My new 2.5!! :D

[MeganL3985]

So the 2.5 came in the mail today. Found out it had a ugf, so I had to skip out on the sand I was going to us. I found a nice white and light beige gravel at walmart that I liked, so I used that instead. I am really annoyed by the ugf though. Its hard to anchor my plants down in it....since the ugf takes up so much room. But anyway...I took pics of what it looks like now. I have a few tweaks to do before its final...but this is the basic lay out. One thing that I find very strange is that the air filter/bubbler thing is on the left hand side. But the notch on the base for the cords to come out is on the right hand side.....so the cords go the whole way across the back of the tank. So i'm gonna use a dremel tomorrow and cut a new notch on the left side. That way the cords go straight down and out.
Another thing thats bothering me is the bubbles.....it seems to be a little too strong. I thought I remembered someone saying that there was an adjustment on the mini-bows for that, but I can't find it. Arg....I just hope its not too much movement for puffin.

Anyway......with that novel wrote, here are the pics :) Sorry so many! and like I said, just a basic setup, still a few things to be tweaked.

[MeganL3985]

Forgot you can only put 4 pics at a time, heres 1 more.

[RobbieG]

That looks great!

So that's the infamous coconut:c5:

[Drumachine09]

The tank looks great!

If you REALLY dont want the UGF, whisper (i think) makes a small in tank filter. There wouldnt be as much surface agitation either. Just something to think about.

[YaYgoldFish]

It looks really nice.. I see you used the coconut lol...it looks great! :)

[SkarloeysMom]

The tank looks great!

If you REALLY dont want the UGF, whisper (i think) makes a small in tank filter. There wouldnt be as much surface agitation either. Just something to think about.


Ditto! The tank looks really nice! The Whisper in-tank filter is the one I mentioned that came with my 2.5g MiniBow. It does have a flow control on it.

[MeganL3985]

dam! I wonder why mine came with a ugf!? Grr...I hate those things! I'm gonna recheck walmarts page and check it out. I wonder how the hoods vary, to compensate for the whisper in-tank filter...?

[Drumachine09]

I was in walmart today, and i took alook at their small tanks. The only one that had a UGF was the 1 gallon.

I have no internal filters, but from looking at them, there is a small hook that hooks onto the side of the tank. If there wasnt space, you could use your dremel tool to cut out a little square.

[MeganL3985]

I just emailed walmart and the makers of mini-bow and told them about my problem. Maybe if i'm lucky enough, one of them will give me a free whisper filter! hahaha :D

[RobbieG]

Asking is free!

[gm72]

Don't forget about the azoo palm filter. Just another suggestion. Can be found here:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Setup looks good, Megan!
Had work paying off!

[MeganL3985]

Whatcha all think about those bubbles? You think they're going to kick out too much water movement for a betta? The surface water moves around a bit, but I can't tell if thats how it is the whole way through the tank. Maybe put him in tomorrow and monitor his movement?

[crackatinny]

Looks great, the coconut was well worth the time spent.

[MeganL3985]

Yeah love the coconut! I think i'm going to cut a few of the leafs off of one of the plants in my fish bowl and stick it inside the coconut. The leafs will be around the inside, not all over...so puffin can actually get in there and stuff. He just really likes that plant and I dont see anywhere else to put it in the new tank without it being a little crowded. We'll see how it works. If it doesn't then hopefully he'll grow fond of the new ones :)

[MeganL3985]

Don't forget about the azoo palm filter. Just another suggestion. Can be found here:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]


Oh man, I meant to thank you for posting that! I guess I didn't...lol But thanks again! :)

[MeganL3985]

Yeah i've had over night to think about this under gravel filter and the concept has grown on me a bit and I dont think its that much of an issue now. But I do have a problem thats bothering me. The little tube/bubbler that puts out the clean water is wayyyyyyy too strong. Its blowing out the bubbles at a high speed and its to the point where I had to rig a piece of plastic over the back opening b/c there was a lot of spray coming out of it. I pushed the bubbling piece down as far as it could go b/c its adjustable, but its still spraying too much. I am sooooooo annoyed by this thing. Plus its loud!!! I really wish it would've just come with the whisper in-tank filter. :smad:

[gm72]

Too bad that the filter is too strong. Can you put a piece of something into the tube to decrease the flow rate even more? Bettas don't like water that is too oxygenated, so it might be a good idea to try to further decrease the bubbling action.

[tropfish]

Don't give up! lol

it looks really good. Especially the coconut

[MeganL3985]

Too bad that the filter is too strong. Can you put a piece of something into the tube to decrease the flow rate even more? Bettas don't like water that is too oxygenated, so it might be a good idea to try to further decrease the bubbling action.

