Lots of hawkeye split tank questions....

[baylee767]

Right now my Bettas are in kritter keepers (2.5 gal and 1.5 gal) I stumbled across a 5 gallon hex hawkeye tank online today! Link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hawkeye-5-...arium/14660258
Can I cycle this and split it between my two Bettas? My cycling method will be to:

1. Place raw shrimp in a mesh bag thing I have and put it in the tank

2. test ammonia until it reaches around 8 PPM

3. Remove shrimp.

4. when the nitrates reach 10-20 and ammonia and nitrites are 0 I'll do a 50% water change

can I use the filter it comes with and an undergravel filter and is there any undergravel filters built for this tank? Or can I use the current filter (problems might occur because it'll be divided)?

Also, any advice as to how exactly to divide the tank? I'll be making the dividers high so that no Bettas can jump them. One last question. If I cycle the tank and put in the filter, substrate, Live plants, divider, 2 Bettas, etc. I don't have to do 100%water changes, right? I have a fear of dropping fish with the net since I've done it before. If I did a 100% water change wouldn't it kind of ruin the cycle? What percentage should I change and how often?

[baylee767]

Anybody? I also just thought up another question (Yes, I know you're thinking "Oh no! Another question!") I'm going To need a heater. 25 or 50 watt (I currently own a 25 watt, so that would be easiest. I live in Hawaii so It doesn't get too cold just a bit cold in the winter)? How would I set it up so that they would both get decent heat? (I'm probably doing a mesh divider!)

[nomoretickets]

Undergravels are pretty much a crap shoot, and the filter it comes with won't work as an undergravel anyway so w/e. As far as a heater your 25 watt should be ok considering your location. Just put the filter on one corner and the heater in the other And it will all work out, I have 3, used to be 4, divided tanks and the temp is A consistent 80* in the tank. From one side to the other you might have a 1* variation, and that's with out the water flow created by the filter. As for your divider just type in diy tank divider on google cause you will save a ton of money if you make your own

[baylee767]

About the filter, I meant would it be okay to use the filter it comes with and an undergravel filter? According to the picture, there is only 1 hole in the back in the center of the lid for the filter, though I'm pretty sure that you can pop out holes in the edges, too.

[nomoretickets]

Undergravel filters are pretty much worthless, and mesh dividers don't hinder waterflow enough to make it an issue so I wouldnt worry about it. I mean you could Jerry rig an undergravel filter but IMO it's not even remotely worth the time or money

[baylee767]

oh okay than I wont (=

How often and what percentage of water should I change a week?

[baylee767]

How does 50% once a week (with siphoning!) sound? I don't feed them too much (3 pellets a day and once a week 3 blood worms and no pellets that day) So I don't think that the water gets too messy. Than again, I'm guessing Betta poops have nothing to do with ammonia ;) (I'll be adding java ferns and maybe marimo balls, so that should help with water quality, right?)

What's the easiest way exactly to make a divider?

[nomoretickets]

Here's how I made mine and it's worked awesome in the 3 tanks I put em in. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/d...ividers-21866/
As far as how much you should change, that sounds fairly good, but it really depends on how well your cycle gets established, (5 gallons can be tricky from what I hear) but that should be fine. The plants will help a lot with water quality.

[danifacetastic]

I have a ten gallon for my 3 boys and I never cycled it and it's been fine. I have a 25 watt heater in there and it works just fine too.