Whisper 10 Betta Safe?

echoofformless

Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Oct 1, 2005
2,142
0
36
50
Phil Uh Del Feeya
www.myspace.com
Just put one on my five gallon in which a betta will soon live...has anyone used it with a betta? I had a nightmare once with my Penguin 125 in which i found one of my bettas stuck on the filter and the resulting injuries eventually killed him. So needless to say I'm concerned about power filters and bettas. But the Whisper is a lot weaker, and can also be adjusted so I'm thinking of taking the chance.
 
I just set up a 5 gallon betta tank with an AquaClear mini ('20' now I guess)... I put a Maxi-Jet sponge over the intake. You could cut and fit your own sponge and I have done that in another tank, but this just looks nicer. These sponges come with a center X slit down its length, work really well, but they only come in packages of 2. I happen to have a Maxi-Jet so I used the second one I had, anyway.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...857/cl0/aquariumsystemsmaxijetprefiltersponge

And, in fact, my betta thinks the flat top of it around the intake tube is a nice place to rest.
 
Yeah. Generally speaking, power filters are fine for bettas. But if you're that concerned. just get a sponge cover for the filter intake like you would use on a fry tank etc.
 
I actually have a Whisper 10 on my 5 gallon betta tank.

I have seen his tail (crown tail) get gently pulled into the intake a bit as he swims by, but it's not powerful enough to do any damage or even force him to struggle to get out - he just keeps swimming normally and the tail is freed. Really only a very weak betta on the verge of death would get stuck on this intake. I also run the filter at half strength since the current is still pretty powerful for those flowing fins.
 
webcricket said:
Really only a very weak betta on the verge of death would get stuck on this intake. I also run the filter at half strength since the current is still pretty powerful for those flowing fins.

Or the occasional crazy bugger that likes to rest against the filter intake and get his fins sucked *way* up the filter. Only had it happen once or twice, but it can happen.
 
I don't know, I don't believe the slits in the intake on this model are long enough to allow the whole tail through. A guppy tail maybe, but not an adult betta.
 
Betta's anal fins are very thin, and at the right angle it can happen. It's very rare though, to the point that I don't worry about it. Usually they don't need to go all the way up. They get about halfway up or so and then the fish tears it trying to get it out.
 
AquariaCentral.com