How to keep betta from sticking itself to intake on Fluval Flex

[Goldie Blue]

I have looked around at a few modification videos for Fluval Flex tanks, but I wanted to ask the community personally. Because apparently Goldie Blue likes to keep me on the edge of my seat, he is feeling much better and cruising all around his new Flex 9, and has taken to sticking himself to the bottom left intake. Obviously he is still recovering from his fin rot, so I don't want him doing stupid stuff like this. I had a piece of black foam in the slot behind there for a week or so, but it smelled really mildew-y (is that even a word??) when I took it out to see how it was looking.

I have some filter floss on hand, as well as some blue sponge stuff. If anyone knows a good way to mod this tank so he stops sticking himself on there, please share. This fish is going to give me a stroke lol. 

 

[Cinnebuns]

I'm not entirely sure how the entire thing is situated but often nylons help in cases like this. I easily slipped nylons on this internal filter to keep it safe for fry. Depending on how this is setup you may be able to do something similar. 

Haha. Idk why that uploaded upside down. Sorry

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/13/2022 at 8:40 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I easily slipped nylons on this internal filter to keep it safe for fry.

Hmm, I am pretty sure that piece he keeps getting stuck on pops off somehow, though I wonder if it would fit back in with nylons over it. It's situated on a big black plastic "wall" that covers the back of the tank. I wonder if anyone else has tried this with this model! Thank you for your reply!

[Stef]

I have a Flex 9 and the filter flow was waaay too strong for my betta. I put two pre filter sponges over the outputs and it helped. Try a floating betta log or some other tube to suction to the glass. They love those. Will help give him a place out of the current and they just love to hang out in their “cave”. I have a few from LidPropz on Etsy. 

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/13/2022 at 10:56 PM, Stef said:

I put two pre filter sponges over the outputs and it helped. Try a floating betta log or some other tube to suction to the glass. They love those.

I've actually already got that exact setup for him already, it's the little intake thing on the bottom left that I am having an issue with. He keeps sticking himself on there, despite the fact he has a jumbo sized log, SeeShelter, and plants to sit in lol. He spends a lot of his time in his super sized log, but then when he goes cruising he likes to go stick himself on that intake. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/13/2022 at 11:00 PM, Goldie Blue said:

I've actually already got that exact setup for him already, it's the little intake thing on the bottom left that I am having an issue with.

Pecktec's advice is to stick a rock in front of it or some hardscape!

 

On 7/13/2022 at 8:56 PM, Stef said:

I have a Flex 9 and the filter flow was waaay too strong for my betta. I put two pre filter sponges over the outputs and it helped.

The one I've seen a lot for bettas is using plastic bottles (not the best looking and works a lot better for HoBs), but they cut a cylinder or block a section off with black foam.

For the intake itself, the grid at the top, I would suggest taking a piece of foam, rectangular, cutting a slice in it 75% of the way through the foam and then slipping that over the top if the suction on that specific intake is too strong. For the bottom one, cover it up so he can't get pulled in.

[nabokovfan87]

Maybe some mod similar to this for the output works too?  This one says it's adjustable, but I think diffusing the output like this might be enough and also keep from back pressure on the pump.



If you want the link itself just send me a DM. I'm not sure if I can sent links for this particular thing here.

Edited July 14, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Gwallace]

I have hardscape blocking mine.

[kahjtheundedicated]

Pretty convinced bettas just like sticking themselves to filter intakes. Mine has done it on a sponge pre-filter on a hob, and on an ACO sponge filter. He has no problem getting off them, and has plenty of low flow tank space, so I can only assume it's intentional.

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/14/2022 at 9:07 AM, kahjtheundedicated said:

Pretty convinced bettas just like sticking themselves to filter intakes.

Absolutely! He did this in his old tank before he had major fin rot, and my other betta in my 10g did it until I covered the intake. This Flex tank is just set up in a weird way, the solution isn't as simple as it should be. 

On 7/14/2022 at 1:26 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Maybe some mod similar to this for the output works too? 

I am pretty sure that is a mod from LidPropz, right? That part isn't an issue for me, I stuck two prefilter sponges on the flow bar and it fixed that right away. It's that stupid vent on the bottom left of the tank. I felt like the tank wasn't getting enough filtration when I had the black sponge foam in the chamber behind it, and when I pulled it out after a week it smelled strong of like that pond-mildew smell. 

On 7/14/2022 at 6:47 AM, Gwallace said:

I have hardscape blocking mine.

You don't notice any filtration issues having that vent blocked off?

[Biotope Biologist]

On 7/14/2022 at 7:07 AM, kahjtheundedicated said:

Pretty convinced bettas just like sticking themselves to filter intakes. Mine has done it on a sponge pre-filter on a hob, and on an ACO sponge filter. He has no problem getting off them, and has plenty of low flow tank space, so I can only assume it's intentional.

Came here to say exactly that. I understand the panic, though I don’t have experience with the flex 9. Is the current strong?

 

I used cheese cloth when I had these issues which I’m sure works the same as nylon. But my bettas stuck themselves to the intakes regardless of blockage. 
 

Unrelated but I used to have a betta that rolled itself up in a lotus leaf for bedtime, so they are peculiar animals when it comes to comfort.

