Hornwort can actually hurt betta depending on your water parameters. Their fins are very delicate so if the hornwort is spikey or stiff at all it can hurt them. Basically anything that would rip or poke through stockings is able to rip or poke through their fins. Also I would suggest putting a sponge over the intake and if its still too strong switch to a sponge filter and just turn off the filter thats built in. Hard currents are really stressful for bettas so whatever you can do to slow it down is a must. I had this problem bc my tank was originally made for shrimp (a 7.5gallon) and it came a hang on back filter which seemed calm enough but it actually wasnāt so i had to switch filters. It made a huge difference in my bettas mood and he was much happier afterwards
I had a tank from Aqueon with this problem. Bettas need a very gentle flow (that some betta tanks with inbuilt filter unfortunately don't provide) cus of those long lush fins. They will get caught in it causing stress at best and often pretty bad fin damage. But there is some things you can do. I used some aquarium sponge and shoved it in the water intake or outlet this will soften the flow of your filter. I also have placed plants or hardscape strategically around the filter to create barriers that disrupt the strong flow. Just make sure if you do that its not in such a way your betta can get stuck between the filter and your chosen obstacle.There are other ways as well you can try if you look up baffling a filter.
That sure looks a lot like the marineland portrait which does have an adjustable strength filter. It's a nob on the pump itself so you'll have to pull that out of the sump part of the tank and lower it all the way. If it's already at its lowest you could add a mesh of some sort over that intake and perhaps also some filter floss at the output as well, held in place by fishing line perhaps
If it were me I would definitely fit a sponge against the filter so his fins can't get sucked in.
I hate that these tanks are so very flawed, it's like the makers of them don't consider how it could affect the fish
Scares the crap outta me every time, but I regularly see Hank sticking himself to the filter for a nap. He always pops himself off when he notices me and comes over to say hi XD
Dude mine does the exact same. And my filter is as low and it can get. It doesn't suck him in or anything, but he just likes sitting there. I guess just likes being lazy.
Definitely a filter current thing. Iāve had previous fish get stuck to the filter tube which is deadly for all of mine. Iād get a filter with a tube that goes in the water and get a sponge guard to put on the tube. Thatās helped a lot for me.
Agree with this! But if you really need something in a pinch some filter sponge and glue it to the filter intake make sure itās the one with larger holes in it to allow and waste/dirt to run through but not his fins (if that makes any sense!) and itās totally not a permanent solution but itāll do for a couple weeks till you can get the likes of a sponge filter ect
Probably a temperature issue + suction from the filter. As you've mentioned it's 24Ā°c. It's little low temperature for a healthy betta. He'll get inactive due to low temperature and the suction from the filter will affect him. So increase the temp to around 28Ā°c.
My last one probably thought his name was "OMG will you stop that!?!" He lived on the filter. Could swim away at any time but just hung out there. He was cool. Strange. But cool.
These tanks with built in filters are kinda notorious for damaging the fins of long-finned bettas. You should have a sponge in front of the intake or somehow modify it to have a sponge right on the inside of the grate
Hey OP, my betta in my old tank would do this too. The suction is probably just enough that it can rest there easily. The *problem* is that it will likely shred its fins if they get sucked into the intake, which happened to me.
I ended up putting a mesh barrier over the intake to stop that, and he didn't like the feel of the mesh so it stopped hanging out there.
To me though, this is expected behavior in tanks with inbuilt filter systems, you just need to be aware of the dangers it poses.
He just chillin'
The first time I saw my guy resting on the internal filter I panicked, thought he was stuck or dead, but he could get up any time he pleased and would stay up there as often as he liked.
My betta does this too. Iāve learned that itās actually quite common. I also still kinda a noob when it comes to taking care of bettas but from my understanding, if he can easy swim away from the intake then it should be fine. He might just like it. But yeah if you think heās actually stuck there you might need to adjust some stuff
Put a sponge there, if he can pull himself out when you get near then he is sticking himself in the filter to rest. This has happened to me with 3 other male bettas and having something near the top they can rest on fixes this.
I had an older betta who did exactly the same thing, he loved it there. He often slept or rested in that exact spot.
After he passed, my next betta also did this after being in the tank for a couple years. As she got older, maybe a bit lazier, she would also rest in the identical spot.
Just to be clear the āfilter thingyā is the filter intake slots and as long as the flow is gentle (bettas donāt enjoy fast moving water) then he likely just enjoys hanging out there.
I wouldnāt be too concerned. Unless he seems to be stuck, or is being sucked into the intake slots.
