# Betta likes getting sucked up against filter?



## Squishee (May 23, 2012)

Recently, around 3 days ago, my male betta, Matcha Custard, got sucked up against my Marina i25 internal filter and I thought he was dead so i got the net and nudged him a bit. He swam away thankfully. Ever since then, I've been coming home to him stuck to the filter, but it doesn't seem to hurt him and he can swim away when he wants to. I'm wondering if it's safe for him to be near the filter or if I should put a plant in front to block it a bit. My betta doesn't seem to get hurt from it and I thought it might be like how some cats and dogs like to be vacuumed. What should I do? :x


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

You might want to put a piece of panty hose on the intake, or a sponge. My fish sleep on the intake, but I have them covered so there is no way their fins can get sucked into the intake cut outs.


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## Squishee (May 23, 2012)

The fins actually don't get sucked in, but stuck again't it and there's no sign of the fins tearing.


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

I personally wouldn't take the chance and cover it. Maybe when people wake up you can get second opinions.  

Good to know i'm not alone in having bettas that enjoy being held up by the intake suction though.  I'm not familiar with your particular filter but I put a fluval pre filter sponge on my intakes. It's made of soft sponge and black, so it blends in with the intake. Some of my fish have really delicate fins. The intake holes are big enough for a fin to slip into on most filters.

If he enjoys sleeping there I don't see a problem as long as he can't get hurt. My fish has been doing that for over a year sleeping wrapped around his sponge on the intake 

BTW welcome to the forum


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## Squishee (May 23, 2012)

Thank you for the welcome  and the advice.


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## Cargo (May 25, 2012)

I've had very bad experiences with my Marina i25 internal filter. It has killed two betta fish. I took it back, and got a Top Fin 10 Power Filter. That also killed a betta. Ever since then, I buy sponge filters off Amazon. With shipping, a sponge filter is only $6, and they're good for tanks up to about 10 gallons.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Bioc...VF82/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1337986272&sr=8-4


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

That sounds adorable...somehow. 
What I did once for my goldfish tank (I had a bitty little Fantail who kept getting stuck on the filter) was I bought a natural sea sponge. The ones with the weird shapes and random holes. I cleaned and boiled it real well, then cut it to fit over the filter intake. I also poked betta-eyeball sized holes into it all around so stuff could be sucked in but no fishies


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