# divided betta tank



## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Does anyone have a divided tank for bettas? I'm thinking about dividing my 10g for 2 or 3 bettas. I'm not sure what to use for a divider though. I've tried the plastic canvas stuff and my old betta and Charlie could see each others shadows and kept swimming up and down the divider, so that didn't work.

What has worked for you? What kind of filtration do you use?

Thanks!


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

I have two 2.5g divded betta tanks and I use plastic canvas and yes the bettas did what yours did at first but after a couple of days they stopped and now only occasionlaly flare at each other. But for a 10g you'll have to go to the lps and get a real divider as 10g's don't have the premade slots that the minibow 2.5g's do. I don't have any kind of filtration in my 2.5g's but am thinking about getting the smallest sponge filter they have as there wouldn't be alot of room left for the betta that I put the spongefilter on.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

The only real dividers I've seen are completely see through...so I'm gonna use the plastic stuff. I plan to use 2 of the report binder ends and attach them to the glass with some silicon. I'm gonna attach some moss to the plastic before I install it, so that they can't see through it much. This is still just an idea though....I may just use the tank for a QT/hospital tank...haven't decided yet. I would love to have more than one betta though.

Do you have a filter on yours?


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

No, as I just edited in, I don't have any kind of filtration on them but am considering getting a sponge filter. With the real dividers you can just put some artifical plants in front of it on both sides but leave a spot open where they can see each other.


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

My experience with dividers... not so great. Both with the plastic canvas and the store bought. The water flow is seriously hindered. As in, the temperature can be a great difference on one side from the other (like 5 degrees) if you have a heater on one side. Filtration does not seem to go through the dividers much either. Putting 3 dividers in a 10g resulting in 4 bettas homes and putting filtration in the middle resulted in the the outside 2 compartments getting mucky stagnant water. 

Another person I know used to keep her bettas like this but started having lots of problems with her fish dropysing. She was convinced it was because the dividers so she took them all out.

If I were to divide a 10g for my bettas again, I would have the tank in a room that didnt require a heater. Each compartment would also get a sponge filter.

And for the record, I don't find the store bought ones to be any better than the made ones other than easier installation/removal. Just yesterday, I had a kennyi get through one of the storeboughts somehow. Yea his neighbor gave him some extra special loving for his trouble too *sigh*.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

> Just yesterday, I had a kennyi get through one of the storeboughts somehow. Yea his neighbor gave him some extra special loving for his trouble too *sigh*.


Oh no! I hope he's alright.

Ok, so I'm hearing it from a pro betta keeper. I think I may just use the tank as a QT/hospital like I planned to. Maybe I'll set up a few 2.5g tanks with their own filtration, when I can. I atleast want one for a crowntail because I think they are gorgeous.

Thanks for the advice!


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Well keep in mind that most bettas don't like 10g tanks because they get overwhelmed with the space and they become depressed and don't swim around much. But most bettas love 2.5g's as it seems the perfect size tank for them.

Just as christine said the dividers aren't great as a couple of months ago one of my bettas got over and they fought while I wasn't in the room and when I came in the room one betta was at the top swimming around with little damage strutting around because he won and the other betta was at the bottom breathing heavily, and sadly the betta that lost died alittle while later. Then a few weeks ago I had the betta that won the fight and another betta from a different tank in the same divided tank and the younger betta got thru the divider because it has that bowing design and the divider didn't cover the front part where it bows out and he squeezed thru it and I saw him do it so they didn't get a chance to fight, all they were doing was flaring at each other.


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Yea I think hes gonna be just fine. Just some torn up fins and I think he was a touch traumatized for a while.

Pro betta keeper? *laugh* uhhhhh.... 

Its really up to each person how much risk they wish to take vs ease of keeping. Some people do well with dividers, others don't. 

I'm not trying to scare you so much as just make sure you know the down side to them as well as the obvious good side.


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## Andy_Dufresne (Mar 19, 2006)

I think it has alot to do with the individual betta, my betta is in a 10 gal tank and he loves it. Hes always swimming around and forming his bubble nest. May have to get another betta though, i have a 2.5 gal thats just holding water heh.

Nick


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*Ok, here is the only divided tank ive done, but it worked out pretty nicely. I took a regular 10 gallon, and used it for my main tank. I took the measurements widthwise, and hight ( be sure to leave an inch or two at the bottom ). And since the people renting one of my stepdads buildings are a glass place, they could cut it to the right size. i got 4 of these made, 3 that would be used, and one extra incase i needed it in the future, or any other reason. Then after that i just equally placed them, also using a right angle so that they would be 90 degrees from the floor, ( and to look nice, too  )I origionally put 3 dividers in, so that i could have 4 compartments, but soon i decided to take 2 of them out so i could just have it divided in two. But heres the pictures of it done.*


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Thats very nice with the 2 compartments! 

Yea definitely depends on the betta with the size thing... my sister-in-law is keeping a female betta in 46 gallon. She was the only fish in the mid/upper areas for a long time. She loves it. She has some good hiding spots up high in the tank, not sure but maybe that helped her feel more secure


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

How did you hold the divider up? With aquarium silicon?

