atmmachine816

Wal-mart doesn't take the best care of their fish and since everybody has one by them pretty much they take the brunt of people getting angry. Considering I've seen worse stores than wal-mart and the fish section is controlled by the general manager not wal-mart itself, I don't see any point in ranting about them anymore or anything.

cherryrose

chickadee

I intend to use it in the 25 gallon also so I have all the confidence in it.

Thank you for coming up with it.

Rose

kisatsky

Hey Rose,

Thanks for the info on the dividers. I have been looking for a divider for my five gallon tank so I can keep two male Bettas in it. Where did you get the mesh from? As soon as I get your answer I plan of making one of these.

Thanks again

cherryrose

chickadee

I got the really stiff stuff off of Amazon.com and the ligter weight at Walmart. Forgive the spelling I am not quite up to myself yet.

Rose

captain_bilbo

Well, believe it or not I had a similar idea. I just didn't know if it would work, but I planned on using a mesh fabroic to seperate bettas in a 10g tank. Although I'm uncertain if that's what I'll put in mine once it cycles. Hmmm...

chickadee

I ended up using plexiglas as the plastic canvas would not hold in the 25 gallon. The area was just too large. I love the idea though and will use it in the 12's if I ever decide to divide them.

Rose

mojoman101

that is a great idea do your males flare up at each other? can they see each other through the screen?

chickadee

My males are docile and do not pay the slightest attention to each other in spite of the fact that the plastic canvas had to go and the plexiglas is just like having a piece of window glass in there for them to see each other but all my tanks are within a few inches of each other for the most part and they are in sight of each other from the time they are put in their permanent tanks so this has not really been different just a little closer. They followed each other swimming for the first day but no flaring then they each went about their business with the other fish on their own side (each has Dwarf Loaches and Otos with them and they are very active) They also have castles and plants to play in and hide in and lots of things to investigate and are quite busy all day and they have a TV on all day on the Animal Planet and they do like their television. When they get tired of that channel I put a movie on for them, they like them too. Lately they have even liked their radio on. (It is theirs and they have their own favorite stations) I keep them busy all day so they are ready to go to bed at night and not be up all night. Even the Otos sleep at night as they play with the Loaches all day and eat during the day.

Rose

mojoman101

That is great and i cannot wait to try. I think it would be neat to split up a twenty gallon and keep 4 in one contained system. some thinking will be necessary. I will post pics if i ever get around to doing it. Still working on a new main tank so it might not happen for a while.

chickadee

There is just one problem with using it in a really big tank. The plastic canvas is not really stiff enough to hold in a large area like for a large tank. I special ordered the super stiff large sheets and used 5 thicknesses for my 25 gallon tank and it still bowed with the amount of force of the filter (bio-wheel which is really not that wild) and the amount of water. I ended up using 1/4" plexiglas which meant I needed supplemental heaters and small filters on both sides but they work great and in my opinion are well worth it. See links below for products used.

They are not obtrusive and my one betta loves to sleep on top of the little filter and gets so mad when I need to take it out to clean it. It also uses sponge filter media so it can be rinsed and reused so it is cheaper to use. It provides 3 stage filteration.

Rose


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113424

I use the DJ-50 on each side as I figure that the tanks filter is doing some filtering and then the small filter is doing 10 gallons +.
I really like them as I had a lot of experience with the Duetto Mini when I had a smaller Hospital/Quarantine tank before.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113767

The one thing I never skimp on is the heater. I use a 75 watt on each side of the tank even though it says 75 watt will do 25 gallons but this way if one fails I still will have some heat for the tank even though it will be hard to heat through the plexiglas. This heater is Lifetime Warrantied so if you do buy it please keep the receipt and box but they make them to last as they do not want to have to replace them. DO NOT what ever you do make the mistake of getting the Visi-therm DELUXE heater. They are glass and I have had 2 of them explode in my tanks.

Rose

mojoman101

have you tried the little carbon filter systems where the air is what fuels the water circulation and you rplace the cartridge every month or so. $15 for pump and cartridge caddy. buy extra filter for $3. might try it on a new home for an old betta.

capekate

Rose, I think its great that your guys are doing so well in the divided tank. I wish my two males, in the divided tank got along so well. They are constantly flaring at each other all day long and Im sure that the stress is not good for them. They have been there together since may 21st. Also they are in my art room, where lately I havent been spending much time at all. And they are alone there most the time. I really feel bad about that. I go in there three times a day to give them treats but thats about it. I notice that they seem to feel the vibration in the floor, as soon as I come near the room and enter they are all right there at the glass watching for me. If its for company or food I dont know, but it is sad. I have a little tv in there tho, do you really think that the tv on would help them with some kind of activity? I can do that for them if I thought it would help. What do you think?
~ kate

chickadee

Since I wrote that, one of the bettas in my divided tank passed away and the tank is no longer divided, but the little guy who now has the whole 25 gallon to himself (with 9 Dwarf Loaches and 4 Otos and 3 Sterba's Cories) is loving it.

All my bettas watch TV and let me watch what I want to in the evening after 5:00 pm when they are fed their last meal for the day but before then it is the Animal Planet or the Biography Channel all day for them. (Damon wants the Biography Channel for some unknown reason) I have learned to sleep with the TV on in the room also so he won't raise the roof as it also serves as a nightlight. (yes, he is still afraid of the dark and it seems to be worse now that JT is gone.)

Hope this helps. It is hard to give them all the time they need and I hate using the TV as a fishsitter but it does work when it becomes impossible.

Rose

COBettaCouple

maybe what damon needs is a little portable dvd player in front of his tank. i tried that with the 'computer fish' on the desk here and they seemed to like watching it.

chickadee

Thanks for the suggestion and I am using it. He will use it and it keeps me from having to have the television on all night in the bedroom. It just puts out enough light for him and he doesn't seem to mind that I have it on "mute" so all are happy. I found it on sale at Walmart too. So now the fish that do not want to be bothered just go behind the plant wall and sleep and Damon is the night owl until he gets sleepy and decides to go to bed. He is a real grump when it is breakfast time though. We all walk about him rather cautiously for a bit in the morning as he usually is cranky until after he eats.

Rose

COBettaCouple

lol.. that's great. he's a real little character! i'm glad that worked with him - funny what we'll do for our babies, huh? our special needs Betta Teddy Bear's a night owl too & likes to watch me on the computer until he decides to go to bed.