# How to Baffle a 2.5 Aqueon Minibow filter?



## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

I recently upgraded from a 1 gallon tank to a 2.5 gallon desktop mini bow. I've wanted to use the filter the tank came with to cut back on the amount of full water changes I have to do, but the filter's current is too strong for my half-moon betta. I tried the water bottle method to baffle the filter, but the tank's hood couldn't fit over it. The water bottle blocked the current just fine without the hood on, but as soon as I put the hood on, it squashed the plastic so that it was touching the filter cartridge all the time.

I also tried cutting some plastic straws to fit inside the outflow area, but even after cutting holes in the straw it would constantly block too much of the flow from the filter, so that the water would spill over the side of the filter.

I have some tall plastic plants in the tank already, which I bought specifically to block the flow. However, they just don't do the job. I think they're too flimsy or something (which in other considerations is a good thing, since they hopefully won't harm my betta).

I know a sponge is probably my best bet, but I'll have to constantly be changing it and buying new sponges to prevent algae buildup. I'd like to cut back on the cost of this as much as possible, so any cheaper suggestions from people who know about the 2.5 mini bow filter specifically would be greatly appreciated!


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## JessiesGill (Feb 17, 2014)

That filter is pretty lousy. It takes up at least a third of their surface swim space and doesn't even do a good job of filtering. Water only flowed through half of mine, with the other half staying clean. I replaced mine with a very small sponge filter. They are very cheap and last for years. You can get the sponge, air pump, air line, and backflow check valve online. The pump is the most expensive piece. It's still a fairly cheap upgrade to the tank. 

By the way: you don't have to replace sponge unless it starts falling apart. Just swish it in tank water that you've removed during a water change to clear out the gunk. That applies whether you use sponge in your filter or replace it with a sponge filter.

I don't know how to baffle the Minibow filter. It didn't bother my veil tale too much. I had the water level high - up to the bottom of the black edging on the tank, like the setup guide said to do. There wasn't much distance between the surface and the outflow of the filter. Maybe that reduced the current a little. Can you raise the water level without overflowing the tank? That's the only thing I can think of to try with that filter's design. Maybe someone else here figured out a better solution.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I had to baffle the filter on both of my mini bows. Im not sure where you are located but if you near a petco or petsmart then both of those places sell filter sponge for very cheap. I picked up a decent size box of it for around $2 and have PLENTY left over. 

Then you want to cut a piece of sponge to fit the opening where the water re-enters the tank. Then just secure it with a rubber band. The rubber band will fit perfectly around the filter. Make sure that the sponge isn't so thick that it completely blocks the flow (just drop a pellet in front of it if you can't tell). If it is, then just cut some of the thickness off the sponge (I had to do it with mine).


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## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

Thank you both! I'll probably just end up getting the filter sponges as soon as I can get to Petsmart or Petco. I don't want to have to buy a whole new filter, so this seems like the cheapest way to go.


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## dragnz2159 (May 1, 2014)

Just be careful when blocking the outflow with a sponge. Like VivianKJean stated, make sure that it is not too thick. I had a minibow 2.5 and upgraded to a 5 gallon from Walmart. I baffled with the water bottle, but had to cut the bottle some so that it would fit. The day before my first betta died, he was swimming into the outflow (not sure why as I had just done a water change). I decided to cover the outflow with some Marineland Rite Size filter pad that I have and I rubberbanded it in place. It did not affect to flow so much as to cause the water to flow into the overflow, but it affected it enough so that my tank did not heat evenly at all. Around the heater was the correct temperature, but the other side of the tank where I have the thermometer was a few degrees colder. I did not know this until the next morning.


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## happypappy (Apr 5, 2012)

i use mini sponge filters in my aqueon 2.5 -- i have had no problem with algae buildup. I simply rinse the sponge occasionally in aquarium water ; these are the cheapest, simplest and best I have found and work great!


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## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

Today I bought a Fluval C2 foam pad for the filter, and I cut it to the right size and attached it to the filter with a rubber band. I can't see it disturbing my betta at all, but it's not flowing into the overflow, either. I also bought a thermometer today, and it's at the opposite side of the tank from the filter. It's around the right temperature, so I don't think the sponge should be a problem.


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## Shadoekels (Sep 15, 2015)

Can anyone post a picture of how you put the sponge to lessen the current from the filter? A few friends have these tanks, and I know the current can be a pain for the bettas... I'm looking for a solution to help them out, and the sponge idea sounds best!

Thanks!

(Hi, I'm new! Been ghosting around the forum for ages and finally decided to make an account)


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## simonthai (Aug 10, 2015)

I just packed enough sponge inside the filter -enough to slow things down but not too much to back up the flow..I got a good tip on this site to use car wash sponge(in the shape of an 8)---very cheap at the dollar store...and all you do is cut it to the size you need..working great!


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## Shadoekels (Sep 15, 2015)

Did you place it on top of the filter cartridge, or just take that out all together? 

Thanks!


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## simonthai (Aug 10, 2015)

Hi...I got rid of that terrible filter cartridge that came with the tank after some advice on this site, as well...all it was doing was shredding and causing me grief....so....now the filter "rectangle" area is as full of sponge as it can be--without backing up the flow. All I do is rinse the sponge in the tank water once a month....If this doesnt stop the flow enough for you you could try replacing the intake sponge on the end of the tube that stands vertical in the tank(must be a fancier name for that with a homemade intake sponge circle made out of the car wash sponge, as well...that will help to slow down the intake a bit....just dont want to slow everything down too much or could burn out the filter.


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## Shadoekels (Sep 15, 2015)

Thanks so much!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I put a prefilter sponge over the intake and cut another in half and attached it to the outflow. The inside filter media is replaced with a sponge right now, but I just don't like the way it works. I'm cycling an internal filter right now, and another week or two I'll take away the filter that came with it.

Edit: Part of why I don't like it is because of its design taking up so much of the surface area (I'm slowly switching to live plants). Part of the problem is with this small bit of sponge to baffle it, there's not enough surface movement to keep the scummy film from growing on it. The cartridge that came with it was having problems with the overflow area, and when I put sponge in there, only 1/2 of the sponge had water flowing through it. I think the intake and outtake sponges were carrying most of the cycling material at that point. I might figure out a way to attach them to the new filter so I can stop this one sooner.


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