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/14/2022 at 10:22 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

I understand the panic, though I don’t have experience with the flex 9. Is the current strong?

It's a "pretty interesting" design flaw, likely.  Because of the way the filter mechanism is designed you have overflow at the top of the chamber, which goes down into the sponges and then to the right. At the bottom of this chamber is a little hole right next to the pump.  It's probably just a slightly decent amount of suction and flow that is causing the issues.  Block it with rocks, no biggie, but it might be something where the fish gets stuck and spreading out that suction to a larger surface by modding in more holes (or diffusing it outward with objects/foam alleviates the concern.

On 7/14/2022 at 10:07 AM, Goldie Blue said:

LidPropz

Different company it looks like.  There's a few iterations.  Even something like Dean's output spraybar mod would work pretty well when adapted here.

Here's another one, mod for the bottom intake.



^^ Based on my use with the E-Series heater guards, those slots are probably too narrow but the actual suction might keep debris from blocking flow.  When you add water to the rear of the flex it would also clean these out.  Take a 2" PVC endcap, drill a bunch of holes, silicone it to the panel, same thing.  Something like this would give you the same fix also.

Edited July 14, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/14/2022 at 12:28 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

It's probably just a slightly decent amount of suction and flow that is causing the issues.

Yeah, the suction and flow isn't "terrible" especially after putting the prefilter sponges on the tubes at the top, but it's enough for his dumb butt to stick to. And given what we have gone through to get him where he is right now in the last few months, I really don't want him doing anything to set himself back. 

On 7/14/2022 at 12:22 PM, Biotope Biologist said:

Unrelated but I used to have a betta that rolled itself up in a lotus leaf for bedtime, so they are peculiar animals when it comes to comfort.

Literal laughing out loud at this lol. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/14/2022 at 10:44 AM, Goldie Blue said:

Yeah, the suction and flow isn't "terrible" especially after putting the prefilter sponges on the tubes at the top, but it's enough for his dumb butt to stick to

On the bottom of the first cavity, is that hole covered with sponge? I believe it is, but there's a small gap underneath the sponge.

Edit.... Yeah..... well, At least in this photo they made the intake larger.  I would get some sponge and add it here. Something like the AC50 might be big enough you can trim it to fit but it just won't be black.  You can also try that sponge in the middle cavity and just cut it to fit shown below.

Edited July 14, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/14/2022 at 12:52 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

On the bottom of the first cavity, is that hole covered with sponge?

That chamber you have circled in red comes empty out of the box. I had stuck the black foam cut to size in the hole and had it in there for the last week. When I did my water change yesterday I took it out (for curiosity really) because I wanted to see how well the filtration works and how dirty that chamber was. The foam just smelled strongly of mildew/pond scum. So that was really my concern/question. Not sure if that is normal, especially for the foam only being in there a week. That chamber is a B to work with too, I put this tank in a not so great spot to be reaching around behind that wall that separates the tank from the filtration behind it lo. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/14/2022 at 12:00 PM, Goldie Blue said:

The foam just smelled strongly of mildew/pond scum. So that was really my concern/question. Not sure if that is normal, especially for the foam only being in there a week. That chamber is a B to work with too, I put this tank in a not so great spot to be reaching around behind that wall that separates the tank from the filtration behind it lo. 

It's a very low flow region of the filtration because its a dead spot.  That's the design intent.  That smell and scum is probably a reason for that issue.  I think the spec foams (all the same shape for fluval) come with little plastic handles to pull them out.  Not the greatest, but it's probably the only way to really work on them.  This also is likely why the other methods and mods might work a bit better longer term for you.  Something like a turkey baster that doesn't drip might be a good tool to use to siphon out detritus that gets stuck back there as well.

[Goldie Blue]

On 7/14/2022 at 2:07 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Something like a turkey baster that doesn't drip might be a good tool to use to siphon out detritus that gets stuck back there as well.

That is a great idea. I want to eventually move this tank somewhere more convenient (it's up on a bar that passes between my kitchen and main family room) but I was in a panic when I set it up wanting to move Goldie Blue right away. I have to turkey baste my axolotl's #2 out of her tank lol, I'll order another one specifically for GB's Flex. I had to stand on a stool to do the filter stuff and water changes. One problem, one day at a time though 🤣

[nabokovfan87]

Definitely. The nice things about smaller tanks is it is humanely possible to move them with a little bit of water at the bottom.

[Gwallace]

On 7/14/2022 at 12:07 PM, Goldie Blue said:

Absolutely! He did this in his old tank before he had major fin rot, and my other betta in my 10g did it until I covered the intake. This Flex tank is just set up in a weird way, the solution isn't as simple as it should be. 

I am pretty sure that is a mod from LidPropz, right? That part isn't an issue for me, I stuck two prefilter sponges on the flow bar and it fixed that right away. It's that stupid vent on the bottom left of the tank. I felt like the tank wasn't getting enough filtration when I had the black sponge foam in the chamber behind it, and when I pulled it out after a week it smelled strong of like that pond-mildew smell. 

You don't notice any filtration issues having that vent blocked off?

No issues.  It's blocked...not sealed.