# Betta hiding behind filter and heater?



## fauness (May 18, 2014)

He either chills between his filter, his heater, or the one silk plant I've gotten for him in his 10g. I'm planning on getting more silk plants for him to play with. 

I'm worried that when he hides behind his heater he might hurt himself, and when he hides between his filter or his heater he might get stuck. I've also read on this forum that a filter that is too strong might encourage him to hide behind his filter.

If I baffled the filter (which I am going to do anyways with some aquarium sponge on both the intake and the outtake) and added more silk plants, do you think this behavior would stop?

ALSO PLEASE tell me there have been no cases of a betta fish getting sucked up or torn apart by a Tetra Whisper10i filter because a few years ago I read a story about some kind or other fish being killed by his filter and I was almost too scared to keep his filter on last night!


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## Pippin (Apr 11, 2014)

I don't know if it would stop, but maybe him hiding behind his heater is just him protecting his territory. My male betta used to only stay in one area of the tank, and flare at any baby guppies who came near him.


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

Pippin said:


> I don't know if it would stop, but maybe him hiding behind his heater is just him protecting his territory. My male betta used to only stay in one area of the tank, and flare at any baby guppies who came near him.


Maybe that's it...but he doesn't have any tankmates yet (I'm thinking a few shrimp, maybe, as he seems to be pretty chill) and I haven't seen him flare at anything, not even a mirror that I may have held up next to his tank.

Did your betta hide a lot when he was first introduced to the tank? I think that could be it as I only got him yesterday but I'm still worried about him getting stuck or burnt, haha...


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## TheBlur (Apr 16, 2014)

My guys all like to sleep on their heaters - u - they're silly. I just keep a careful eye on the temp to make sure they don't get hurt. Plus side: I have my boys in round bowls, so there's a little more wiggle room between the suction cups than in a flat tank. I see nothing wrong with it personally its like a cat sleeping in the sun! Its the warmest spot with a little thing to rest on


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

TheBlur said:


> My guys all like to sleep on their heaters - u - they're silly. I just keep a careful eye on the temp to make sure they don't get hurt. Plus side: I have my boys in round bowls, so there's a little more wiggle room between the suction cups than in a flat tank. I see nothing wrong with it personally its like a cat sleeping in the sun! Its the warmest spot with a little thing to rest on


If none of your betta have gotten hurt, I'll try not to worry about it as much then. I heard that heaters are less hot in the water than they are in bare air, too, since the heat is distributed through the water.

However, he's in a tank so I'm still a little worried about the poor dude getting stuck..


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## Sathori (Jul 7, 2013)

I have 2 Tetra Whisper 10i and my betta has no issues with it at all. I did, however add a foam block on top of the pour spout of the filter to baffle it a bit. Other than that, I've never seen any of my fish get sucked up against/in the filter.

My betta often sleeps on his heater, which is beside the filters. Probably because it's very well hidden in a forest of silk plants, and it's a quiet resting place where he won't be disturbed


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## TheBlur (Apr 16, 2014)

Nope my guys are good!  Not even the slightest sign of stress or injury. They love their heaters XD I'm getting some handmade betta tube thignies for them to rest in too. hopefully they'll like those just as much. The only betta I have who liked to hide UNDER her heater (not cool) was my baby fry female. She scared the BAJESSUS out of me every time she did it cos I thought she was squashed. x.x Fixed that real quick by putting her heater under a layer of sand. Now she can't get under it and the heater still heats her bowl safely. (She was never squashed though..just like tight, dark, hiding spots...)


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

Sathori said:


> I have 2 Tetra Whisper 10i and my betta has no issues with it at all. I did, however add a foam block on top of the pour spout of the filter to baffle it a bit. Other than that, I've never seen any of my fish get sucked up against/in the filter.
> 
> My betta often sleeps on his heater, which is beside the filters. Probably because it's very well hidden in a forest of silk plants, and it's a quiet resting place where he won't be disturbed


That's great to hear! IDK, I get super worried by weird internet stories, haha.

