Filters For Betta Tanks - Good Or Bad?

[curious_k]

Hi all
I know a few people on here use biorbs or other smallish filtered tanks for bettas. I have got a 30L biorb and one betta in there at the moment (considering adding an albino cory too).

I've partly killed the current with a homemade plastic thingamajig. Despite this, Mr Betta has shown no interest in making nests in there. I had to put him temporarily back in his old unfiltered bowl the other week and he straight away started nesting again, so it's obviously the water movement that puts him off.

Does that mean he's unhappy with the current? I have noticed that he actively plays around with the bubble stream and very often swims into/through it (probably because when he's fed his food tends to drift that way!!), but I don't know if it's stressful in the long run having a filter. His fins are quite raggy which made me wonder.

What do you feel generally about filter / no filter for bettas?

 

[fry_lover]

Hi

"Stressful in the long run" having a filter?

i dont get it? what about the stress from ammonia and poor water quality without one?

I know there are some LFS that keep Betta's in a plastic bag and some bizarre pictures coming from the USA with Betta's in these silly little bowls but i am sure a filter (in this day and age) is a given for having an aquarium, unless you manage to do it the "natural" way with a heck of a lot of plants?

what do you think?

 

[nemosworld]

i use a sponge filter and some java moss. the moss gets rid of ammonia and nitrates while the filter removes the solid matter. it shouldn't be too stressful since it doesn't make a big current. i guess you really don't need a filter as long as you change the water often enough, but it does prevent a scum from accumulating on the surface

 

[Ripley]

A suggestion if you wanted to see if he'd build a nest is to take the top rim of a styrofoam cup (cut the bottom part off and leave the top rim) and put it in the corner of his tank. It floats, and gives a nice area where there is no water movement for him to build if he wishes. I tried that with Flik, and he's not really into building bubblenests, but he found it to be a handy place to eat! I just drop his food in there, and he can have at it, without it floating away.

(I guess to actually answer your question I would prefer to have filters vs. non-filtered. I have one of each, and having a filter is just easier on me.)

 

[Viettxboii]

A suggestion if you wanted to see if he'd built a nest is to take the top rim of a styrofoam cup (cut the bottom part off and leave the top rim) and put it in the corner of his tank. It floats, and gives a nice area where there is no water movement for him to build if he wishes. I tried that with Flik, and he's not really into building bubblenests, but he found it to be a handy place to eat! I just drop his food in there, and he can have at it, without it floating away.

(I guess to actually answer your question I would prefer to have filters vs. non-filtered. I have one of each, and having a filter is just easier on me.)

i tried that on my filtered tank, it works great, the filter helps iwth mech. filtration, and biological depending on how big it is.

 

[SouthernCross]

Yep, having a filter means you can have a cycled tank (provided you understand cycling and do everything correctly so you don't mess up your cycle).

Having a cycled tank means there's no risk of ammonia poisoning that comes with unfiltered tanks that rely on water changes to keep ammonia levels down.

Because, really, in an unfiltered tank, there is ALWAYS going to be a trace of ammonia. Because bettas aren't big waste producers, it will be small, but it will always be there.

Filters all the way. Provide a great deal of stability for tank parameters, so you can test and really know when there's something wrong.

My smallest tank, a 1.5 gallon, is filtered too. I've killed the current using the cut up coke bottle trick. I have noticed too, that if there is no filter and the water is too still, a residue can form on the top and it doesn't look ideal...

 

[curious_k]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts...

I tend to agree with you all that filter is better than no filter. The reason I asked is because I'm always surprised to see how many people keep bettas in unfiltered tanks. Maybe just because it's hard to get a filter small enough for the tanks they are using (I've noticed teeny goldfish bowl filters are available but can't imagine how that would work).

Anyhoo... I'll try the polystyrene thing! I miss those bubble nests. He used to build ones that were bigger than himself.

As for the "scum".......... aargh......... we had this constantly in the unfiltered bowl, I spent my whole life skimming it. What is that stuff?

 

[MHunt]

My thought with bettas is light filtration. If the current is too strong it can upset the fish especially if he wants to build bubble nests.