Question about bettas and filters

Hi, I have a male betta that I put in a 3 gallon tank. I am new to bettas. I was told by a guy at the pet store that since I have a betta, I don't need to use a filter on my tank, even though it came with one (I have an Eclipse 3). He just said I need to empty the tank and change and condition the water completely once a week. However, after I did research on the Internet, it seems like this may not be the best approach. Is it OK to continue not using my filter or should I start turning it on? The betta and my live plant already seem to be settled in the tank. I just want to do the right thing.

Thanks
Sienna

Try going to Betta Health and locate the topic titled "Water Changes". Poke around in the different threads and you'll find many more conversations on w/c's. Theres a wealth of information in them and can be very beneficial when no one seems to be available. Being new thats the most advice I'll commit too!

You will need a filter on the tank as bettas still wee and poop so ammonia is caused.

You will also have to do large water changes as you will end up doing "fish in cycling".

There are some very good threads with the help you will need for fish in cycling, water changes, feeding and general care.

It is such a shame that LFS decide to give such misleading information all the time. They once did it to me and I learnt the hard way

oh, and welcome

Sponge filters are great for smaller tanks plus have the advantage that you can control the flow more easily. With the Bettas having such big fins they do struggle if the flow is too much for them.

I'd use the filter, that way if you go away for a week or 2, the tank will be ok missing a water change and it won't hurt the fish as the filter takes care of all the nasty ammonia and nitrite.

If the current is too strong, you can face the filter outflow nozzle so it hits the glass at the back of the tank, or you can tie on a bit of sponge over the outflow, which will muffle the flow a bit

I put a little piece of synthetic sponge in the intake valve and it slowed down the flow. Now my betta doesn't look like he's struggling. There is a little bit of a current on the right side of the tank where the output is but he seems OK with it. I understand that it will take the filter some time to cycle -- in the meantime should I be changing my fish's water every other day or so?

at least. do you have a test kit?

Yes, I have two Mardel test kits, one for ammonia and the other is 5 in 1 (ph, hardness, alkalinity, nitrite and nitrate. These kits don't test for chlorine, but I am treating the water for it. If I am changing most of the water every other day, how often do I need to test? And do I NEED a test for chlorine?

the water conditioner should take care of all the chlorine. testit at least once a day before you change any water since you have just put in the filter it isnt cycled and the ammonia will build up really fast. i honestly would test every few hours and change the water if it goes up to or above .25ppm. the liquid test kit are much more accurate than the strip, i use the API freshwater master test kit. it has all the tests you would need. oh and if you have a notebook you could use write down when you took the readings and what they were. it comes in very handy if something happens to the fish or to keep track of where you are in your cycle. each of my tanks have their own one subject notebook that i record the test results, water changes, any changes in the decor or occupants of the tank, temp of the water, and illnesses and treatments in the tank. it has been a life saver for me!!

Ok, I am brand new at this. I've been dunking a cup into the aquarium to take about half the old water out (takes forever). I heard something about siphoning water out but I don't know what that is or how to do it. The 3 gallon tank is too heavy for me to tip and pour water out. Do I leave the fish in the tank if I only replace half the water? Any advice you can give me would be great!

your lfs will sell siphons, they are also known as gravel vaccumes(sp?). i use one of those for water changes, much quicker! yes you can leave him in the tank, as long as you arent tipping the tank over to pour out the water try to get the temp of the water you put in the tank as close as possible to the temp of the water in the tank. if the temp is too different from what he is in it can shock his system, no good! until you get a siphon the cup method will work just fine!

A syphon might be a little to big to use on your tank and you might not actually be able to hover up much fish poo. But you can use a air line tube and just put one end in the tank and suck on the other end and the water will flow aslong as its draining to below the hight of the tank. Just try not to drick any

The siphons I saw at the pet store looked huge compared to my tank size. Is an air line tube just plastic tubing? Where would I find such a thing? A hardware store maybe? (I'm in the USA).

Most pet stores that sell fish will have airline tubing

You LFS will sell it. It the small plastic tubing about 0.5-1cm wide its used to connect a air pump to a air stone. I use it in my 21G so i dont hover up the pygmy corys and its good for sucking up little bits and cleaning the substrate.

yep and van and netty told me a neat trick for the airline tubing as a siphon, if you take the bottom of a plastic coat hanger and tie it to the air line it makes it much easier to handle!!! thats what i did, i just used tiny zip ties to attach it. im in the us to and even walmart will have the airline. thats where i get mine as a matter of a fact, it is much cheaper there for a lot more of it!!

I use bait bands for fishing to strap my airline to one of them long algae scrapes because if you have the end of the airline near the 2 prongs on them you can use it to move the sand around while your doing it.

i always plug the end in the bucket with my finger to stir

Fair enough but my ways better haha.

When you use the air line just make sure the other end is in the bucket because ive not noticed that its fallen out a few times and soaked my floor by the time i realise. ahah

yeah yeah, it is a bit easier i did that flood the floor routine a few times and then i got a clothespin and it keeps it in the bucket and doesnt hamper the flow as long as you watch where you put it on the line at!