I have 1 betta in a 5 gallon tank. I would like to put a hob aqua teck 5-15 filter but when I did this his fins got tore (im not sure if it was really the filter i also had him in a 20 before with some neons and a penguin 330 filter and then tried a intank flow control wishper filter that the tank came with and gravel.) So I took out all plants and gravel and put a penn plex small world filter that runs on an air pump the green ones that has the charbon and I guess some type of floss. and got softer plants and a hidey cave left the gravel out his fins grew back quickly. I ended up putting gravel back in I hated how messy the bottom got being bare. So far so good. I just dont like that filter on it. Im used to the filters sucking the mess up and this one doest. I saw this
The Hydro-Sponge I Filter provides both mechanical and biological filtration for aquariums up to 10 gallons. Aerobic bacteria colonize the sponge, providing a bacterial substrate to facilitate the nitrogen cycle. In addition, the Hydro-Sponge traps large waste particles, mechanically cleaning the water. The Hydro-Sponge filters are designed for stackablility to increase the filtering capacity.

Would that sponge filter be better for filtration then the penn plex small world (that ones does the carbon and the other doesnt. or would it be ok to run both?

there is also a really small hob filter at one site

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...cfm?pcatid=9821

for small aquariums, maybe that would work

I dont know any intake tub his fins have been sucked up into it. and the intake wishper filter he gets sucked up under it?
Thats why I was wondering bout the sponge filters and using the small world at the same time so it does all types of filtration

yea the trick to keeping a bare bottom clean is to extend the filter tubing to almost the very bottom of the tank. to keep him from being injured again by a filter you can always cut off a small part of a knee high nylon and place it over the filter opening

I did place knee high over the tub and that part was ok but the water flow he really didnt like

that is why I am fond of the whisper filters. They have adjustable flow switched on the back. I have mine turned all the way down in my betta tanks.

the filter the tank came with is a wishper in tank with flow control but when i put the stocking on the bottom where it sucks the water it wouldnt filter the water.
are there any other wishper filters with flow control that i have yet to see?