Filter

[lilacamy931]

This thread is not to cause controvesy or flaming.

A filter for a betta tank, is it better or just for an easier lifestyle?

I assume a filter creates a cycled environment which is safer for the fish, whereas without a filter you would need to do water changes possibly every 3 days?

Would value different views and opinions (p.s. my Betta coming on Friday is going in cycled filter before anyone says anything lol)

 

[Honeythorn]

BOTH. It's safer and easier in every respect.

It takes no longer than a few minutes once or twice a month depending on stocking, to service the filter ( rinse the sponges in tankwater and check the impellar isn't blocked ) and it provides a much more stable environment for the tank and fish.

Because the filter is cycled (it should be before adding any fish ) , the bacteria do the work for you, and you shouldn't have to do more than 2 water changes a week. I do 50% once a week with no trouble at all.



As for bettas being disturbed by the current, this is easily fixed. Either -

Get a sponge filter with a bleed valve on the airline to control what few bubbles you may get,

Buy a filter with an adjustable flow and point the flow at the glass,

Make/buy a spray bar and aim the holes at the back wall of the tank which cuts the current at the surface to zero.

Problem solved.



Filter intakes can be covered with fine mesh to prevent fins being sucked in.

No reason not to have a filter in pet betta tanks. None whatsoever.

 

[ellena]

I have 2 bettas in fish in cycles and I cannot wait until the filters are matured! Why anyone would want to do this in the long term I can't imagine-it's a nightmare! I've done 3 water changes some days just to keep the stats below 0.25.
Surely people who keep them without filters don't change that often, so there must be buildup of pollutants in the water?

 

[Honeythorn]

I've never understood or agreed with it.

With no filter, and particularly if this is in those really hideous 2 gallon tanks ect, water changes have to be really frequent and pretty much %100 in volume. Which would involve removing the betta every time into another container while you empty the main tank.

With no filter to provide plenty of growing space in sponges ect for the bacteria, ( the gravel and surfaces will not hold enough to process the waste of a fish unless the tank is insanely heavily planted and even then a filter would make things safer ) the risk of waste and high ammonia/nitrites building up is much greater. And so the risk of disease is greater.


What's safer and easier?

Changing half the water 1-2 times a week with a syphon to remove both water and any visible waste and uneaten food ( does two jobs at once ) and service the filter once a month? ( all this keeps the nitrites and ammonia at zero on a planted cycled 5 gallon, I've been doing it all this time )

Or 100% water changes every 2 days which involves hauling your fish in and out of the tank every time while you either empty it with a jug or syphon and completely refill it, or lift the whole tank and lug it to the sink to empty and re-fill? Plus the greater risk of high waste ( due to lack of filter ) if for some reason you miss a water change?

I can understand breeders with hundreds of fish not being able to filter every single tank in a fish room, but for those with pet bettas there is just no concievable reason for it.

They don't cost that much to run, and cost even less if you are the sort who likes multiple bettas, as you can get one larger tank (20-30 gallon long ) and divide it for each fish , run that tank with one filter and heater instead of many separate ones.

 

[lilacamy931]

brill - that is just the sort of answer needed! I will always keep my fish in filtered, but the reasons etc are good for definition and also hopefully help others understand exactly why needed.

 

[Platygirl11]

I accidentally fish in cycled a tank once. And by"accidentally" I mean that bottle of "Live bacteria" which I spent $25 on didn't have any, and I only realized this after my favorite fish had died.
It was a nightmare, I agree. Filters are better for any fish.

 

[Honeythorn]

The quickest way to cycle a canister filter is to clone it. Get some mature media ( don't wash it ) and try to fill it with that as much as possible, to capacity if you can. You can either pinch some from a filter running another mature tank, be it yours or a friends or relatives ect ect, or you could even ask a friendly LFS if they could give or sell you some mature media to help kickstart your own.

Those bottles of Cycle and filter start ect are a gimmick, complete waste of money. Any bacteria they may have contained at the time of production will be long dead by the time you buy it off a shelf.

You should never ever listen to pet stores who tell you that leraving the tank running overnight or for a week will make it fine to put fish in, you're just pushing empty plain water round a tank doing that !!!

As described above, cloning is the quickest way to get a filter going.

 

[Inchworm]

As described above, cloning is the quickest way to get a filter going.

