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New Filter Motor (?) help or Should I use a sponge for a too strong current.


Nora
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Ok, So I did my research and picked a Topfin tank from Petsmart which all youtube videos said had a filter that would be able of variable strength.  Vids said oh yeah I turn it all the way down and my Betta does great.  Guess what, not a feature any more.  Frustratingly the housing outside of it is still the same but there is no mechanism to regulate the strength.  So my Betta is getting pushed around.  I contacted the store and they said yeah, we've got one it can be switched out for, but I A) would need to go into the store and thats not happening right now and B) it will be an over the edge kind and thats not the same as what i've got.  So Im looking at getting a replacement off amazon and so I'd love advice from you all on this idea, brands that have worked, sizes I should get.  How slow do I want it to go down to for a Betta  Ill attach some pics of what Im trying to talk about (new to filtered tanks).

As another idea, could I add one of the sponges to the output spout to diffuse the strength of the current?

https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-retreat-aquarium-5230342.html?lsft=utm_source%3Agoogle%2Cutm_term%3A5230342%2Cutm_medium%3APLA%2Cutm_content%3AGSC - Medium - Specialty - Fish - LIA Only | *Catch All%2Cutm_campaign%3AGSC - Medium - Specialty - Fish - LIA Only&utm_id=432|pg1050590301|766749893206&utm_source=google&utm_medium=PLA&gclid=CjwKCAiAuoqABhAsEiwAdSkVVFr5-9H4JprR8X7RzUAZdDlaU_A1nG_oUqluyJrAO569Gov7w83l3RoC0ysQAvD_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/PULACO-Submersible-Aquariums-Hydroponics-Fountains/dp/B07YLHVZ4Q/ref=sr_1_19?crid=3RGF34COSUYH3&dchild=1&keywords=5+gallon+water+filter+aquarium&qid=1610809248&sprefix=5+gallon+water+filter%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-19

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For a small betta tank, I'd just get a sponge filter. That pump is way over powered for a 5g tank and will probably push your betta around more than your original filter. Maybe if you can turn it down to 10% or less. Note that it's just the pump not a filter, you'll need a sponge to actually filter the water.

Another option to slow the flow is to put an intake sponge over the output. 

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Always remember that one of the options is having no filter. If there are plants in the aquarium they can perform all the biological filtration needed. Bettas can breath air directly with their labyrinth organ, so in a betta aquarium aeration is not usually an issue either.

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Yes intake sponge and prefilter sponge are the same thing.

Edit: to be clear an intake or prefilter sponge usually just denotes the shape of the sponge. Usually shaped like a cup (circular sponge with one end open and one end closed) Technically any sponge used before the pump is an intake or prefilter. They also tend to be courser in texture as they aren't meant to catch everything, just the big stuff that can clog the pump workings.

Edited by Ryan F
clarity
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