BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Bettas, fliters and currents

Hi Al

I thought I had read somewhere that bettas done like currents? Is that true? I have a 2 gal tank with an undergravel filter and a tube that blows bubbles. Is that ok for my betta?

Thanks

Yes. It is fine. Also, even with a regular filter, you can lessen the current. Take 1 knee high panty hose. Tie a knot in the middle, and cut in half, between the knot and the toe. (This should make two smaller 'socklets'. attach the open end around the filter and the tied end (or the toe) will allow the water to hit under the surface. (keep the water above the level of the toe. Make sure you rinse the panty hose well before you use it. (and this wont work with UGFs).

Great thanks

If you have a filter running in a tank, do you still have to change the water every week or can it be left a little while longer?

Thanks

you should still maintain good water quality. (so yeah, still have to do water changes, blech). However, you may not have to do them once a week. Maybe once every ten days or two weeks. At the very least though, replace water that eaporates, and make sure you check the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) before skipping the WC. The plus of having a filter, is that it gives the good bacteria a nice cozy home. Make sure you do not change your filter at the same time as a water change. This will wipe out the good bacteria, and your tank will have to cycle again. (wasnt fun the first time, doubt you wanna do it again) <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. An adage that has kept me diligent (well, *blush* semi diligent) is "freshwater fish LOVE fresh water". You can do water changes that are too large (say a 30 gallon change in a 46 tank), but as far as small changes go (say 10-20 gallons for a 46) you really can't as far as I know. So, changing the water is a hassel, but necessary. And good maitenance will help prevent all kinds of icky things from happening to your fishy friends. Good Luck!!

Amber

How do I check for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? How do I know what the water should be? I condtion the water I give him. What should the levels be? Thanks

Get a testing kit. (you can get liquid or strips, i prefer strips, others prefer liquid.) in a cycled tank:

Ammonia 0 absolutely none. at all. ever. any. zip.
NitrItes, same as ammonia.
NitrAtes, 40 or less, the lower, the better. Preferably less than 20.

You can also get ammonia monitors that stick inside your tank, and constantly monitor the levels. here is an example:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...030152&Ne=2

For the testing, i prefer 5-in-1 strips:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...030152&Ne=2

Hope this helps!!!

Amber

The Seachem in-tank monitors are a MUCH better value than the Mardels as they last for over a year while the Mardels only last a little over a month.

I'm a new Betta owner. We bought our blue Betta at a pet shop in our local mall on October 18th. I have much to ask and contribute but, trying to stay on topic for this thread, about the filters and currents...

We now have our Betta in a 10 gal. tank. We have a bubbler that we quickly turned off a minute after turning it on the first time. It sent him ALL over the tank, slowly, but still... He seemed to like it in that he kept swimming towards it but at the time he was really sick so we turned it off. We bought a micro bubbler and will be installing that when we next work in the tank. I hope that will be better/not so strong. Wondering how a bubbler's bubbles affect the Betta's bubble nest making.

The filter....

Betta's like to make bubble nests (is a way to know they are well and healthy...the males care for the eggs and place them on these bubble nests). While the filter doesn't prevent him (we haven't named him yet, poor thing) from making bubbles, they are quickly whisked away by the filters current.

Today I turned off the filter to see how he was doing in the bubble nest making department. Right away he started his bubble nest making <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My boyfriend turned the filter back on after a few hours and away went his bubbles.

I'm wondering...will this bother him psychologically (yep, to me this matters, his state of mind, I'm weird) does anyone know? He is still popping out bubbles but not as many as when the water was still. I think because the bubbles are whisked away, he's discouraged <?> and doesn't make as many?

FYI, the Betta is the only one in the 10 gal. tank right now. He only moved to this new home after we almost killed him from ammonia buildup (will post about this in the appropriate thread, plan on being VERY active because I'm TOTALLY hooked on Betta's already).

He was moved to 10 gal. tank on Nov. 14th and was really sick then. Complete turn around in 3 days with BettaFix and salt and some other things (again, will post in appropriate thread) but... we need to be sure he is fully well before adding other residents to his tank and....we need to let him acclimate in the next tank for a week before adding others anyway.

I got off topic didn't I? <sigh>

I wanted to know about his bubbles being lost to the filters current and how that will affect him, if anyone knows.

A warm hello to all of you fish/pet lovers. I'm so happy to meet everyone (been reading here for days now and just registered).

Namaste

((Anyone))

I kept turning off the filter so his food wouldn't go all over the tank from the current and because he isn't bubblenest making while it's on. But...

I guess turning the filter off (had it off overnight last night) will cause the good bacteria to DIE, says lps. oops. Does anyone know how long the filter can safely stay off without killing the good bacteria?

Should I just resign myself to never turning off the filter and finding a way to slow the current so he'll bubblenest build (saw threads here with good instructions on how to slow the current so that shouldn't be too difficult).

Namaste