new 2.5 gal tank for my Betta but noisy pump

[Arlie]

Hi all
Im new here, Arlie is the name. I have a new male Betta in a 1 gal. goldfish type bowl but will be moving him into a new 2.5 gal aquar. tomorrow after the water is room temp and chemicals have set.
My problem is that the aquar. I bought came with an air pump/ the stone type/under gravel. The little pump is very noisy and the aquar. in the room where I sleep.
Question? Is it ok to turn the air pump off at night without causing a problem as the Betta really can do without it in smaller tanks?

I dont have a water heater, none came with the tank but it has a cover with a very warm lamp. Will this do to keep the water at the right temp.
I live in the Los Angeles area and it does not get very cold.
Thank you
This forum is wonderful and I have read tons of info in just a couple of days.
Arlie
Calif.
ps Is there a simple way to find my post and any replies? I cant find my first post here anywhere.

[Flashygrrl]

You should be fine to turn the pump off as long as you're sure there's a way for fresh ait to get in through the top. Bettas air breathe more than they gill breathe so that's more important.
Heat-wise, the lamp is a bad idea since you do need to turn it off at night (bettas need their sleep too, you know!) and it can cause major fluctuations in the temperature. I'd look into getting an adjustable 25 watt heater for the tank, yours I'm guessing is a hex shaped tank so try to get a short one like Hydor or Stealth. You can't really depend on where you live since it doesn't stay upper 70's where you live, either.

[Arlie]

hi
thank you so much for the reply. I know what you are saying about depending on the lamp in the tank hood for warming the water as I will be turning it off at night.
So a 25watt heater would be ok for this 2.5 tank? Actually it has 2 gals. water. I can't see how I could fit 2 1/2 gals in it, there would be an over flow for sure.
The tank is retangle but with a curved front panel.

I think the current is too strong for the Betta also. He is haveing a time swimming against it and being pushed around the tank when he relaxes. My brother (who has two very large Aquariums in his home) told me there is a small flow restrictor valve I can put in the air line to cut that down so will look into that. The pump is not as noisy as I thought it was going to be. After getting everything connected and the pump under the base the tank sits on the noise if hardly noticeable. But I dropped my Betta's food pellet into the water to feed him and the pellet was swept away before he could even see it let alone eat it. Guess the pump will have to be turned off for feeding times.
The Betta (Bow, for Rainbow) does appear to be enjoying the new home and keeps swimming around the air bubble tube so it can't be too bad for him.
I'm not certain if this air pump set up does anything to clean the tank or just aireates the water? The tank has a
plastic grid you put on the bottom and cover with gravel
and the clear tube fits into that and the air hose inside the clear tube with a white air stone attached that sends the bubbles back up the clear tube. Is it cleaning the water in the tank through the gravel or what?
I need a Fish keeping for Idiots book.
There is enough opening in the tank hood for good air circulation for Bow to breath that way too.

Arlie

[Flashygrrl]

Are you sure it's a 2.5 gallon tank? Petco seems to have lost have of their website for some reason, but usually I've ever only seen 1 gallons with the undergravel filter and then the 2.5 gallons with an internal filter.

You should be able to fit the heater in there, probably will have to stick it to the back kinda upright so you need to unplug it during water changes (if you do full you have to unplug it anyways...), but yeah, pretty much only the Hydor & Stealth models are made short enough to fit. Test it somewhere else first, in a container of water with a thermometer to get the setting you want.

Those valves are usually very easy to find, I got a mixed pack of those and T valves for around $2 in Meijers...maybe Wal-Mart will have them, the box box petstores usually do. The setup in there is just one of those touted as an "undergravel filter" which means it doesn't really do anything except suck the waste under the grate. Betta's don't need an air supply either, is the filter system removable? Maybe one day you can just get a different filter if the other one comes out. What's your water change schedule going to be?

[MADxMAC771]

Originally Posted by Arlie

I think the current is too strong for the Betta also. He is haveing a time swimming against it and being pushed around the tank when he relaxes. My brother (who has two very large Aquariums in his home) told me there is a small flow restrictor valve I can put in the air line to cut that down so will look into that.

With the current problem you can bend the air pump hose over on itself and tape it in place to reduce the air flow. Dont cinch it shut but pinch it so less ait gets through and then brace it in that position. I did that with mine that was also pumping too hard. Another way is to poke just one small pin sized hole (maybe two) in the air hose right near the pump. This will reduce the air pressure in the intake and in turn reduce current.

[Arlie]

Hi
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my posts.
OK I visited the Aquarium store today and they got two out of 4 things I bought there right. Grrrr
I did change the plastic, sharp edge greenery for some soft silk one. I got a stick on the outside of the tank thermometer which is doing nothing so the water temp must be below 72' , the lowest reading on it.
I asked for a air flow restricter valvue and they sold me a 3 way one instead of two I discovered when I got home and started to attach it, so that is going back. They sold me a 50w submersible water heater which is huge and black and way to much heat I think for my little tank, so that is going back.
This is a professional Aquarium store, not a Walmart!
When I cut the air hose to insert the flow restricter is there going to be tank water in it that will run out? I like the idea of pinching the air hose but I am way short on
hose. The one that came with the Aquarium is very short, barley makes it from the pump under the base to the bottom of the air tube.
This tank is made by All-Glass Aquarium Co., called Betta Mini-Bow and the box says 2.5 Gallon Acrylie Aquarium Kit but 2Gal. of water brought the level up to the tank cover so I would call it a 2gal.
I may just use the light bulb in the tank cover for heating. Will see how warm the water shows up on the new thermometer.
My Betta is so funny, he is very curious. All the time i was changing the greenery and also had to add more gravel to bottom of the tank to hold the greenery down and fill in a bare spot, he was right there in my way checking it all out with no signs of fear and I was using a large metal tongs on the greenery and a large plastic slotted spoon for the gravel to do all this with. Is it safe to stick my hand into the tank water or is that a no-no.
Thank you all again, your very nice to help out and I will consider all you wrote, for sure.
Arlie

[Arlie]

Hi
This is the tank I bought at Petco, just that it is called Betta instead of Goldfish.
Aqueon Products Goldfish Mini-Bow

If you enlarge the accessories photo you can see what type of air flow tube it has. It is removable but to get the bottom half of the tube out of the black grid , which is under the gravel, I would have to pull everything out of the tank as the two parts
snap into place and would have to be popped apart. I could remove all but that one half plastic tube without a problem.

Arlie

[Arlie]

just now I had the light on over my tank and the room lights low. I guess my Betta saw his reflection in the glass as he began swimming frantically back and forth and now he is hiding behind the air line tube even though I turned off the light. Poor thing is sitting on the bottom in a corner. He has been so brave till now with all the changes I have been making and etc.
Will he be ok after the light is off awhile?
Arlie

[dramaqueen]

He'll be fine with the light off.

[Arlie]

hi Dramaqueen
Thanks, he is now swimming around again. I thought he was having a heart attack or something he became so frantic.
I found online a small Azoo Palm filter for small tank like mine, is that a good one? Also online a Hydor Mini Submersible Heater; 7.5 Watt for small tanks $9.95 but the shipping is $8.95 Yikes? But the heater only increases the water temp by 2-3' above the room themp so that is not going to give me 78' or more as it gets around 60 in the room where the aquarium is.
Is the a Fish Keeping book for dummies? think I need one.
Arlie