Filter Question

[LauraFrog]

Okay, so I have this nano tank that I'm intending to put guppies in. I'm growing live plants in it as well. It's a cheapie newbie starter kit. I like them because they have such a compact design - only one wire comes out of it, and that gets plugged into the power.

There's really no way to set up a filter other than the one it came with, which produces a very fast flow of water. I've tried everything I can think of (like clogging the filter box with compressed cotton wool) to stopper up the flow a bit but I can't seem to keep it to a reasonable level. I have platy fry in there to cycle it and they're being blown in circles.

Any ideas? Fancy guppies + fast filters = torn tails, finrot etc.

 

[LauraFrog]

Ha - finally!

Into a filter box about the size of my hand I just crammed two bioballs, two teaspoons of gravel from a cycled tank wrapped in fine material, and one heaped teaspoon of activated carbon wrapped in a massive amout of filter floss. I stuffed the supply line with floss as well. The pump isn't heated or vibrating and the outflow is quite calm.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

I think there was a thread a long while back about someone who found a good way to get rid of the filter current. A betta could swim right under the filter and not get blown around. I forget how they did it, but a search might bring up the thread. I think they put a piece of plastic beneath the filter return and a betta could swim right underneath the filter no problem. With my tank I put a brine shrimp net in the filter return flow and it worked well. I also put a folded over nylon over the filter intake and it slowed the flow down too.

Just a question, why are you cycling with fry? A fishless cycle is best but if you have to do a fish in cycle, chose hardy fish. If the tank does cycle (the fry are so small, they don't produce much waste), the fry might end up dead since they are so sensitive.

Ryan

EDIT: I didn't see your post, glad you found the answer.

 

[celaeno]

Just a question, why are you cycling with fry? A fishless cycle is best but if you have to do a fish in cycle, chose hardy fish. If the tank does cycle (the fry are so small, they don't produce much waste), the fry might end up dead since they are so sensitive.

or worse, they might end up half-dead and deformed.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi LauraFrog

Cycling shouldn't be a problem for you. Just take a bit of filter media from your other tank and add it to the filter. The beneficial bacteria will rapidly spread and will eventually increase in number as the fry grow up and produce more waste for them to consume.