Filter with Betta Fish?
Lol, so I have another question regarding my Betta, Slash. I just got a new five gallon aquarium for him, a heater (for 2-5 gallon tanks) and a Whisper 30 filter. The filter is not the new one, but I think it is the original Whisper 30. I got these things for free from my dad, who has been keeping tropical fish for basically his whole life and has way too many fish supplies, so he just gave them to me. Anyway, so I hooked up the filter and everything and put my fishy inside, I even had the filter on its lowest setting, but I think it’s too powerful for my fish, I’m not sure. He just reminds me of a cow in a tornado when it’s on, he’s like WTF IS THIS THING and starts fighting the current, which I don’t think is that strong. Like he’ll stop wriggling and then he’ll float over a bit and his fins are blowing everywhere and then he swims back to the original position. What should I do? I don’t feel like cleaning out a five gallon aquarium every week.
I got a junior aquarium for my fish its like $14 at walmart.. it worked perfect.. its i think a 1.5 gallon tank.. or 1 gallon but it has the light and filter and all that.. it was perfect for a beta..
well, you should clean your tank out anyways even if you have a filter. But, it makes some current that moves the water around more so he’s going to have to keep swimming and it will give him some exercise. It may look like he’s swimming hard, but you just have to think about his natural environment it’s not going to be standing still all the time.
You don’t have to have a filter. As you said though, it will keep the tank cleaner. Please keep in mind that you NEVER take all the water out when you clean the tank and never clean the gravel other than a siphon (gravel cleaner). Only take out about 1/4 of the water and replace it. If you take out all the water and rinse the poop off of the gravel, you are killing all your bacteria, and some bacteria are good for the health of the fish
ive had betta/s for years visit this site this girl knows all about betta http://www.bettatalk.com hope it helps btw from what ive learned they love to swim in a strong current hope it helps enjoy the site
Filter is probably too big for that sized tank. Usually when they have a number after the name like that, that means what size tank they’re rated for. I’d pick up a smaller filter, rated for a 2-5 gallon tank. Or, if you can find something like this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+9821&pcatid=9821
And, even with a filter on the tank, you’ll still need to do partial weekly water changes. Though, that’s generally a lot easier then doing a 50% water change every few days.
Try getting a smaller filter there are some that are less than 10 $s here I will even give a a link to find one on line it is designed for a 5 gal tank and will be much safer for your fish just cut and paste the link its called Azoo Palm Filter you can find it on drsfostersmith.com the filter your Dad gave you just might be to big and eventually your betta will get tired of fighting the current and well the filter will win
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+9821&pcatid=9821
your not suppose to have a filter for a betta.
Filter is too powerful. Try a sponge type filter rated for the tank size you have. Betta’s in their natural setting live in rice patties. Not a lot of current there.
You need to do PARTIAL water changes idealy once a week but every other week is standard practice for most fish keepers. Do not empty the entire tank each time you clean it as this will kill the beneficial bacteria that keeps the tank healthy.
Male betta’s have very long fins and they have a hard time with currents. It will be hard for him to sleep and move around. I suggest you just use a gravel cleaner once a week and 20% water changes. that should keep the tank clean and you betta happy!