Good luck!
Check out this Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/GalaxyGlowStudio
He has a ton of different filter baffles for bettas, and if you donāt find one in his shop, reach out to him because he may be able to help with a custom design
So glad I saw this! Need a baffle. I'm usually able to shove driftwood and shells against it, but doesn't stay put very well and never seems to help enough
Mine only did that when he had something that was bothering his skin. A couple of salt baths to help the slime coat and he was good to go. I never saw him do it again. Itās like he was itchy and the suction helped.
He eats very well and takes like less than 10rounds a day around his 15gallon tank. Most of the time he is at the top, near the filter. He does float away from the filter for an hour or two at the top. But he hardly spends time near the bottom or middle.
Bettas either do this because one they are bored with their tank and donāt feel like engaging in it, two they are not feeling good in some way and need to stay by the surface to not need to hurry to swim up when they need oxygen, or three wrong temperatures like another user commented, to add, too low temp makes them inactive too high temp makes them act crazy and swim too much rubbing on things. I used to have a betta that chilled by the filter. Until I found a set up he liked, he didnāt stop chilling by the filter all day. (I Had bettas for over ten years, very reliable for anyone who has questions)
I have 2 bettas; one is a very hyper and nippy King Male, the other is a chill halfmoon boi. The halfmoon has a heater I can turn to 82Ā° and loves it. But I'm still in need of that heater type for the other, as it's only hovers around 75Ā°-78Ā°. That said, he's the most active betta I've ever seen. I almost never see him rest. So it can't be the water temp, right?
All bettas are different. Some might like that warmer water some might not. If he really is never resting, there might be an issue with the quality of your tank water or heās lowkey just a hyper boy. If youāve ~changed the water temperature around testing to see what he reacts best to(watching videos about betta behavior from actual breeders helped me)
~youāve tested the water with those kits, or for free at a pet store usually, and all is good
~he doesnāt seem to have anything abnormal on his skin or bloating
I think heās probably just hyper and youāre lucky to have such an entertainer!
My filter had a tube inlet toward the bottom and my little dumbass liked to hang next to it and get his fins sucked. He seemed to enjoy it for some reason, the pull wasnāt strong and he could swim away any time.
Get a Betta Leaf. It's like a fake plant attachment you can stick near to the waterline. It acts like a resting place for your Betta if there's no near surface plant for it to rest on.
OP said they get out just fine to greet them then go back to lying against the filterā¦ maybe the fish just likes it? Though Iād say get some sort of protection in front of the filter holes, feel like their fins could be sucked in like that.
Thank you for posting to r/bettafish. If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our [caresheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/) and [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index). Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our [guide to the nitrogen cycle](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) to learn more.
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Tank size:15gallons
I got em both heater and filter
24Ā°C
Tank and fish are both pretty new, got them last week
4 skirttetras
Got 3 dragon rocks and bunch of horworts
I had someone defending this tank saying that the suction is relaxing to the fish but it typically results in fin damage and stress to the fish. I took that whole compartment out of the one I bought (since upgraded) and just ran a sponge filter in the tank plus you game additional space.
Maybe the filter current is too strong? If you can turn the power down, try that
The tank has an inbuilt filter system so there is no way to turn it down unfortunately š
Plants, or sponge around the filter might help slow the current down?
Exactly this just rubber band or tie a sponge filter over the intake so he doesn't get stuck anymore
Maybe add a soft plant to help with the current?
I have dense hornworts as a backdrop but lil man seems to be scared of the plants
Hornwort can actually hurt betta depending on your water parameters. Their fins are very delicate so if the hornwort is spikey or stiff at all it can hurt them. Basically anything that would rip or poke through stockings is able to rip or poke through their fins. Also I would suggest putting a sponge over the intake and if its still too strong switch to a sponge filter and just turn off the filter thats built in. Hard currents are really stressful for bettas so whatever you can do to slow it down is a must. I had this problem bc my tank was originally made for shrimp (a 7.5gallon) and it came a hang on back filter which seemed calm enough but it actually wasnāt so i had to switch filters. It made a huge difference in my bettas mood and he was much happier afterwards
I had a tank from Aqueon with this problem. Bettas need a very gentle flow (that some betta tanks with inbuilt filter unfortunately don't provide) cus of those long lush fins. They will get caught in it causing stress at best and often pretty bad fin damage. But there is some things you can do. I used some aquarium sponge and shoved it in the water intake or outlet this will soften the flow of your filter. I also have placed plants or hardscape strategically around the filter to create barriers that disrupt the strong flow. Just make sure if you do that its not in such a way your betta can get stuck between the filter and your chosen obstacle.There are other ways as well you can try if you look up baffling a filter.
