Best HOBs that don't need a baffle for a 5 gallon betta tank!

[finnfinnfriend]

I'm looking for as many different ones as I can! One that I have is the Marina Slim s10. I have it in my 5.5 gallon and with the flow turned all the way down it's perfect and doesn't need a baffle! Please add to the list!

[pittipuppylove]

Let's see... I do have three Marina s10, which has been awesome for my bettas. The AquaClear filter I have in a divided 10 gallon has been ok too - it's currently turned all the way down and the fish is doing quite well with it unbaffled.

I think it kinda depends on the individual betta, too. My Dumbo male needs the s10 baffled, even with the flow turned all the way down; however, my female can handle more water movement without a problem.

[finnfinnfriend]

Thanks for your reply :)

Yeah I really love the slim s10. Do you think the vibration from the motor bothers the fish at all, since the motor is in the water? It doesn't seem to bother my little guy, but I can't tell what he's thinking...

[Kytkattin]

I just habitually baffle at this point, any filter, all the time. Intake and output. Intake because if I don't have a long finned male, I have loaches (and while they can live in the filter, we don't prefer it that way!) I always baffle the output because I am of the mindset that these fish come from very still or incredibly slow waters, not to mention their handicap of heavy fins. I know, I know, some people have betta fish that love to play in the current. That is fine, just not the way I prefer to keep them. :)

[finnfinnfriend]

Originally Posted by Kytkattin

I just habitually baffle at this point, any filter, all the time. Intake and output. Intake because if I don't have a long finned male, I have loaches (and while they can live in the filter, we don't prefer it that way!) I always baffle the output because I am of the mindset that these fish come from very still or incredibly slow waters, not to mention their handicap of heavy fins. I know, I know, some people have betta fish that love to play in the current. That is fine, just not the way I prefer to keep them. :)

That makes sense, but if you did ever get a slim s10 you wouldn't need to baffle it if it was turned down all the way ;). I have a vt male and he just floats around the entire tank peacefully :).

[pittipuppylove]

If the motor bothers them, they sure don't show it.

I forgot, I do have a prefilter sponge on all of my filters for various reasons. Like Kytkat, it's just habit - I've had to try to fish shrimp out of filters too many times, which is a less than enjoyable activity. And if nothing else, it provides more surface area for beneficial bacteria and catches some of the big crud like leaves before it goes through the filter.
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[Viva]

I wish I would've known about the Slim S10 before this, it seems like a great filter! Right now I have a Tetra Whisper PF10 and a Top Fin 10. The Top Fin one seems less powerful, it came with the Top Fin 5.5g kit, but I baffle both filters with sponge on the intake and part of a water bottle on the outflow.

[Kytkattin]

Originally Posted by pittipuppylove

If the motor bothers them, they sure don't show it.

I forgot, I do have a prefilter sponge on all of my filters for various reasons. Like Kytkat, it's just habit - I've had to try to fish shrimp out of filters too many times, which is a less than enjoyable activity. And if nothing else, it provides more surface area for beneficial bacteria and catches some of the big crud like leaves before it goes through the filter.
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It also makes it slightly less gross when you have to pull a dead fish out. I really hate when they stick to the filter intake. Ick!

Though the main reason I do it is this: I got two kuhli loaches, they were tiny so I baffled the intake (the output already was for my female betta). Well when I moved, the baffle on the intake fell off for about a week between water changes. I put the baffle back on, and since I rarely see the loaches, assumed all was well. It wasn't until two months later, after I had assumed the loaches long dead, that the filter was kind of acting up so I decided to clean it. Lo-and behold, there were my two loaches. I hadn't fed them in all the time, but they seemed perfectly happy and healthy. So now I check the filter every time I change the water!

[finnfinnfriend]

Oh also the s10 comes with a sponge already around the intake =^^=

[logisticsguy]

Have you considered going to air driven bio sponge filters? I use them in all my 10g and less tanks and it has worked very well. I just season them up in my cycled 35g sorority tank and put them in after a week or two.