Penn Plax Small World Filter

[ICEEGRL]

I got a small world filter today for my 1g. betta tank. I put in the cartridge in and placed it in the tank.

I think it is wrong. The air goes in the bottom, rins up the back behind the cartridge, then out the top above it. It can't work if nothing actually goes through the media can it?

I tried other ways to put it together, but this seems to be the only way it fits. Does anyone know if that is how it is supposed to do?

 

[ICEEGRL]

I put it in yesterday, and it hasn't done anything. The tank is still dirty, and the filter is clean. I don't think it is getting any suction. Where should the bubbles come out? Should I lay it down flat instead of verticle?

 

[three-fingers]

I have one, and mine works pretty well like that . I'm using a rena 400 airpump turned up full with it and its still VERY weak, which is why I'm using it, because its safe for baby triops. It took mine a good few days to show any signs of dirt, but now after a few weeks the sponge in it is dirt black.

Laying it down flat will stop it working, the bubble will just go straight back up to the surface without ever seeing the filter media.

Your tank water could be cloudy because you never washed it well? The carbon in it is very dirty and it took a while for me do get all the cloudiness out.

Its not an effective filter by any means, but it is very useful in some situations.

 

[ICEEGRL]

The water isn't cloudy. It has stuff he didn't eat on bottom and poop. Mostly I need it to take the meds out of the water. I can get the other with the water changes. I did hope to not have to do that every day though.

 

[three-fingers]

A betta in a 1gal tank needs 100% water changes very couple of days(I'm only 99% sure, ask at the betta forum ) there's no practical way round that .

You don't need a filter in your tank, because of the 100% water changes everyday, you will remove the medicine.

The only advantage of having a filter in that tank would be for (rubbish) mechanical filtration, but with those daily water changes, you don't need that either. The point of a sponge filter is to allow bacteria to grow on the sponge, with the penn plax, you don't get that because its a disposable filter that you buy replacement cartridges for, and once again with those 100% water changes, the bacteria would probably die each time even if you had

The only thing that filter is doing is creating surface agitation to allow more oxygen in the water, but an airstone costing 60p would do a better job at that .

Also, if your bettas not eating the food, feed him less .