Thats pretty much my issue, I dont know how do decrease the flow. I am trying to come up with something, but I'm also at the same time afraid of disrupting the filtering aspect of it. I want it to do its job but not be so agressive...if thats the right word.

[Drumachine09]

Try stuffing some loose filter floss in the pipe.

Either that, or raise the airstone up higher in the tube.

[MeganL3985]

raise it up higher?? ohhhh I was pushing the airstone further down! Thanks drum, i'll try that out.

by the way. those valves that some of you have recommended for airstones to control the amount of bubbles (?) could that be used? If so what kind of valves are they? I've looked at walmart and petsmart and they have a few different types. Like T connectors and a few others.

[Drumachine09]

What you want is a gange valve. That will control the amount of air going to the airstone, which will increase/decrease the amount of bubbles.




When you move the stone to the bottom, the bubbles pick up more speed on the way to the top. The lest room you give them to speed up, the less surface agitation you will have. This in conjunction with a gang valve would decrease the agitation in your tank.

You cant move the stone all the way to the top, because your filtration would suffer, but halfway up, maybe a little more will do its job.

[MeganL3985]

Ahhh thanks a ton! :) I am going to try moving the airstone up half way, then if that doesn't do it, i'll try a piece of filter floss at the very end where it comes out. If that doesn't do it i'll either pick up a gange valve or end up getting a whole new filter all together! Probably the whisper 10i like it was suppose to have come with!!! lol

[Drumachine09]

Ahhh thanks a ton! :) I am going to try moving the airstone up half way, then if that doesn't do it, i'll try a piece of filter floss at the very end where it comes out. If that doesn't do it i'll either pick up a gange valve or end up getting a whole new filter all together! Probably the whisper 10i like it was suppose to have come with!!! lol


If i were you, id just get the whisper and save myself the trouble. It will do a much better job of filtering, there wont be as much agitation, and it will be quieter.

[gm72]

Agreed with Drum on that one. The whisper 10 isn't too expensive and will do a better job.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Lookin good!

[SkarloeysMom]

If i were you, id just get the whisper and save myself the trouble. It will do a much better job of filtering, there wont be as much agitation, and it will be quieter.

Ditto! and then I'd complain to Walmart that they gave you the wrong thing and have them send you one too. Then when you get it, go back to Walmart with the receipt that you got for the one you bought and return the one they sent you! PRESTO! You have the filter that you were supposed to get and you don't have to pay extra!!! Man, what a plan!

[MeganL3985]

Okay I went out an bought a whisper filter. I am sooooooo glad I didnt get the whisper 10i though! The whisper 3 fits perfectly in my tank. I have absolutely no room for a 10 in there. lol So after an hour of taking apart everything again...like taking the plants, coconut, etc out...then taking apart the ugf, replacing the filter and the heater, and the plants, etc. I was finally done. Blahhhhhhh my patience was to a minimum by the time I was done! lol Anyway, everythings back where it was and the temp is cool also. So i've now got puffin in his plastic bowl and i'm acclimating him to the water. Another 20 minute round and he should be ready to go :) That'll put it at about an hour....maybe a little over. Thanks everyone for your help!

Btw, that filter kicks booty!!! :D

[Drumachine09]

Are you useing the sand like you originaly wanted to?

[MeganL3985]

No I was in too much of a hurry to get everything put back together, so I just kept the gravel in. Puffin is now in there and is definitely enjoying his coconut :) haha Bet his water being warm is a nice change too.
That whisper filter isn't very much of a whisper if you ask me though. that pump is pretty loud.

[tropfish]

Alot of new filters make noise. After its been in for a while it should quiet down.

[gm72]

I have heard that new filters are loud but honestly have never experienced this myself. Filters have been filters, quiet is quiet. However, I only use Aquaclear HOBs and Eheim canisters, so maybe I have a limited view on this.

[MeganL3985]

I kinda improvised and made it a little more quiet. I used a little plastic extender and the hose from my other airpump and got the airhose long enough to be able to put the pump underneath my dresser. So the dresser muffles the noise some. As long as i'm able to sleep with it on, I should be good :) I can barely hear the filter on my 5 gal. Its got the bio-wheel filtration and doesn't run off an airpump like the whisper does. So everythings good now. I still can't believe how quickly that filter sucked up the little floaties, after I moved everything around earlier. It only took about 5 minutes to get everything filtered and settled.

[gm72]

Nice job, Megan, great idea!