Bettas don't like fast-flowing water and will have trouble swimming if the filter is too strong. It can even push the betta into the intake pipe and the fish could drown. Great care must be taken when choosing a filter for your Betta. Sponge filters are an excellent choice for bettas, since you can adjust the flow for them.
While Bettas like a very low flow, having no flow will be bad for a Betta tank. A Betta tank must have filtration and filtration, by its very nature, requires flow. Long-finned bettas can struggle to swim even in the mildest currents due to their natural habitat in rice fields, streams and stagnant puddles. However, many bettas in the aquarium industry have been overbred because of their appearance and have lost the natural fins that would help them combat the currents.
Their long fins make swimming difficult and can be quite heavy. So, you might see your betta fish resting on tank surfaces, such as flat leaves, or some even like to lie on the bottom of the tank. Sponge filters are an ideal choice for betta tanks as they provide adjustable flow and agitate the surface due to bubbles, increasing oxygenation for bettas. Electric filters should only be used in tanks of 3 gallons or more due to severe current problems.
If you decide to introduce aquarium companions, create a brotherhood, or place your betta fish in a community tank, you'll need to filter them to increase oxygenation and water quality. We recommend buying a tank recommended for betta fish that comes with a ready-to-use filtration unit. It's always important to make sure that the filter you choose is ideal for the type of betta fish you have. I encourage you to buy a larger tank when you can and, for the foreseeable future, I will simply turn off the filter while you feed your betta fish.
They work best in tanks up to 10 gallons and pose virtually no risk to betta fish due to suction or flow.
