Help adding a filter?
I'm hoping someone here can give me some advice on adding a filter to my axie tank. I've had this girl for going on a year and until now I've been making do with frequent water changes, but I feel like she will ultimately be happier with a filter. I have a hang on the back filter (Tetra Whisper 10) and I wedged something in front of it to minimize the flow, but she still seems extremely unhappy with it. Her gills turned forward immediately and she was frantically swimming into the edge of the tank. I unplugged it for now, but am wondering what I should do from here. Will she eventually adjust to the change and relax? Should I invest in something else like a sponge filter? (I'd rather not, a little tight on cash, but if it's what she needs...) Something else I didn't think of?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Posted May 17, 2019, 7:04 PM UTC
I think what you have set up seems fine, how big is your tank ?? The smaller the tank the more they’ll notice the flow but they can be drama queens about it.
I’d keep it turned on and see if she settles down it might just be the change that spooked her, if you can see a lot of movement in the water then it might be a good idea to go for a sponge filter.
It’s one of two options either she’s really sensitive and will need a sponge filter or she’s just got spooked and will get used to it :)
Thank you so much!! It's a ten gallon tank, so it isn't all that big. I'm thinking about moving her up to twenty gallons eventually but, y'know...the cash thing.
How long do you recommend I run it for before determining if she's being dramatic or if she actually has a problem?
I’d give it a week, if she seems extremely stressed the whole time then either move to a sponge filter or move to a bigger tank ASAP, whichever’s cheaper and more convenient for you! With a Bigger tank though your current filter would definitely be fine !
As for cost, I’d look on local Facebook market places or places like eBay or shpock etc for cheaper but good quality tanks that you can clean up and cycle for ur axi, just keep a close eye out for stress signs :)
That sounds great, thank you for all your help! You're the best