Thinking Of Getting Small Filters For My Betta Tanks

[Amberleaf]

Wells, okays; I have two Bettas living alone currently.... A boy and a girl. But pretty soon, like, on Saturday, I will be getting another boy.

Howevers.... I want to get filters for my Bettas! The 2-gallon that my girl lives in (okay, okay, I might as well that I hate this fish so much because she killed Tropica -- but ANYWAYS) is filthy, and is about 100 times more difficult to clean than even Mr. Wimpy Fish's.... Which brings me to my next question: (XD)

I am planning to keep the girl in the 2-gallon tank, and Mr. Wimpy Fish lives in a 2.5-gallon tank and so will my new boy. Will the Tetra Whisper Internal Filter for 1 - 3 Gallons work just fine?

ALSO, I will need it cycled *PRETTY* fast.... And it's going to be a fish-in cycle, since these fish already *live* in their tanks, and my new boy is so gorgeous that I'm worrying that someone will snatch him up before I deo! So I can't delay in buying him, because plus that, the only time for the next few weeks that my parents can take me anywhere is Saturday.... Sooooo....

Do you think a good way to do it would be to cut away a little of the filter sponge from my tank? Or should I go for my Mom's tank, instead? Her filter has been cycled for at *least* 2 years, already; whereas mine has only been cycled for, hmmm.... 2 1/2 months(ish)?

How much should I cut off of the sponge for the filter to work quickly and efficiently? Should I put the new filter's media in the other filter, so that maybe *it* will cycle, and then later (like, 2 or so months later; except I don't know exactly how fast immature media living with mature media will cycle and become all mature, and such....) I can take it out and put it in the small filters?

If that didn't make, then please tell me! But I really do need help. ^^;

 

[Amberleaf]

Anyonez? Should I maybe post this in the Betta section, to *maybe* get some more replies? ^^;

 

[JustKia]

If it's only for 1-2 bettas have a look at loraxchick's thread about making your own sponge filter.
If the bettas are currently in a non-filtered tank and you are adding a filter then just pop it in and carry on doing water changes as you have been to manage the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc and gradually the filter will take over and you can reduce the number of water changes you do.

If you go with loraxchick's idea and can take some mature sponge media from either your or your mom's tank then it will help and you won't need much to seed a filter for 1-2 bettas anyway =)

 

[Amberleaf]

....I should have *probably* added that, unfortunately, I am not allowed to get any more sponge filters as their air pumps are *far* too noisy, soo.... ;

 

[JustKia]

OK so same thing with the tetra whisper or whatever - if the fish are currently unfiltered, just add the filter in, keep doing water changes as you do currently until the filter cycles (fish-in cycle) as the bacs grow you will be able to go longer and longer between water changes until you only need to do them once a week.

If you can add a piece of sponge from yours or your mom's filter it will help speed up the cycle - just cut a bit and wedge it in the filter of choice along with the regular media, if you can't add any then no worries it will still cycle