I actually just moved the heater from right next to the heater to the opposite side of the tank, closer to the silk plant he has! He hasn't stop hiding behind the filter (and hasn't gone to check out the heater yet) but it looks like he has an easier time getting in and out of there now so I'm a little less worried.


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

TheBlur said:


> Nope my guys are good!  Not even the slightest sign of stress or injury. They love their heaters XD I'm getting some handmade betta tube thignies for them to rest in too. hopefully they'll like those just as much. The only betta I have who liked to hide UNDER her heater (not cool) was my baby fry female. She scared the BAJESSUS out of me every time she did it cos I thought she was squashed. x.x Fixed that real quick by putting her heater under a layer of sand. Now she can't get under it and the heater still heats her bowl safely. (She was never squashed though..just like tight, dark, hiding spots...)


That's awesome! I need to get some hidey holes besides the plant for my boy...But I'm supposed to be going out later tonight. Might pick some up then.


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## TheBlur (Apr 16, 2014)

Try this, I have 3 coming on monday:
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=355170

Also there's some great DIY stuff:
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=245289


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

I have two of those filters, and I don't have either of them baffled in any way. They haven't bothered my bettas at all. Other than being a little big, I like them very much. The filters, I mean.


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

givemethatfish said:


> I have two of those filters, and I don't have either of them baffled in any way. They haven't bothered my bettas at all. Other than being a little big, I like them very much. The filters, I mean.


Maybe my betta is a little bit weaker than yours, then, as he gets blown around whenever he gets close to it. :-? In any case, I bought aquarium foam and a larger silk plant. Baffled the filter and placed the plant in front of it to break up the current as much as possible. Still not perfect but better.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

I have the water level right up to the very edge of the lip where the water flows. I think that helps. The water really has nowhere to fall, it's just a steady flow. I make sure it's just very slightly below so the water doesn't just back up into the filter.


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## LadySoren (May 11, 2014)

Mine hangs out between his heater and filter too (I have the Whisper for the 1.5 gal tank). I'm glad you asked this bc I was a tad worried as well. I didn't want him to fry or anything. Lol
The water gets as warm as 82° so I didn't understand why he would want to snuggle with the heater. Hah


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

givemethatfish said:


> I have the water level right up to the very edge of the lip where the water flows. I think that helps. The water really has nowhere to fall, it's just a steady flow. I make sure it's just very slightly below so the water doesn't just back up into the filter.


After raising the water level a half-inch or so, he seems much more comfortable in front of the filter! He certainly isn't getting knocked around anymore by it, haha. Thank you for the tip~


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## fauness (May 18, 2014)

LadySoren said:


> Mine hangs out between his heater and filter too (I have the Whisper for the 1.5 gal tank). I'm glad you asked this bc I was a tad worried as well. I didn't want him to fry or anything. Lol
> The water gets as warm as 82° so I didn't understand why he would want to snuggle with the heater. Hah


Oh man, I know. I guess I understand why he might do that now (okay, not really, but what am I gonna do about it?) but I'm not worried about it anymore, haha. Good luck with your fish! :-D

Actually, my waters been at about a steady 80F but today I noticed it was up to 82F!! :shock: I've been keeping an eye on it but gosh darn it, it was doing such a good job of staying steady.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

fauness said:


> Maybe my betta is a little bit weaker than yours, then, as he gets blown around whenever he gets close to it. :-? In any case, I bought aquarium foam and a larger silk plant. Baffled the filter and placed the plant in front of it to break up the current as much as possible. Still not perfect but better.


My betta likes letting the filter current push him around and enjoys snuggling up against the intake to "suction-massage" his fins. He just really likes his filter. I don't know why.

One time I tried taking it out to get more light for the plants. The way it's designed, it wasn't doing a whole lot anyway. But Felix vehemently let me know that he wanted it back. After I took it out, he started flaring at the spot where it had been, glaring at me, refusing to eat, and then finally biting his fins. I put it back before the day was over.

Fish: 1
Me: 0

Fish aren't supposed to be smart enough to be that opinionated... :shock2:


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## LadySoren (May 11, 2014)

Heh ^


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