Am I doomed?

[Veggiedelight]

Hey all,
I have a 16gal medium planted tank. I have a couple snails, 6 glowlight tetras and about a week and a half ago I added a half-grown male giant betta (currently about standard betta sized).
Everyone was getting along swimmingly until today, when I caught the largest tetra nip my betta’s fin. Happened twice, about 10 minutes apart.
Anyone have thoughts on whether:
- it could resolve itself with no change?
- it could work out if I separate them until the betta beefs up a bit?
- it could work out if I swap one or two of the bigger tetras out for little ones?
- it could work with more hiding places/plants?
Or I’m just doomed and have to get rid of one or the other?
Thanks for the help!

 

[Fishmanic]

Bettas do best singly in their own tank. You could maybe get away with a snail or two and 6 cories with the betta depending on your hardness and PH. I have tried keeping a Betta with 4 harlequin rasboras and it did not work out. I ended up getting the Betta its own 5 gallon tank. A giant Betta probably would need larger than a 5 gallon tank as they can get as big as 7 inches.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Welcome to the forum.

I would consider this an emergency. Get the betta out of there and rehome immediately. You aren't doomed, but your fish might be if you don't address this. I seem to remember that glowlights aren't generally fin nippers, but with this few of them, in a tank this small, it wouldn't surprise me. Once they start, they're unlikely to stop. If the tetras don't kill the betta, he's likely to kill them. Most bettas do not play well with others.

 

[Rocky998]

Bettas are not community fish and honestly, I'm surprised the betta hasn't done anything...
But they need to be separated completely. Its not a good mix in my opinion.

 

[Fishmanic]

When I had the Harleys and Betta together, the Betta would be hesitant to swim around the tank and often hung out on the bottom. Once I put him in his own tank, he was much more active and swam throughout the tank.

 

[JuiceBox52]

This is an emergency, you will end up with dead fish. Rehome, or get a new tank for the betta.

 

[GaryE]

I figure that to many fish, fancy Betta fins look like dead plants. They take a nibble, discover they are wrong and maybe also discover a new taste. For an easy going glowlight, this is an accident and a chance discovery.
But it has now been learned, and it can't be unlearned. The Betta is brutally handicapped by human decisions to breed for those giant fins, and he'll get a haircut if it continues. Losing the fins will do him good, but it won't please you.
I've had glowlights and Bettas live in harmony for years, but I would only get Bettas with shorter fins and a degree of agility. A big slow giant betta needs to be rescued, now that the fins as food discovery has been made