Also I think that third pic with that 10g divided once matches your screen name perfectly. lol


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

That looks really good....I like the 2 compartment one also. I've seen people use plexi-glass and drill holes in it for water flow. Yours looks good though. There is a lady on another site that has a 10g divided into 4 compartments and it works well for her. I'm just not sure if it will work for me though...lol.

So Dolphinkid, the bettas can see each other. How did that work out? I would be afraid they would stress themselves out trying to chase the other betta up and down the glass.


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*Thanks  i love it. Most of the tanks in my room are all bb because of them being breeding tanks, and well, i really wanted to have a "pretty" tank in there, so i got back out my divided tank and set that one up like 2 days ago. I really like it, and yea, the dolphins are my favorite part  (sue gave me those for my birthday, and i absolutely love them!!) oh, and yea durb, i used aquarium silicon to secure the glass dividers. *


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Sweet, I may get a 10g and divide it 3 times so that I can put all 4 of betta's in it.


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*lol, yea, well, it kinda constant flaring when you first put the two of them in there, but after a while, they kinda only flare at eachother when they get next to eachother, and leave eachother alone the rest of the time. I have 2 ct's in there, my black lace one ( who sue also sent me for my b-day!! yay ) and then a multicolored one. They seem to actually really like it in there. and the nice thing about the glass is it looks like theres not really anything dividing it, only way you can really really tell is the silicon.

And on what u all were talkin bout earlier on the big tanks- I really dont think they get to stressed or anything in big tanks... i have a mg pk in my 55, and he absolutely loves it. *


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

When I divided mine, the bettas could see each other... I did boy girl boy girl to keep the boys apart. There was still a good bit of flaring for a while but they toned down in a couple days.. Currently I keep all of my males in clear containers side by side and its not a problem with any of them. If they get new neighbors some will flare a little bit but not too long. The down side is, it makes them hard as heck to get to flare for a photo. I guess they just get used to having others around. Its a possibility you could get a blown tail or have one that doesn't settle down, but its not been an issue here.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Would you recommend dividing the tank 3 times and put all 4 bettas in it, or divide it once and put two bettas in the 10g and put the other two bettas in their own 2.5g's?


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Well you could divide it once and maybe try a power filter for the tank with input on one side and output on the other side to try to force water through the divider.

I didn't like the way the outside 2 compartments filtered when I had 4 slots in a 10. Of course, a small sponge filter could help that. 

Dolphinkid, how did you handle filtration with yours divided that way or did you treat them more like a fish bowl than a tank?


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*hmm.... i guess it doesnt really matter which you do... if you have the extra 2.5 gals you could prolly just split the tank once... personally, i like where its divided into two, because this way i could make it set up w/ a buncha stuff in it.... so you can make it more decorative, but still be able to keep more than Just one betta in a 10 gal to himself. and with the clear dividers, it almost looks like a community tank of bettas, but, they cant get to eachother so they are all still safe from one another 

And yea, i think that they actually really like it, cause i had a female jump out of the floater i had her in on the multi's side, and well, lets just say i have ct babies now!! lol it was totally accidental, but i didnt catch um until afterwards, because i was out of town, and stepdad was caring for them. well, since it was a divided tank and had substrate, i had to take the eggs out, and i put them in a breeder tank i had all ready to go, so now i have some babies that are bout.... almost a month now?? yup yup*


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

If I divided it 3 times I was thinking of getting 4 of these and put one in each betta's compartment http://www.mgreptiles.com/images/WHISPER.jpg only I'd get the micro one thats made for 2-5g tanks.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Are you talking about dividing a 10g 3 times? I still think that filter would take up too much room in the compartments. I'm not sure how big they are though.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Yes thats what I'm talking about. Well you may be right. So if I do get a 10g I may get 2 10g's and divide each only once.

Is that your dog in your avatar justonemore20?


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*Yea, im sure you can use any small filter on it, only u want to be sure to get a 2-5 gallon filter for each side, cause you dont want an extreme current. On mine, i just took one of my old 10 gallon filters, took a pair of wire cutters, and cut a slit down the middle of where the water comes out, and placed the slit over the divider. this makes the current not to extreme, and it doesnt bother them.*


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2006)

Doesn't the water run along the top of the divder from the filter??


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2006)

Cool idea dolphinkid.

Yes durb, that is one of my dogs, Chipper.

Another thing you can do is to cut out the middle part of a 20oz bottle (cut it horizontally) and then it will kind of wrap around the output of a HOB filter to reduce the flow. Thats what I did to my AC20 on the 10g, so it won't bother Charlie.


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*Nope Durb, the glass isnt that wide, so even if it it goes on top of it it cant go very far, and even if it did it wouldnt really hurt anything.  *


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2006)

Ok, has the bettas ever gotten over before?


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## dolphinkid (Jan 26, 2006)

*nope....not much space really to get over.... and the ones i have in there arnt really big jumpers*


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