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Ideas for dividing a 10g?

2K views 38 replies 15 participants last post by  VJM 
#1 ·
hey guys, I was thinking about dividing my 10g tank into maybe halves or thirds so that my three male betta can live together and I was just wondering how I should attack this project. Are there already pre-made dividers that I can just stick into my tank, or would I have to go to the hardware store and create it myself. And if any of you guys who already been through this situation and overcome it, what'd you do? any pictures? many thanks!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have three divided 10g tanks (with three boys each). My fiance did all the work, but basically what he did was take the crafting mesh and the bars that you use to bind reports. You can get the mesh for dirt cheap at Michael's. The report binders are a bit more expensive. They can be found in any office supply store.
We decided to go with black and dark blue mesh in hopes that it would make them less likely to see each other. He only used one sheet of mesh per divider, though I've heard people say they used two and criss-crossed them so that the holes were smaller. You just have to measure and cut the mesh and the report binders so that they fit snugly in your tank.

Pros: Cheap to make, simple to make, easily removable, adjustable
Cons: Flimsy/unreliable if you don't take the time to ensure a snug fit, the fish can still see through them, can be difficult to work around filter/intake

I haven't had any issues with mine. None of my boys have gotten into another's space and after the first day, they stopped flaring and now don't even pay attention to each other. You just have to be very diligent about the fit into the tank.

Edit: You can see that Tuffy is looking at the mesh in my avatar
 
#5 ·
I used the DIY mesh dividers in my tank, and never had any problems. You can also find colored mesh, or double up pieces so its harder for them to see each other.

Just be sure to put it in before your substrate to keep it in place.
 
#8 ·
While a snug fit and using gravel/decor to stabilize the divider(s) can be sufficient, I actually prefer to attach the plastic binder clips in place with aquarium silicone. The plastic mesh can then be slid in and out. Its a more "permanent" solution, so you definitely want to make sure you take the time to plan out exactly where you want them before siliconing, but its really not that hard to remove them if you decide to in the future--a razor blade and some elbow grease will remove all silicone from the glass, so it isn't irreversible.
 
#9 ·
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=40025
The above link is how to make home-made dividers, really simple and CHEAP!

I have both store bought and DIY dividers, and I prefer the store bought, but they arent worth the $10/divider to me, so I usually go with divided.


I have my 10's divided into Quarters. Its nice!
 
#16 ·
Good luck with your tank! I did the DIY method to divide a Petco Bookcase tank for my two boys. I put enough tension in it so that the divider is pretty stable on its own, but it is shored at the bottom with the substrate. It's been up for ... maybe 4-5 months now and I haven't had any problems with it. I catch the boys flaring...but not at each other...they flare at their reflections when I have the room lights off. They ignore each other.
 
#18 ·
If you want extra reinforcement with the DIY dividers, you can try making some bars out of the report binders to fit on the lip of the tank to keep them up, or, as someone else mentioned, adhere them to the sides with glue.

Also, the DIY mesh dividers have small holes that allow the water to flow through them. The filtration probably isn't quite as effective though.
 
#19 ·
http://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax®-Me...UTF8&qid=1360491433&sr=8-1&keywords=plen+plex
Just ordered 2 of those tonight. I'm going to go to Walmart and buy some of that black plastic canvas and possibly double up on it after I see it in the tank. Looks like we're planning the same thing - I'm doing it into 3's as well! I'll post an update of the dividers after I get them and let you know how they look/work. Good luck!
:)
 
#26 ·
I guess I am lost or just different in my way of thinking. I don't use HOB in a divided tank. I treat each compartment as an individual tank. Each section gets it's own sponge filter. Not only does this make sure each section gets equal filtration, but also prevents flow problems from a HOB. JMO
 
#30 ·
HOB: Hang On Back Filter
JMO: Just My Opinion :D

I wish I had gotten here earlier to suggest Plexiglas! I have two divided 10g tanks, and the Plexiglas works PERFECTLY! My dad drilled about 10 each in the dividers, so the water is perfect and actually drains both sides in a water change :D And if one gets sick we can plug them up and have a QT tank right there. Yours look absolutely brilliant, though! Congrats!
 
#31 ·
I bought one of the kits to divide my tank and it worked good. I would go with the DIY next time though cuz the kit was pretty pricy >.< but with mine when I got it in it seemed kinda flimsy even with gravelband plants to support it. The two metal clips that came with it work great (you can see on my avatar) to keep it steady. You could probably use a large paper clip instead.
 
#35 ·
So my dividers came earlier than expected! Here's a few pics...
This is a close-up of the clips (one of the main reasons I got them):

And here's the whole thing:


I haven't put it in my tank yet. I'm heading to Walmart tomorrow to pick up some of that black plastic canvas to use in between since I don't want them seeing each other. I'm also going to pick up a couple more caves so all the sections have one. If I complete it tomorrow I should be able to post the result by tomorrow night. I'm too excited for this. :lol:

Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of money to spend on filters, so I'm going to still be using my under gravel one for now (I think I'll point the outflow towards the middle section so the water flows there) with my water changes much more frequent. The ideas you guys have been saying are great and I'll definitely look into them for the future when I have saved some money!
 
#36 ·
Ah, so I completed it! I decided to go with a SpongeBob theme because I thinks it's adorable. :lol: Shinji is on the left (double tail plakat), Caaarl is in the middle (veiltail), and Paul is on the right (crowntail).
 
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