetras, and one Glowlight Tetra (Again, don't scold it's for an experiment) I got these fish to see how my Betta would react to company. He did look a bit unpleasing by the fact they were there but over all he didn't attack them, I guess. But because I was confused with his reaction, I put him back in the half gallon. TT_TT What do I do with my Betta should I put him in or shouldn't I? How should I go about doing this. (Now I must say I don't have any plant life in the tank and that might be a big problem, but I plan on going to the store this week and picking up some equip. And I've got it on good report that Bettas and tetras can get along very well, And as far as I'm concerned my Betta is very docile.)

Anyway, now that my other fish are on there own (This is the really confusing part) one of my neon tetras and my glowlight tetra have banded together and excluded the other neon from the group.... The two who have bonded together stick together for quite a while and then slowly drift apart but they always come back together, where as my secluded neon is always next to the filter and is scared to come out. (just to let you know he's not dead he comes out every once in a while, but the others push him back to the corner. It's sad really) He tries to show affection to the others by gently rubbing them nothing threatening but the others down right chase him.. I don't know what to do.. any suggestions on why this is happening?

[Aeonflame]

If you are looking for members to tell you that its okay to keep fish in horrendously undersized tanks, and that it could work, then I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. The only advice you will get here is to take the fish back.

If you want to keep the betta, put it in the 5 gallon and return the tetras.

[Lady Hobbs]

Doubt anyone will be cheering much over "experimenting" with the tetra's either. Agree with the advice given above.

[steeler1]

I've gotta agree with the two above threads. But welcome to the forum, it's a great place to be if your willing to learn.

[dizzydezzy]

Your tetras are in a scary new place, without the support of a school, and I would dare guess in an uncycled tank - they will be incredibly stressed, causing them to behave in a way they would not behave in the wild (or in an apprporiately sized tank). I think you should probably return the tetras to where you got them from - if you leave them as they are, they will probably die from stress (or disease, which they would be more succeptable to, due to stress).

As for a betta, a 5 gallon tank is a good start, but there isn't really space for tankmates. Bettas in community tanks are a bit of a hit and miss at the best of times, and a 5 gallon is nowhere large enough for any tankmates to get out of the way of a territorial betta.

I think you should return the tetras and put the betta in the 5, and leave off getting any other fish until you are in a position to get a larger tank.

[Cheezycake]

Okay, I don't think you get it. I've had my Betta in a half gallon for about a year and a half now. And I know that Bettas only live for about three to four years max. I knew that Tetras and Bettas get along fairly well, but I wanted to make sure, that's where the "experimenting" comes in. I wanted to know weather my Betta would react well with the tetras. That's all the experimenting I was talking about, and I'm sorry for the misconception on that. And I already knew that the environment for the fish was bad, but on the other hand it was much better then the tank at walmart they were living in. (It's still not the best but it was all I could do so shush on that) As far as giving them back, there's no way in my mind I would do that. I know a lot of things about the things that I'm doing that are wrong. So the question shouldn't be how to get them to get along, but how I can make them happier without giving them back. (I know I'm being selfish and unfair but I'd really like to see this work without having to spend ridiculous amounts of money to do so because I don't get much.) Besides I looked at the refund policies of Walmart and it doesn't seem they have a refund unless the fish is dead so there's no way I would be able to do that any way.

[Aeonflame]

Why did you get the tetras in the first place if you knew that they would not be placed in a suitable environment?

[CrunchyLeaf]

Not sure what you want us to tell you. You've clearly said "I know what I'm doing is wrong and I don't want to hear about it."
Nobody here is going to tell you that you can make your fish happy and healthy, because you can't without the purchase of a larger tank and a serious attitude adjustment. You didn't rescue them from the tanks at Walmart, you took them home and forever ruined their chances of being purchased by a responsible pet owner who will give them the care they deserve.
Since you are unwilling to correct it, all you can do is watch them live out whatever stunted, miserable life they'll have until they get the sweet release of death.

[SLeen]

The only way your tetras are going to be happy is if they have more schoolmates. But you really can't fit any more fish in that 5 gallon. So you are really between a rock and a hard place here. I get that you wanted to see how your betta would react in a community tank, but I don't think I understand what your long-term plan was for these fish?

[imma24]

Okay, I don't think you get it.

Perhaps you weren't expecting the above comments - they are all correct. We can't create a better environment for your fish.

And I already knew that the environment for the fish was bad, but on the other hand it was much better then the tank at walmart they were living in. (It's still not the best but it was all I could do so shush on that) (I know I'm being selfish and unfair

Thanks for the explanation LOL

but I'd really like to see this work without having to spend ridiculous amounts of money to do so because I don't get much.

How do you expect us to fix this for you? Either you have a sufficient amount of space and an adequate # of fish or you don't.)

Please see my comments above : (