Tank upgrade

[deso]

So now that I'll be moving into a larger flat with a lot more space, I'm thinking of upgrading my halfmoon male betta's 2-gallon (7.6 litre) Fluval Spec to an ADA Cube Garden 45-F (4.5 gallons): http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com...45-x-24-x-16cm

Does anyone have suggestions of a good filtration system for this setup? I'm thinking of using an Eheim Pickup internal filter so as not to ruin the "clean" design, but would an HOB be better? Also, how would I go about making a lid for the tank? My betta is not a jumper, but I still don't trust him to stay in the tank when I'm not around. I prefer that the lid be clear, but I lack the proper equipment to make holes in acrylic or glass for the filter and heater cords. Would a hardware store be up to doing that for me?

Here's a photo of the tank:


Thanks in advance!

[LittleBettaFish]

I have one of those tanks and they are awesome. Great shape and size for a betta and the silicone and quality of workmanship is sublime. I have the Do!Aqua brand instead of the ADA one simply because the price made me wince haha.

I use an internal filter, but it is bulky and takes up a lot of room. One option is to use a HOB filter as you mentioned, but the tank is very shallow and so the intake pipe might hit the substrate. Another is to use a small canister filter such as an Eden 501 or 511. These are excellent quality, cheap, and not so strong they are going to blow your fish around as much as a larger canister might.

The plus with a canister filter is you could also run an inline heater and then not have any cords to deal with. However, you may need to customise the spray bar because of the shape of the tank.

I believe ADA tanks come with plastic clips (at least my Do!Aqua brand tanks do) that you can use to hold the lid with. I think ADA sells lids for their tanks as a separate add-on, or you could get some glass cut to size from a glazier and just use their clips to hold it in place.

[deso]

Thanks much, LittleBettaFish! I found a link on the same website for the Do!Aqua version, and it's nearly 35£ cheaper, so I might get that instead, assuming the quality is more or less the same.

And I found the exact Eden 501 filter that you mentioned on my favourite French aquarium website, so I think I'll buy that as well! The shallow-ness of the tank makes it very difficult to find an internal filter small enough with the limited selection we have here in France, so getting the Eden instead may be the solution.

One last thing: do you personally use a lid with your Do!Aqua tank? I love the look of driftwood and plants growing above the water line, but I'm terrified of coming home from school one evening to a fish suicide...

[LittleBettaFish]

Only difference really is the sticker and the fact the glass on the ADA tank is lower iron. It gives a clearer view through to your tank but honestly, not 35£ worth!

Because I absolutely love the betta I keep inside that tank, and he lives in the kitchen with three German shepherds, I thought it prudent to use a lid.

My lid covers nearly the entire tank as I scabbed it from another of my tank sets, not sure how much surface the ADA lids cover.

Here's my tank with the lid off.





I use the Up Aqua LED light which grows moss, bolbitis, anubias and java fern really well in this tank.

[deso]

Thanks again for your advice, LittleBettaFish! I think I'm going for it within the next month! It's great that you told me the manufacturer of your lighting system, because I found a model on their website that resembles the beautiful ADA Aquasky (for a third of the price) and fits the tank's dimensions perfectly. ADA doesn't make a lid for this particular tank size, but I'll scrape something together somehow.

[Kenny G]

Wow I am in the US and I think I will have to contact this company regarding getting one of those tanks. I think I will be well worth it to have it shipped. Awesome Tank.

[deso]

Kenny, it's actually easier and far less expensive to get the same tank in the States directly from ADA: http://www.adgshop.com/45cm_Flat_Cub...p/102-8545.htm