new tank for my guys...

[crowntail lover]

As some of you may know...I just rescued a guy from WalMart who had a tail nipping problem and had reddish gills. Well...He is doing a lot better, no nipping and gills are looking normal!! So I decided to go ahead and give him a name...Akio which means "bright boy" in Japanese.. I am housing him in a 1.5 gallon bowl for aqua salt treatment to help his fins and gills for now but I am wanting to purchase a 5g and divide it.. Akio on one side and Cornelias on the other.
I am going to add live plants to the tank with a whisper filter and proper heaters (will have heater on both divided sides) I will also have a lid with a light ....
How does this sound to you guys?
Also.. I have a divider...But I am wanting to have the filter in the middle to help keep water flow on both sides..Which means me haveing to actually cut the divider to fit..Has anyone done this? Or maybe knows somewhere I could find a divider with a space for a filter?