Requesting Un Peu D'advice

[Blubble37]

Okay, i'm thinking of going back into bettas.
 
I have a 25 litre tank, which i believe is about 5.5imp gal?
 
Gravel has been thought of, and will be black, going to find a clip-on lighting unit, plants are being considered
 
what i'd like to ask is, as i'm going to filter the tank to save myself time with water changes, what method of outflow would serve best? by this i mean spraybar, nozzle, venturi etc. and where in the tank should i place the filter.
 
sorry for the questions, it's been a while and i've forgotten some things
 
many thanks
Rob

 

[Ch4rlie]

Here, have a read of this, will help a bit I reckon, has a part on Filtering and Aeration which should help give you an idea of whats good for Bettas.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/423364-betta-splendens-caresheet/

 

[kiwifeather]

When I had bettas, the boys seemed to prefer spray bars. They don't like strong currents since they aren't the best swimmers with those big fins. Unless you are getting a plakat of course. Someone with more experience in them will probably be able to tell you the best way to do it though.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

It depends on what sort of tank setup you get, some may not give you a choice.
 
My boy has a spraybar and is completely fine, though IMO a sponge filter would be best, as it filters the tank without too much flow.

 

[tunagirll]

I have a large HOB filter which I have baffled both intake and outlet with cut pieces of filter sponge, filter set on slowest speed. I packed the filter with ceramic bioballs. This gives me great filtration and very low current.

 

[guppy2002]

I don't think they are real really that picky. At least mine aren't. But my girls have a ten gallon, so the current is more all spread out. My male in a 5g has no filter.

 

[Blubble37]

i'm looking into either a plakat male or a crowntail/halfmoon
 
by the sounds of it, a HOB or similar with a low flow would be best, and i can see why tbh since are air breathers
 
Something like a marina i25 is what I'd be thinking of, I wouldn't have the space for a HOB, but it doesn't push much water and it has a waterfall outlet, which would help dissipate the flow from the outlet
 
either that, or this http/www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Internal-Filter-45gph-adjustable/dp/B00176GKM8 it might be 200 l/h, but i'm pretty sure i can angle that spraybar away from the surface so he can still get there to breathe. Either that, or i could use a line of vallis plants at the back, infront of the spraybar and filter to slow the flow and leave the rest of the tank almost still and also stop his fins getting damaged by the inlet

 
if i set it out somewhat like this, with the bottle of protozin representing the area for the filter and spraybar, and the stress coat+ representing the wall of vallis plants, would that be suitable?

 

[Essjay]

I've recently got a new filter for my betta's tank after the ancient filter in there started making odd noises. I went for Maidenhead Aquatic's aqua-internal filter 50. It has an optional spraybar and a flow rate control knob. The only downside is that it comes with a sponge that has a hollow inside filled with carbon. I just emptied that out, cut off a chuck off the sponge so I could fit my old sponge in, and used the bit of the old sponge I had to cut off to make it fit to stuff inside the new half-sponge where the carbon was.
 
 
You mention the Marina i25 - have you seen what the media consists of? A cartridge containing nothing but zeolite, carbon and floss. That's the main reason I went for something else.

 

[Blubble37]

I've recently got a new filter for my betta's tank after the ancient filter in there started making odd noises. I went for Maidenhead Aquatic's aqua-internal filter 50. It has an optional spraybar and a flow rate control knob. The only downside is that it comes with a sponge that has a hollow inside filled with carbon. I just emptied that out, cut off a chuck off the sponge so I could fit my old sponge in, and used the bit of the old sponge I had to cut off to make it fit to stuff inside the new half-sponge where the carbon was.
 
 
You mention the Marina i25 - have you seen what the media consists of? A cartridge containing nothing but zeolite, carbon and floss. That's the main reason I went for something else.

I mention something like the i25, i like the waterfall-style outlet, but the media sucks, badly. there's the same kind of media in my slim s20, but since it's only used as a water polisher, i dont really mind, i might chuck some ceramic noodles in there at some point, but it works fine for the limited job i set it out to do
 
That aqua internal is the kinda thing i'm looking at putting behind the vallis wall, internal with a spraybar. you mentioned the foam being hollow with carbon, but is there any space ontop of the foam for something like ceramics or floss?

 

[Essjay]

The smallest aqua-internal just has the one long hollow sponge. It's not big enough for any other media, but as I only wanted it for a 25 litre tank with one betta, it is plenty big enough for that. The filter that used to be in there was a Hagen Elite Mini, which also had just sponge, and the sponge is about half the size of the one in the aqua-internal 50.
You could put a tiny bit of something like Eheim substrat pro in the hole. Noodles would be too big to fit. Or you could fill it with floss. I emptied the carbon out straight away as I haven't used it routinely for years. The Elite Mini sponge was just slightly wider than the sponge that came with the filter so I had to cut a sliver off the side to make it fit. I used that sliver to fill the hole.
I cut the sponge in half to make room for the Elite Mini sponge. You could always do that and replace half with a bag of ceramic media.

 

[Blubble37]

fair enough then ^-^ thankyou c:

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I have a hob with an extra spout and can turn the direction it points, so I have mine pointed straight at the heater (about 2 inches away) and the heater breaks the current just right.  I also have tall plants that reach the surface and break some current.

 

[Blubble37]

the tall plants is what i'm thinking c: