Betta and water flow

HI everyone,
Ok so I have read a few times about bettas not liking strong currents or water flow. How do
you tell they don't like it? Are there any signs to look for?
I have quite a few betters, the filter types I have are 2 different kinds. One is a 2 stage filter, with 200L an hour flow rate and a current of 15 moving average. I can adjust the flow rate on this filter. This filter is in the main tank.
The other filter is an Elite MinI submersible. Its 220L an hour, no idea of the flow rate but its fast, and adjustable too. This filter is ran in the back of the tank to push the water through to the air pump which then pumps water into the tank at 1.6L a minute.
My bettas seem good with these pumps, in fact the bettas with the first pump like to swim in the currents of it sometimes. Id like to know about this because if its just that they don't like it I'm ok with that, but if its something to do with their health, well I would certainly like to know about that.

 

If the current is too strong, when the betta gets near it, you will notice him/her being carried by it and panicking to try and swim away. This really stresses them out and often leads to them avoiding the area that has strong current and only swimming in a small area of the tank. In extreme cases where the filter is MUCH too strong, betta fins can be torn. The size of your tank makes a big difference too. If you have a large tank you can probably get away with using a stronger filter.

 

HI Anastasia,
Thanks for that.. Ive noticed my bettas in the flow surfing it more so than avoiding it. That's probably not normal but I don't think my bettas are what you would call normal, they are very determined!

 

They sound like they are doing alright! I would watch for ripped fins or panicking just in case but seems like they are perfectly fine

 

My bettas like to surf in the flow also. If you notice that your betta stays on the furthest side of the tank from the filter and seems distressed, then the flow might be too strong. But I think acclimation to a current might be in play here too, since bettas from the fish stores are generally kept in little death cups with no filtration at all. Going from a cup of water to a larger tank with current might be a little bit of a shock if a cramped, confined space is all that they've known until you bring one home. It's good that your filters are adjustable. If you think there is a problem, try a lower flow and gradually let them work their way up to being physically strong enough to deal with a bit of current. I've always been told to keep a watch on your water readings if the flow is very low because a slower flow might necessitate more frequent water changes if the filter on low isn't able to keep up with the bioload of the tank. Maybe someone else can give some advice on this - I'm going on what I was told about filtration when I first got into fish keeping back in the 80's - and the science has gotten a lot clearer since then! I keep mine on high and haven't had any problems, but everyone's situation and fish is unique. You have to determine whether your particular fish is ok as best you can.