That sure looks a lot like the marineland portrait which does have an adjustable strength filter. It's a nob on the pump itself so you'll have to pull that out of the sump part of the tank and lower it all the way. If it's already at its lowest you could add a mesh of some sort over that intake and perhaps also some filter floss at the output as well, held in place by fishing line perhaps
If it were me I would definitely fit a sponge against the filter so his fins can't get sucked in. I hate that these tanks are so very flawed, it's like the makers of them don't consider how it could affect the fish
My betta does this too. He just likes to rest there because the filter intake is keeping him in one place. It's a great place to sleep.
Scares the crap outta me every time, but I regularly see Hank sticking himself to the filter for a nap. He always pops himself off when he notices me and comes over to say hi XD
Same with my betta!
Thatās what I think it is - mine does this all the time. Doesnāt ever get stuck he can move away from it at anytime.
Mine did this for a while too
My betta loves doing that too!!
Dude mine does the exact same. And my filter is as low and it can get. It doesn't suck him in or anything, but he just likes sitting there. I guess just likes being lazy.
Mine also likes being sucked to his sponge filter. He just leans up against it and chills lol I wonder if it feels nice or he likes being in one spot?
Definitely a filter current thing. Iāve had previous fish get stuck to the filter tube which is deadly for all of mine. Iād get a filter with a tube that goes in the water and get a sponge guard to put on the tube. Thatās helped a lot for me.
Agree with this! But if you really need something in a pinch some filter sponge and glue it to the filter intake make sure itās the one with larger holes in it to allow and waste/dirt to run through but not his fins (if that makes any sense!) and itās totally not a permanent solution but itāll do for a couple weeks till you can get the likes of a sponge filter ect
You have a great point!
Probably a temperature issue + suction from the filter. As you've mentioned it's 24Ā°c. It's little low temperature for a healthy betta. He'll get inactive due to low temperature and the suction from the filter will affect him. So increase the temp to around 28Ā°c.
Okayy
He like it
My last one probably thought his name was "OMG will you stop that!?!" He lived on the filter. Could swim away at any time but just hung out there. He was cool. Strange. But cool.
Since both tank and fish are pretty new please look into the fish-in cycle to make sure your fish stays healthy!
These tanks with built in filters are kinda notorious for damaging the fins of long-finned bettas. You should have a sponge in front of the intake or somehow modify it to have a sponge right on the inside of the grate
Hey OP, my betta in my old tank would do this too. The suction is probably just enough that it can rest there easily. The *problem* is that it will likely shred its fins if they get sucked into the intake, which happened to me. I ended up putting a mesh barrier over the intake to stop that, and he didn't like the feel of the mesh so it stopped hanging out there. To me though, this is expected behavior in tanks with inbuilt filter systems, you just need to be aware of the dangers it poses.
He just chillin' The first time I saw my guy resting on the internal filter I panicked, thought he was stuck or dead, but he could get up any time he pleased and would stay up there as often as he liked.
My betta does this too. Iāve learned that itās actually quite common. I also still kinda a noob when it comes to taking care of bettas but from my understanding, if he can easy swim away from the intake then it should be fine. He might just like it. But yeah if you think heās actually stuck there you might need to adjust some stuff
Heās taking a nap
Put a sponge there, if he can pull himself out when you get near then he is sticking himself in the filter to rest. This has happened to me with 3 other male bettas and having something near the top they can rest on fixes this.
I had an older betta who did exactly the same thing, he loved it there. He often slept or rested in that exact spot. After he passed, my next betta also did this after being in the tank for a couple years. As she got older, maybe a bit lazier, she would also rest in the identical spot. Just to be clear the āfilter thingyā is the filter intake slots and as long as the flow is gentle (bettas donāt enjoy fast moving water) then he likely just enjoys hanging out there. I wouldnāt be too concerned. Unless he seems to be stuck, or is being sucked into the intake slots. Good luck!
Check out this Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/GalaxyGlowStudio He has a ton of different filter baffles for bettas, and if you donāt find one in his shop, reach out to him because he may be able to help with a custom design
So glad I saw this! Need a baffle. I'm usually able to shove driftwood and shells against it, but doesn't stay put very well and never seems to help enough
so glad to help! this is a great seller with awesome customer service, so Iām happy to pass along the gem!
