So after observing how well my Delta Betta "Miles" was getting along in his heated 2.5 gallon tank with a DIY sponge filter setup I decided to make one for my 5.5 gallon tank that houses my blue Veiltail. I just don't think Phil my Veiltail was liking the HOB filter even though I really slowed down the flow and current on it there was still something bugging him.
Now of course the HOB filter was quiet to me but I think the vibrations from it and current of water was still bothering him. Basically he would spend hours frantically swimming back and forth across the front of his tank hardly ever relaxing and exploring his space. I started to wonder if it was in fact the filter.
So...today I went and picked up a Tetra Whisper 10 air pump and a 2-way gang valve so I can operate two diy sponge filters at once in each tank and really dial in the flow from the pump. To make the DIY filter for my 5.5 gallon I used a small cylinder shaped glass salt shaker, a cut to length piece of siphon hose, four feet of airline, some Fluval Biomax ceramic media and the prefilter sponge (cut to fit) from the HOB intake tube. The glass salt shaker is the perfect size for the tank. You're all aware how these filters work so I won't bore you with the assembly details.
Once I assembled the filter, hooked up both airlines to the 2-way gang valve and air pump I submerged the new filter into the 5.5 gallon tank, inserted the airline down into the home made filter tube and...eureka! It worked! So I then inserted the other piece of airline into the 2.5 gallon tank's filter and it too worked! Using the valve controls for each airline I was able get both filters pumping gentle nice even slow bubbles up the tube of each filter! No crazy suction, vibrations or current to bother Betta Phil!
He's like a new fish! No more frantic tank surfing! Now he's casually swimming around and hanging out inside his new floating log. With this setup I have both filters working perfectly for my fish and the bubbles are so quiet I don't hear a thing. Sure having an air pump on a wall shelf mounted 12" above each tank (in the middle) with hoses running out of it might be unsightly but...the happiness of my boys is most important!
Now of course the HOB filter was quiet to me but I think the vibrations from it and current of water was still bothering him. Basically he would spend hours frantically swimming back and forth across the front of his tank hardly ever relaxing and exploring his space. I started to wonder if it was in fact the filter.
So...today I went and picked up a Tetra Whisper 10 air pump and a 2-way gang valve so I can operate two diy sponge filters at once in each tank and really dial in the flow from the pump. To make the DIY filter for my 5.5 gallon I used a small cylinder shaped glass salt shaker, a cut to length piece of siphon hose, four feet of airline, some Fluval Biomax ceramic media and the prefilter sponge (cut to fit) from the HOB intake tube. The glass salt shaker is the perfect size for the tank. You're all aware how these filters work so I won't bore you with the assembly details.
Once I assembled the filter, hooked up both airlines to the 2-way gang valve and air pump I submerged the new filter into the 5.5 gallon tank, inserted the airline down into the home made filter tube and...eureka! It worked! So I then inserted the other piece of airline into the 2.5 gallon tank's filter and it too worked! Using the valve controls for each airline I was able get both filters pumping gentle nice even slow bubbles up the tube of each filter! No crazy suction, vibrations or current to bother Betta Phil!
He's like a new fish! No more frantic tank surfing! Now he's casually swimming around and hanging out inside his new floating log.
With this setup I have both filters working perfectly for my fish and the bubbles are so quiet I don't hear a thing. Sure having an air pump on a wall shelf mounted 12" above each tank (in the middle) with hoses running out of it might be unsightly but...the happiness of my boys is most important!