Absolutely! It's instantly cycled. I would not recommend trying to get any media from an lfs though, unless it's a last resort. There are just too many fish coming through their tanks, carrying an unknown number of disease causing bacteria with them, to take the risk. If you don't have a friend who can give you some, try looking for a local aquarium society. There will surely be a member willing to help you out by giving you some from a healthy tank.

 

[lilacamy931]

From most people's experience do you find stores use a central filtration system? When I set my first tank up, I asked around for some mature media as didn't know anyone at the time that had fish, but found they used a large centralised point to feed all the tanks. I have heard time and again that this way spreads disease quickly throughout the tanks, do the shops use this way merely as it is cheaper to run?

 

[Rediahs]

I'm probably a voice out of the norm here and I don't want to flame but I don't agree with the idea that filters are necessary for bettas. Sure, they are nice, and simplify care, and keep the levels closer to a constant zero than unfiltered, but a betta in at least 4 gallons who is fed sparingly produces hardly any ammonia, enough to be kept below 0.25 ppm with weekly water changes... I've kept bettas in 4 gallon or so tanks with no filter, just a heater, for months and a year or two and I do have a liquid test kit... do test every once in awhile (and not just after water changes or anything!) and the ammonia/nitrite were never above 0.25 ppm...

And this is funny considering my tap water has 0.25 ppm ammonia, the ammonia was always there or lower, I assume bacteria colonized the surfaces of the tanks in the absence of a filter.

Don't understand people seeing high levels, do you feed them lots? Not change the water? I dunno. Mine works out fine.

 

[lilacamy931]

HI Chrissi - I don't consider it flaming I just wanted different people's opinions as some will feel strongly one way or another. It is interesting to know how different people have different objectives and ways of keeping their fish.

Anyone that keeps a filter, do you change your media once a month (half at least) and do you regularly wash the media in tank water?

 

[betta fish]

Hi, I never change the filter media in my tanks I just rinse it out in the old tank water in a separate bucket as and when it needs it, I guess if it disintegrates then yes it will have to be changed but only half at a time I haven't had to do this yet though.

 

[Honeythorn]

I'm probably a voice out of the norm here and I don't want to flame but I don't agree with the idea that filters are necessary for bettas.

I'd quite like to know why you have/where you got such an idea. What I mean is, why do you think bettas are in any way different to any other similarly sized fish in such a way that they do not require filtration like other tropical fish?


I know you haven't said this, but I have seen people say something to the effect of " well they can breathe air so they don't need a filter " which makes no sense whatsoever as the labyrinth organ is a survival mechanism for coping with low oxygen and has nothing to do with ammonia tolerance.

Bettas are basically the same as Gouramis, both labyrinth fish, and apart from current and temperature needs, they require much the same treatment. Yet how many people keep gouramis in tiny unfiltered tanks? I really do not get why people see bettas as different. They are certainly no more "hardy" than any other fish that's for sure. Along with goldfish they are right up there as some ofthe most long suffering species due to tanks that are too small, and not having a filter.



I don't feed my fish a lot. Every other day on all tanks, and not too heavily at that. Even with the filters I do 50% water changes every single week.

Anyone that keeps a filter, do you change your media once a month (half at least) and do you regularly wash the media in tank water?

You shouldn't need to change any media until it's literally falling apart. I know the boxes of filter pads tell you to, but that's basically to get you to buy more media. I just rinse mine in tankwater , just to get the main sludge off, and stick it back in the filter. I do that when the flow starts to slow down ( roughly once a month )

 

[lilacamy931]

Thank you for that Honeythorn, having read of everyone washing their media in tank water couldn't make sense of teh changing the media once a month. That is good to know on the media front and it now seems I have a really really good lengthy supply

 

[Rediahs]

I'm probably a voice out of the norm here and I don't want to flame but I don't agree with the idea that filters are necessary for bettas.

I'd quite like to know why you have/where you got such an idea. What I mean is, why do you think bettas are in any way different to any other similarly sized fish in such a way that they do not require filtration like other tropical fish?

Bettas are low-waste fish. If you had a bubbler to put oxygen into the water for another small low-waste fish who doesn't breathe from the surface (no labyrinth lung like a betta) you could keep them in a similarly sized home without a filter I am sure.

It's just that bettas are easier... they don't need a bubbler because they can breathe from the surface. Despite it not being a filter's main function, most filters -do- oxygenate the water and this is required for the fish.