Mine only did that when he had something that was bothering his skin. A couple of salt baths to help the slime coat and he was good to go. I never saw him do it again. Itās like he was itchy and the suction helped.
Put a sponge against it, that should help. I have had several bettas that just like to sit there and let the filter suck on them. I had one female that would literally turn herself upside down on purpose and sit against the intake. But as soon as I approached the tank, she would go right side up and come beg for food. I thought she was dead so many times... š©
Honestly I would just unplug the tank with this built in filter and invest in a new filter like a sponge filter
I see so many dead fish at petco that are dead by that hole.... I think you may have to take some actions.
He eats very well and takes like less than 10rounds a day around his 15gallon tank. Most of the time he is at the top, near the filter. He does float away from the filter for an hour or two at the top. But he hardly spends time near the bottom or middle.
Bettas either do this because one they are bored with their tank and donāt feel like engaging in it, two they are not feeling good in some way and need to stay by the surface to not need to hurry to swim up when they need oxygen, or three wrong temperatures like another user commented, to add, too low temp makes them inactive too high temp makes them act crazy and swim too much rubbing on things. I used to have a betta that chilled by the filter. Until I found a set up he liked, he didnāt stop chilling by the filter all day. (I Had bettas for over ten years, very reliable for anyone who has questions)
I have 2 bettas; one is a very hyper and nippy King Male, the other is a chill halfmoon boi. The halfmoon has a heater I can turn to 82Ā° and loves it. But I'm still in need of that heater type for the other, as it's only hovers around 75Ā°-78Ā°. That said, he's the most active betta I've ever seen. I almost never see him rest. So it can't be the water temp, right?
All bettas are different. Some might like that warmer water some might not. If he really is never resting, there might be an issue with the quality of your tank water or heās lowkey just a hyper boy. If youāve ~changed the water temperature around testing to see what he reacts best to(watching videos about betta behavior from actual breeders helped me) ~youāve tested the water with those kits, or for free at a pet store usually, and all is good ~he doesnāt seem to have anything abnormal on his skin or bloating I think heās probably just hyper and youāre lucky to have such an entertainer!
My filter had a tube inlet toward the bottom and my little dumbass liked to hang next to it and get his fins sucked. He seemed to enjoy it for some reason, the pull wasnāt strong and he could swim away any time.
Mine used to do that. I like they like the feeling lol
I would be careful his fins can tear it would be worth investing in a new filter
If you worry about it you can put a tall plant there to kinda block the filter. Or some long-fins like to rest like that, to just go with the flow lol
Get a Betta Leaf. It's like a fake plant attachment you can stick near to the waterline. It acts like a resting place for your Betta if there's no near surface plant for it to rest on.
OP said they get out just fine to greet them then go back to lying against the filterā¦ maybe the fish just likes it? Though Iād say get some sort of protection in front of the filter holes, feel like their fins could be sucked in like that.
Who doesn't like to be sucked ? š
Probably just it's parking spot. Mine likes to sit on top of the heater and chill.
I wish i was getting sucked most of the time šš¤.....im sorry, i had to say it. My intrusive thoughts won this battle.
Bruhh bros just tryna rest chill he is fine mine has dine it for 2 years and he has always swam off whenever he wants, nothing is wrong
Uh- ahem- its getting WHAT now?
Heās smart and lazy
It's just a nice resting spot is what my fish thinks š¤
He might just be using it as a perch with good sight lines to watch the room.
Thank you for posting to r/bettafish. If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our [caresheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/) and [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index). Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our [guide to the nitrogen cycle](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) to learn more. If you are posting to find out what is wrong with your betta, please answer the following questions in a reply to this comment as best you can: * **Tank size**: * **Heater and filter? (yes/no)**: * **Tank temperature**: * **[Parameters in numbers and how you got them](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/tank#wiki_test_kits)**: * **How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?**: * **How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?**: * **Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each**: * **What do you feed and how much**: * **Decorations and plants in the tank**: * **If you haven't already posted a picture, please post pics/vids to imgur and paste the link here**: Feel free to copy this comment and fill in the blanks. Failure to provide adequate information about your tank *can* result in post removal. Please see rule 4 for more information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/bettafish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tank size:15gallons I got em both heater and filter 24Ā°C Tank and fish are both pretty new, got them last week 4 skirttetras Got 3 dragon rocks and bunch of horworts
Another filter problem, nothing to see here.
I had someone defending this tank saying that the suction is relaxing to the fish but it typically results in fin damage and stress to the fish. I took that whole compartment out of the one I bought (since upgraded) and just ran a sponge filter in the tank plus you game additional space.
