# How do you know if the filter is too strong?



## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

I just set up this tank for Flutter. I have the filter on low but the top of the water is still pretty ripply. Its not calm and still like her fish bowl. I am afraid she is going to freak when she feels the ripply water. Do I need to baffle this filter or is it ok to have ripply water on top?

And does she really need the LED light? It came with the tank but its so bright and kind of annoying.


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

I know my filter is too strong cause it throws my fish across the tank and nearly throws them into the tank wall. None of my boys have a filter anymore due to this.


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## Alaura123 (Jul 4, 2014)

Yeah... Rocket practically gets dragged across the water, but his filter is unadjustable, and cant be taken off, and i'm pretty sure that this is why he tailbiting... so that stinks :shake:

If you put him in, and you notice him getting dragged, then that means it is strong, I' not sure how else you can tell


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## jasmine8 (Jul 29, 2014)

I have a little, but pretty strong, filter on my 5.5 gallon so there is a fairly strong current and ripply water. I've seen my betta swimming into the current, getting pushed back and then going right back to the current. He also swims back and fourth thru the current. It looks like he's just exercising and having fun to me. The whole side of the tank the filter is not on is calm though so i'm not worried about him. 

Anyone else's betta seem to enjoy a bit of current?


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## Tuigirl (Aug 3, 2014)

My fish likes to play in the current, too. She swims in and out, seems to enjoy it. But I have turned the filter right down, because on high setting it was too strong, blowing the fish through the tank....


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Some Bettas (like my boys) like the current & bubbles,but if you notice her being pushed around by the current,or if she kind of stays in the corner away from it,then you will know that she doesn't like it.

It looks like your filter is the same as the type I use,to baffle mine,I bought a rectangular aquarium sponge,made a hole in the middle almost all the way to the end & fit it over the spray bar so that only 1 hole (or as many or few as you like) is exposed.That way the flow isn't too strong & the water just soaks through the sponge from the other holes.

I have only 1 or 2 holes uncovered for my VT boys & about 4 or 5 for my PK boys.It works very well.


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

Yeah I put her in there this morning with the filter on after it ran all night and sure enough it stressed her out. Her fins were all clamped and its hard to tell because her body is all royal blue but I think she was starting to get a stress stripe. She swam near the filter current aimed towards the back of the tank and flipped out. There really are no calm areas of water with the filter on. She is used to really still water in her fish bowl. That's how she has lived for the last 2 months since we got het from a neighbor. I have no idea how long the neighbor had her like that. Anyway she got out of the current to the opposite corner of the tank and tried to do her normal float near the top of the water but the current wouldn't let her and she kept having to fight it. I turned the filter off and immediately the fins unclamped and swimming happily exploring her new habitat. In hindsight, maybe i should have put her in there first with the filter off to get adjusted to the new tank first then later turn on the filter.
Anyway Polkadot, thanks for the instruction about baffling this filter. I will try that.


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

Bummer Polkadot. I got some foam at petsmart. don't know if all foam is this rough and scratchy but this one from Fluval is very much so. Anyway I baffled the filter with this foam, covering all of the spray holes and it is still too much current for the little gal. It is much improved though. The area in the front of the tank, farthest from the filter, seems to be calmest part of the water but its not very still. She didn't seem bothered by the filter as much this time but she still fought the current and when it took her behind the filter and on to the filter canister it knocked her around a little bit. I turned it off again. 

Not sure what to do now. Someone was mentioning a Whisper 3i or a Biomaxx nano filter on another post.....?


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

The Whisper 3i is a poorly designed inefficient sponge filter. A sponge filter provides the least current and a large sponge for bacteria volume. It requires an airpump and airline tubing besides the filter itself. 

This might answer some questions or create some:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ts-accessories/sponge-filter-tutorial-318602/


What size tank is that?


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

its a 2.65 gallon tank. Top Fin brand with LED light and internal filter. 










I turned the filter off and took it out until I can find a workable solution.


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

how about the biomaxx nano filter?


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

would the air pump need to go in with the filter in the tank? im not sure about the room in there. would the air pump make the current more strong? or is it easier to adjust the flow with an air pump? This filter that came with the tank has two strengths low and high. and low is too strong.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

With a sponge filter, the pump remains outside the tank. Only the filter itself is inside. 

This is the smallest sponge filter I know of. Many keepers use this successfully.
Internal Sponge Filter CAF-10


The Tetra Whisper 10 airpump is cheap, durable and as quiet as anything in it's price range. Get silicon airline tubing (thank me later ;-}

It's a shame that filters in commercial tank kits are sized for a highly-stocked (even over-stocked) condition.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

nevandavismom said:


> Anyway Polkadot, thanks for the instruction about baffling this filter. I will try that.


You are very welcome! It looks like you baffled it really well too.It's a shame it is too strong for her though,I didn't realise the size of your tank.My tanks are 30L & 50L & even on the minimum flow (and the baffle sponge) they are still pretty strong,with there being more area though it doesn't bother my boys.But hopefully you can get a softer filter for smaller tanks that she will like better.


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## Aeon (Jul 15, 2014)

this is my filter runs on air -- gravel 7 bio cermanics then coarse med fine filter media


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

Hallyx said:


> With a sponge filter, the pump remains outside the tank. Only the filter itself is inside.
> 
> This is the smallest sponge filter I know of. Many keepers use this successfully.
> Internal Sponge Filter CAF-10
> ...


Thanks Hallyx. I am going to look into geting the internal filter in the link above. And an air filter. Do I still need to get silicon tubing for the air filter or is that just if I get the Tetra Whisper filter? I also read a review on the PETsMART website of the Tetra Whisper filter catching and ripping Betta fins but nobody I know of has experienced this on this site. So that's good for a second choice.  Right now Flutter seems to be quite happy in the 2.5 gal non filtered tank.


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

Aeon said:


> this is my filter runs on air -- gravel 7 bio cermanics then coarse med fine filter media


Did you make the filter yourself or is it the CAF-10 or is biocermanics the filter brand?


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Tetra makes a line of Whisper filters to service tanks from 10g and up; these are in-tank, motor-powered filters. Only the Whisper 3i is a sponge filter which is powered by air-bubbles from an air-pump. Unfortunately, it's a poor design, worthless for its intended purpose. ANY other sponge filter is better.


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## nevandavismom (Jul 28, 2014)

thanks Hallyx. I ordered the CAF10 filter tonight. Now I understand what you were saying. Buy silicone tubing and a Tetra Whisper air pump not filter. Thanks for the heads up about the Tetra Whisper 3i filter. I was thinking about buying one if plan B fell through.


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