# Filter and Heater Question



## AngesRadieux (Oct 6, 2011)

So, yesterday I bought myself a betta. I got him a 5.5 gallon tank with a light, filter, heater, gravel, and some fake plants. But, when I turned the heater on he seemed to be really struggling to stay away from it and whenever he stopped frantically moving his fins he got pulled back towards it. So, I turned the filter off and now he's fine. Is there anything I can do to slow it down so I can keep filtering the tank without worrying about it harming my fish? There's no control on the filter, but is there something I can put in the tank to help? If it helps, it's the filter that came with my top fin 5.5 gallon aquarium starter kit.

I bought the top fin 25 watt heater. It didn't seem to be working and the temperature control function was behaving strangely. So I removed it from the tank as I didn't want to accidentally kill my fish with the heater. Then, I looked up product reviews and read that several people had problems with top fin heaters killing their fish, so I'm probably not going to try putting it back in the tank... Can anyone recommend a reliable heater for a 5.5 gallon tank? I'd prefer if it wasn't much more than $20... Though that may be optimistic? I don't really know. I'm knew to this, so I don't know much about how much water heaters and stuff go for...


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

You can baffle your filter basically what that means is you'll take an object (plastic bottle, sponge, etc) and block the inflow of the filter, making the output generally weaker. Bettas can't stand harsh current from the filter, they prefer still water. Here's a guide on baffling: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139

If the baffling does not work out for you I would suggest the AquaClear mini, it's adjustable I believe or a sponge filter. 

As for the heater I would recommend the Elite Submersible Mini 25w heater, it's adjustable and it won't kill your fish, heats it to the desired temperature too. Here's the product: http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG

It's quite more expensive than your average heater but I do really recommend this heater brand. Top Fin isn't a really good brand, so I wouldn't go with them, for any fish-related product.


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## AngesRadieux (Oct 6, 2011)

Thanks!
I'd probably end up doing something wrong if I tried baffling the filter... I'll look into getting the AquaClear Mini. I can't seem to find it on petsmart's website, though. Is it something I'd have to go to a fish store for rather than a generic pet store or is it something that another pet store would probably carry?

Petsmart also doesn't seem to carry that brand of heater... Do you think another pet store might carry it? I don't want to make my betta wait too long for a heater so I'm not sure if I'm not too keen on ordering one online...


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

I'm pretty sure PetSmart carries them, mine does. If not order them online, there are other heater brands out there but most of there are iffy, a mix of good and terrible reviews, mostly hit and misses. 

So any generic filter that can filter up to five gallons is good if you can't find the AquaClear mini But it's best to get a bigger filter for your tank, so try getting something that filters 10 gallons. . .


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## AngesRadieux (Oct 6, 2011)

Okay. The website had AquaClear filters, but I couldn't find the mini. Maybe I was just missing something. I'll go to the store and look around this weekend. Thanks for the answers.  I'm assuming I should avoid anything that says "power filter" on it because it would be too strong for my fish? When I originally went shopping I was under the impression all filters and heaters were basically the same... Now that I've realized that this isn't the case, I'm not quite sure what I should be looking for.


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

I have the look for something that's adjustable for both the heater and the filter, for filters my rule of thumb is that always double what your tank size is, example your tank size is 5 gallon, get a filter that's for 10 gallons tank, although the output may be a bit stronger you can always baffle it or turn down the flow if it's adjustable.

"Power filter" or not doesn't really matter, unless you have a submersible filter which are pricey, most filters will knock your Betta around. That's why adjustable flow is recommended, yes not all heaters and filters are the same. Brand names makes a huge difference when it comes to the fish world.


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