Topic: New betta owner - filter question

[wendyjo]

bump

[ZenMeBaby]

UGFs will such all the waste under the panel.  Periodically you'll need to clean that out.  Depending on what sort of panel you have and how much suction your siphon has you might be just able to clear the gravel to the side, place your siphon on top of the panel and it will such the gunk from that area out.  

Have you read up on cycling a tank?  If not, thats where you should start.

If you use the filter you will have to make partial water changes, 20%-30% about once a week.  Vacuuming your gravel with a siphon at this time is generally the best thing to do.

You should never have to replace your gravel unless you get tired of it.  With a UGF, your gravel is your biological filtration and replacing it will cause the tank to cycle again.

I would just try the pump that came with the tank for now and see how much current it creates in the tank.  If your fish is getting thrown around, you can get a different type of filter, a smaller pump, or a valve that will control how much pressure the pump puts out.

[ksmith08]

Personally I would not use a filter for a betta in a tank smaller than a 10 gal. As far as decoration goes I suggest using river rocks instead of gravel as it is less likely to tear their fins. Also it is much easier to clean.  Try putting a real Java Fern in the tank too. My bettas love them to rest on.

[Butterfly]

Ugh, those Penn Plax ones you posted Frogs are useless peices of junk, in my opinion.

I bought 6, 2.5 gallon tanks that all had those filters in them, and I tried running one before putting one of my bettas in just to see if it wouldn't be too bad, and it made so much noise and stirred the water up so badly that I took and put  them all in a box and shoved them into a deep dark corner in my closet.

I wouldn't suggest using one of those, but if you've got a small tank like that, just doing regular 100% water changes is sufficient.

[eutopiandream]

i used one of these on my 2.5 gallon.  im kind of a stickler for power filters though.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F28/Class/Fish+Supplies+Power+Filters/T1/F28+0462+0513/EDP/40076/Itemdy00.aspx

[wendyjo]

OK, thanks guys.

I don't mind doing the 100% changes weekly, so maybe I will just forget about the UGF.  I did have it all set up before I put my little betta in there and it made quite a comotion - tons of bubbles and water splashing up onto the light and the hood.  I hated it so much I took it out before I ever put the fish in there.

So if I don't use it do I need to take the tray part under the gravel out of the tank or can it stay in there or what?  I guess there is no use for it without the pump, right?  So just remove it when I do the 100%?

[CobraR]

I agree with the Butterfly on this one.

Ugh, those Penn Plax ones you posted Frogs are useless peices of junk, in my opinion.

I bought 6, 2.5 gallon tanks that all had those filters in them, and I tried running one before putting one of my bettas in just to see if it wouldn't be too bad, and it made so much noise and stirred the water up so badly that I took and put  them all in a box and shoved them into a deep dark corner in my closet.

I wouldn't suggest using one of those, but if you've got a small tank like that, just doing regular 100% water changes is sufficient.