5 gallon question's
 

Im trying to set up a 5 gallon for my GF's little girl and have some question's. First of its a hexagon tank if that matters. I have bought a very small heater for it, and put some white gravel in the bottom. There is one small fake plant in it. It came from my GF's mom and the water filter doesnt seem to be working, not sucking up water. We had a 1 gallon with a under gravel filter in it. My thought is to take the under gravel filter and putting it in the 5 gallon. I will be putting a Beta in it once its up and running. Does this sound like it could work or should I save up some money and get a new filter????

Also what can I put in with a beta in a 5 gallon for the algae, and all around clean up guy???

I would definitely get a bigger filter. Ottos could work well in a small tank (just make sure you provide veggies and algae disks). :) Good luck!

Are you filling the filter with water before you turn it on?

Good call on the heater and tank size, I can tell you that a LOT of people manage to royally screw up their first betta by putting it in one ofthose stupid bowls... Lord knows I did!

If the filter really doesn't work I would go with a sponge or box filter. They are pretty cheap and you can use the air pump from the undergravel filter. They make great filters for bettas because of their gentle current(they get kind of blasted about by stronger filters because their large fins really catch the current).

As a cleaner, why not go for a snail? My only concern wth ottos is that once they run out of algae they will starve. They're picky little guys-- mine refuse veggies and algae wafers. Furthermore their thin skin does not hold up well against the cycling process.

Just one last tip... make sure the plant doesn't have any rough edges. If you run a nylon stocking along the plant and it rips, you can be sure it will do the same to the betta's delicate fins.

Here is an awesome caresheet for bettas: http://www.fishforum.com/betta-fish-...are-faq-20058/

Good luck!

thanks for the info. Ill have to look up what the sponge or box filter is. The on that came with it is a small aquatech with a charcoal filter in it.

I never thought about snails, will they take care of algae? Well I guess i could always just clean that myself

Yes I did put water in it. Its been sitting outside on a porch of a while so it probebly just got messed up sitting outside so long not being used.

Here is a box filter:
Penn Plax Quick Draw Corner Filter at Big Al's Online

And here is a sponge:
Lee's Sponge Filter-Round at Big Al's Online

They are equally good IMO. And the nice thing is that companies totally gouge people for those stupid carbon filter inserts (which are neutralised after 3 days, for the record), but with box and sponge filters there's no need for them.

And unlike ottos, they will also eat up any excess food a more generous child might pop into the tank. Quite hardy too.

Oh yeah I got one of those with a used tank that I bought. They are kind of noisy anyways. They come with WalMart tanks... so yeah they're alright but you get what you pay for. You're not missing out.

[quote=kelly528;259290]They are equally good IMO. And the nice thing is that companies totally gouge people for those stupid carbon filter inserts (which are neutralised after 3 days, for the record), but with box and sponge filters there's no need for them.


[\quote]

Thanks for all the info. So from this comment is it worth having the carbon in my 29 gallon tank?

For the money they charge for those stupid filter cartridges, not really. Carbon is good for removng medication from the tank when you have ill fish, and it will absorb ammonia for a few days, but after that it basically just becomes another space for nitrifying bacteria to colonise. Just for proof: even in the instructions for fish medication, it warns not to use carbon in your filter with the meds until the carbon is three days old, because by then it is neutral and won't absorb the medications.

So for the money you are paying for a mediocre media (as far as surface area for bacteria to colonise goes), a better filter will pretty much pay for itself! I just got a Fluval 2 Plus, which uses 2 foam pads and an optional 'polishing pad' (more or less, filter wool).

Filter: $50
Sponges: $5 for 4, replaced every 4 months
Polishing pads: $5 for 4, replaced every month.

HOB carbon inserts: $7 each or 14 for 3, replaced every month.

So in about a year the more expensive filter will actually pay for itself, and I am not even including the price of the HOB filter itself!

Cool Ill look into that