Top Fin 5.5 gallon kit - so far...so good!

[Phil Fish]

Check it out!

Obviously it's empty. I just assembled it this morning to test it out. It was easy to set up. Right now it has conditioned tap water in it and river stones. It's not leaking (thank god!). The filter is quiet and I have the flow adjusted to it's lowest setting. I still think the flow might be too strong but maybe a plant there might help slow it down a bit. Also, the heater seems to be doing it's job keeping the water at 80 degrees. So far I am happy.

What do you think?

 

[Colin_T]

You need a picture on the back. You can buy them from pet shops or use coloured card or even a plastic bin liner. Just sticky tape them to the back of the tank (on the outside).

You can move the filter along the back and try it in different areas and it might provide different currents. Putting a round sponge over the intake strainer should help slow it a bit too.

If you get floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta), you can keep them in a loop of airline on the surface to stop them being sucked into the filter. Make a circle out of plastic airline or clear tube or black irrigation pipe and join it together with a joiner. Stick a suction cup to the glass at one end of the tank (away from the filter outlet). Use some string to tie the plastic loop to the suction cup and put the plants into the loop.

 

[Phil Fish]

I couldn't find a background that suited me but I bought some plastic plants and a moss ball at the pet store this morning. I positioned the tallest one right up to where the water pours out of the filter. I also stuck another smaller one across it like a dam to slow down the flow. I will be adding more plants to the background eventually. Now Phil can swim around much easier without struggling with the strong flow from the filter. He can stop and hover to relax if he wants or swim all over happily like a maniac.

I haven't add the moss ball yet. It's sitting in fresh dechlorinated water right now.

 

[Essjay]

Be careful with plastic plants. They are quite sharp and can tear a betta;s fins. Silk plants are a lot safer.

If you have, or have access to, an old pair of tights/pantihose, run them over the plants and if they catch, the plants are too sharp.

 

[TallPaul]

Looking good there. A piece of plain black card or paper, anything really, would do. Personally I'm not a fan of fake pictures in the background but each to their own.

 

[Essjay]

I have to say that I've always had problems with backgrounds and bettas. I've tried everything from plastic underwater scenes to matt black cardboard and all the bettas I've had flared at their reflections when the tank light was on. I was surprised at the matt black cardboard as I've read so many recommendations for this, but no, they all spent the whole light on time flaring so I had to remove it. I still have the card in the cupboard in the hope that one day I'll have a betta that doesn't react. Until then, there is no background on the tank just the kitchen tiles a few inches behind the tank, which produces no reaction.

 

[TallPaul]

Every betta is different. My tank came with a black glass back and it has not bothered him. He hasn't flared at his reflection at all, in fact I almost never see him flare.

I introduced 4 Otocinclus catfish and he has occasionally flares at them, usually when they cross his path, but generally he is disinterested in those too.

I will say that my tank is quite well planted with java fern, java moss, anubias, crypts, dwarf hygro and floating water spangles. I assume that he just has so much more interesting things to do in the tank than flare at his reflection and harass the other fish.

 

[Essjay]

I agree, every betta is different. My current betta is so laid back (except with his reflection) that I tried shrimps with him. He's ignored them completely, and the nerite snail. But I've had a betta in the past that flared at a nerite snail whenever it crawled onto the tank walls. And another betta tried to dismantle a woodlouse I accidentally managed to put into his tank.

 

[Colin_T]

I have to say that I've always had problems with backgrounds and bettas. I've tried everything from plastic underwater scenes to matt black cardboard and all the bettas I've had flared at their reflections when the tank light was on...

I need more sleep and to get my eyes checked. When I first saw this I thought it said "from plastic underwear scenes".
I was thinking, WTH are keeping on your tank

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For Phil Fish, there's still a lot of water movement in the tank, a little bit too much for a Betta. More plants will help and if you can find a round sponge from an internal power filter (Rena or something like that), you can put the sponge on the intake strainer of the filter and that will reduce the flow a bit.

Some HOB filters are adjustable so you can reduce the flow but I'm not sure if the TopFin is.

 

[NickAu]

If you are using fake plants cut down the light or add floating plants.

If you find you plants are being pushed down by the HOB first turn it down a bit and add a straw dam, You can use clear straws.

 

[Phil Fish]

Thanks I you all for the excellent advice! I added more fake foliage at the back of the tank because Phil can see his reflection on the back wall. That fixed the problem until he discovered he could squeeze in behind the bush and see the back wall again. He's a determined little guy. He is less obsessed with it now. He also hides back there.

As of now I have slowed the water flow from the filter using a large plant right against it.

Here's a quick video of the current set up. The fake plants were cheap but they are temporary as I do intend to get real ones soon. The plastic plants dont seem to be hurting Phil's fins. I don't have any sheer nylons on hand to test them but all seems ok. At least there's a moss ball in there!