What the heck is this for?

[MRshouty]

Okay I got a 2.5 gallon hex (us) from my aunt and it came with a lid an air pump like 2 feet of tubing and this weird grate thing and this little tube (which I attatched to the grate)

See here:

 

[The-Wolf]

that is an undergravel filter

 

[Lateral Line]

Exactly. You cover it with gravel and then arrange for bubbles from an airpump to flow up the tube. This drags water with it. The result is that water is drawn down through the gravel forming, eventually, a biological filter.

They are not the most efficient filters however.

 

[MRshouty]

That seems stupidly complicated.

Anyway I'm planning on putting a betta in it and I hear they don't really like moving water so i'll just do water changes often.

 

[suspectdebbie]

Exactly. You cover it with gravel and then arrange for bubbles from an airpump to flow up the tube. This drags water with it. The result is that water is drawn down through the gravel forming, eventually, a biological filter.

They are not the most efficient filters however.

how is this arranged? is there any filter media?

 

[Logitech]

That seems stupidly complicated.

Anyway I'm planning on putting a betta in it and I hear they don't really like moving water so i'll just do water changes often.

Some bettas like the currents of filters in their tanks. Depends on the fish's personality.

 

[ste2k3]

That seems stupidly complicated.

not really, just stick an airstone on the end of the air line tube and push it down the pipe. then add gravel and water. leave for a week or so. test the water and start to stock. I'm no betta expert but they do need a filter of some sort, just doing partial water changes is not good long term as it will upset the water chemestry.

ste

 

[heresmike]

how is this arranged? is there any filter media?

You attach an airline to a pump, an airstone to the airline, and stick the airline with stone attached into the tube... the airstone all the way to the bottom. Turn on the pump, and you're set.

The gravel is actually the filter media. The airstone causes the water to be drawn through the gravel and up the tube.

 

[cutechic]

Just to add on to what the others have said... one can buy powerheads to place on top of the UG filter tube, which makes the filter (slightly) more effective.

I'm no betta expert but they do need a filter of some sort, just doing partial water changes is not good long term as it will upset the water chemestry.

In that size tank, water changes of at least 50% a week should be done. The betta will be fine without a filter; in fact, I think it would actually prefer no filter, as MRshouty said. I know mine hate filters, and won't build bubblenests unless I remove the filter from the tank.

 

[Bangin]

Anyway I'm planning on putting a betta in it and I hear they don't really like moving water so i'll just do water changes often.

Undergravel filters produce less of a current, especially in that small of a space, than most other filters. It should be perfect for a betta.