I have a 1.5 gallon tank and my filter gives off a strong current. I don't like seeing Doyle being pushed around. :( I don't think the water bottle modification would work on my filter and my little guy is an explorer and I'm nervous he'll get stuck. So, I was wondering what I should do! I know a filter is important. Do you think just turning it on part of the day, like at night would be ok? Or should I keep it on 24/7?
I would take it out. From what you said he is being stressed out, which is worse than anything. Just keep up with the water changes and he should be fine. :)
yeah, none of my tanks have filters (well, My 14 gallon sorority does, but thats because it's much bigger ) My 2 male bettas live in 3 gallon heated tanks, and have never seen a filter. They are both really healthy, happy and really un-stressed out. (lol Did i say that right?? )
a small air driven ornament wouldn't be out of place, the main point of filters in the smaller tanks is to keep the water aerated, thats why the 3i is air powered.
From what has been said the Penn Plax small worlds filter system is probably superior for low end applications and you can replace the cartridge with a sponge.
Sponges are easy to clean, just squeeze em out with the old water before you dump the tank.
I've got Lee's sponge filters in my 2gal tanks and run the power filters in them for only about an hour a day. Small round one, you can put gravel on it and it won't mind.
Last edited by Thunderloon; 03-27-2011 at 02:38 AM.
I always filter my Betta tanks. However if I did put a Betta in a 1.5 gallon tank I wouldn't use one, because most filters produce too much current. Anything over 2.5 gallons can be filtered, and in my opinion, should be filtered.
What made me stop using a filter is because I think the filter was the reason (could have been) why my one favorite fish died. I had a filter that suction cups to the wall of the tank. It sucks in water from the bottom and spews water out the top. It created a current he didn't like so I would cut it off and only cut it on every water change. Sometimes the filter fell into the tank and became submerged completely. My fish would go inside it and use it as a house. One time, I thought he was sucked down into it until I realized it wasn't plugged in and he was just chillin' in there.
If not the filter, then the heater might have killed him. There's this one submersible heater that can't be submerged at all. I read reviews about it and did my best to keep it out of the water. I still kept seeing a mysterious oily residue at the top of the water. I really think it came from that heater. Maybe the top of it was still touching the water.
Any who, I no longer use a fancy filter and no oily residue appears on top of the tank anymore ever since I took it out and stopped using it. If I would use one, it would be a sponge filter always. I don't think bacteria will grow inside it, and they're easy to change. They also don't create a current that stresses the betta.
What made me stop using a filter is because I think the filter was the reason (could have been) why my one favorite fish died. I had a filter that suction cups to the wall of the tank. It sucks in water from the bottom and spews water out the top. It created a current he didn't like so I would cut it off and only cut it on every water change. Sometimes the filter fell into the tank and became submerged completely. My fish would go inside it and use it as a house. One time, I thought he was sucked down into it until I realized it wasn't plugged in and he was just chillin' in there.
If not the filter, then the heater might have killed him. There's this one submersible heater that can't be submerged at all. I read reviews about it and did my best to keep it out of the water. I still kept seeing a mysterious oily residue at the top of the water. I really think it came from that heater. Maybe the top of it was still touching the water.
Any who, I no longer use a fancy filter and no oily residue appears on top of the tank anymore ever since I took it out and stopped using it. If I would use one, it would be a sponge filter always. I don't think bacteria will grow inside it, and they're easy to change. They also don't create a current that stresses the betta.
The mysterious oily residue was probably normal biofilm. Did it sort of break into pieces when you messed with it?
What type of heater was it? I have never heard of one like that. Do you have a link?
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) My 2 male bettas live in 3 gallon heated tanks, and have never seen a filter. They are both really healthy, happy and really un-stressed out. (lol Did i say that right?? 
