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Little Filter in Bigger Tank?

709 views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  homegrown terror 
#1 ·
Right now my betta, Alpha, is in a 2.5 gallon tank kit that I got.

Im thinking about buying him a 5-8 gallon tank, to upgrade. Do you think the filter would be able to handle the job?
 
#3 ·
Both of my 5g tanks have a filter that is rated for 1-3g and they work great at keeping them both crystal clean. Of course I do regular water changes and vacuum too!
 
#9 ·
Yup! I just looked at the 1-3g filter I use in both of my 5g tanks and it is rated for 20gph...good to know, thanks! I didn't know any of that, but knew that they have worked good in my larger tanks.
 
#5 ·
You're doing the opposite of what others have done with filters..

I go with larger than necessary because it reduces the amount of WC for me......

For example I have a filter rated for.....
30G in a 6Gallon + new 10G filter for testing
40G in a 10G
80G in a 30G

I haven't done any water changes in at least 2 weeks now. Ammonia is still 0.

You can go with a smaller filter, but you'll have to do some extra water changes to lower the toxics because the filter won't be able to keep up.
 
#6 ·
I go with larger than necessary because it reduces the amount of WC for me......

For example I have a filter rated for.....
30G in a 6Gallon + new 10G filter for testing
40G in a 10G
80G in a 30G

I haven't done any water changes in at least 2 weeks now. Ammonia is still 0.

You can go with a smaller filter, but you'll have to do some extra water changes to lower the toxics because the filter won't be able to keep up.
That's generally good for goldfish, but unnecessary for bettas. You shouldn't leave a tank for over two weeks because the solid waste will build up and harbor bacteria, even if the ammonia reading is zero this is still not healthy.
 
#8 ·
Do you have any way of finding out how many gph your filter is rated for? And no you don't need two filters for a divided tank. Many people make dividers out of plastic mesh so the water flows through.
 
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