[darcyismyfish]

Hey everyone!
Soo I just bought my new Top Fin 5.5 gallon aquarium starter and I have been looking at reviews that say the filter is too strong for a betta. This bother me but I have heard that there are ways of making a filter disturb the water less.
Anyone care to share a method? Or will I have to purchase a new filter?

 

[pugpower08]

I have the 20 gallon aquarium starter kit for my betta and the currents too strong for him too. I'm going to put a sponge on the outtake and see if that helps.I'll let you know how that works since we both have the same filter I think. I just joined nice to meet you

 

[Bettajungle]

I used a plastic water bottle to baffle my filter for my betta. Works great! And was free! Just cut the water bottle the length to fit the filter then make a vertical slit to open it up and put it on the filter.

 

[darcyismyfish]

Thank you both so very much! And nice to meet you pug

 

[Witchipoo]

What type of filter is it? It might be adjustable, a lot of the small whisper filters have an adjuster on the back or bottom of the pump/motor.

 

[darcyismyfish]

It's a Top Fin 10 and I'm assuming that that mean it's designed for a 10 gallon...

 

[pugpower08]

I put my sponge in the filter outtake and it helps enormously. It still has a currant since stagnant water isn't good at all for any fish, but it's very calm. The water comes mainly through the sides of the sponge, but water does come through the actual sponge. Hope this helps

 

[Shiroha]

I bought the same starter kit, and the current was way to strong for my betta (and way too loud for me to sleep with at night). I tried the water bottle thing, but my Betta was not happy. I ended up buying a Top Fin Multi-Stage Internal Filter 10 due to my budget, and so far my Betta doesn't seem bothered by it.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Don't know if this applies or if it's accurate but thought I'd pass it along:

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/64057/

 

[Rennie Sky]

Here's a link to a step by step on building a baffle. I think there are links to others in there as well. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139

 

[darcyismyfish]

Ohmy! That article scares me! I think I'll take it into petsmart today and ask about that.

 

[LittleStar]

You can check out my filter recommendations at my tank link below.
Hope you are able to resolve this soon : )

Some of these standard filters ride below the water surface and that makes a heavy current, if not getting a simple sponge filtration system like Jardin then I think the ones that break the water well above the surface have less wake than the ones that ride just below or submerged.

Good luck : )

 

[darcyismyfish]

I actually just called PetSmart about the recall and gave them the UPC and they said it didn't apply. Thank you all though!

 

[StarZone]

Sounds like you haven't installed it yet? I probably bought the same starter kit as you awhile ago, with the Top Fin 10 filter. My crowntail male does not seem to mind it at all. At first I had to turn the filter off during feeding because it would whirl his food all over the place if he did not eat it 5-10 seconds after I dropped it. Now that he knows when it is feeding time, he comes up and grabs the food before the filter starts blowing it around.

I have an Aqueon Quiet Flow 10 in another tank. That was too strong for my other betta. I ended up putting some filter material (sponge that facilitates bacteria for ammonia and nitrites) in the uptake piping and that has slowed the water down to make the betta happy (although I think it makes the filter louder; might not be good for the motor).

 

[darcyismyfish]

Yea, Starzone, I haven't installed it. So maybe my new betta won't mind. If he does, I now have options.

Thanks again to everyone!