I need a better filter, but which one?????

[newfiedragon]

I have a Elite Mini underwater filter, but I think my betta's been getting his fins caught in intake at the bottom of the filter and it's doing damage. I've seen his fins getting sucked into the intake, but it didn't seem to be causing any problems. I was on vacation for a week, and when I got back I noticed his fins looked really bad. I've turned my filter off since I noticed the damage.

Here's a pic from before...


And here's a pic from when I got back...


His tail fin has been shredded, and his bottom fin is ripped.

I've found the current for the Elite Mini to be really strong also, so I've been researching other filters. I was looking at the Tetra Whisper 3i and the Marina i25, but I'm worried about both the current and the intakes on these filters. I figure I'm going to have to go with a sponge filter, like the Elite Biofoam. Does anyone have any opinion on any of these filters? Which one would be best?

[newfiedragon]

Does anyone know which filter would be better?

[newfiedragon]

I've pretty much decided to go with the Elite Biofoam, or at least one like it. Or I might go for the little green sponge filter that you can get at Wal-Mart that for the life of me I can't remember right now. There's also another Elite sponge filter that I've been looking at that's similar to the green one at Wal-Mart.

Does anyone know how good either of these filters are?

[Sarada]

I like sponge filters but am not familiar with brands.

[newfiedragon]

The Elite Biofoam is the one with the gray cylindrical shaped sponges, and the other two have a rectangular shape, and the sponge and charcoal are in a plastic case that you just put into a holder.

[dirthooks]

The tetra 3i in tank runs on air so you can adjust if you attach a gang valve and you find the current too strong. I had problems with the air pump that comes with that filter that it isn't strong enough when I would attach a check valve but having multiple tanks I just run them all off of one larger air pump and have had no problems since.

When you were on vacation was anyone feeding your fish? You think maybe he has fin rot?

[newfiedragon]

My husband was feeding the fish while I was gone. I was thinking that it might be fin rot because of the raggedness and the large amount of tail fin that was gone when I came back, but the rip in his bottom fin has already started to heal up, so I'm thinking it's not. I'm really keeping an eye on it though. Just in case, I've added some bettafix to his water, and also some aquarium salt.