BettaGammaDelta

So, I'm thinking about splitting my nine-gallon into a pair of four-and-half-gallon betta condos. However, fridge logic kicked in when I went to research some DIY materials for the job.

How on earth can I leave a sealant to dry for a whole twenty four hours without kicking my carefully maintained cycled in the behind? Is there such thing as a aquarium glue or sealant that will solidify and hold underwater?

Shawnie

as far as i know, no there isnt...most silicones need time to dry, as well are toxic to the fish when its wet..maybe some other members have found some but I dont think it exists where its not toxic to the fish being in there at the same time....but you can do a DIY divider like I did...if you have a craft store around of any kind, look for some needle point type of mesh...then use book binders to steady it...heres some pics of what ive used as well as my divided tank to give you an idea
user6141_pic1597_1217112014.jpg

DSC07031.jpg

Hwx

Those old swimming pools with liners used to come with underwater patch kits maybe if you could find one it could help.
Theres alot of precision involved though.
Sorry about that!

Shawnie

wouldnt the epoxy be toxic to the fish hwx?(not sure what the ingredients is ) he isnt taking the water out when he does the dividers and although ive fixed my pool with underwater kits, is there anything in it that wont make it safe for fishies?

BettaGammaDelta

That's exactly what I was planning on doing, but doesn't it need sealant/silicon to hold it in place?

Nick G

Theres no way to do it with silicone that won't kill your fish unfortunatly. There are sealants that will cure underwater, but until they cure they will leech toxins into the water. The only way to use silicone safely is to completly empty the tank, use the silicone, and wait at least 48hrs for it to cure properly before refilling the tank. What you can do though is to remove the entire contents of the tank into another container, say a chilly bin, and continue to run the filter and heater, then replace it all once the silicone has cured. This way your cycle should remain intact.

Hwx

I'm still trying to figure out what a betta condo looks like.
silicone is toxic but you can find non toxic that doesn't necessarily mean it works when its wet.It all has to cure dry and It takes at least 48 hours for that.
The pool patch thing, was just a shot in the dark do it yourself idea, meaning the precision as research on the toxicity and drying time involved. I never owned a pool but know people who have used the patch for fixing leaks.
So I don't know why you'd need silicone for splitting a tank?The plastic dividers are in stores now. lol

prairielilly

I believe they're made by PennPlax or similar...the ones I've seen are just a piece of plastic designed to be inserted into the tank. IMO the only thing you'd need silicone for would be to make it 'permanent'. Shawnie's suggestion would work really well as you'd have water flow through the divider, whereas if you had a 'solid' partition you'd need (I believe) a heater and filter for each side because it's then essentially TWO tanks.

Hwx

Shawnies picture shows a big piece, you need to trim it exactly and assemble the sides and squeeze it in place.Its prefabricated with holes,for a one filter tank.

BettaGammaDelta

Yes, I'm planning to make it permenant, and I don't think they sell dividers over here - at least not good ones~

By betta condo I only meant two four-and-half gallon sections to a nine gallon tank. I couldn't think on how a piece of mesh, even with report binders to hold it upright, could be solid enough to withstand the overt curiousity of a siamese fighter without some kind of fixant.

Shawnie

yes the big piece is how its bought then , but the pic of my tank is when its cut to size and fits in tightly...they dont move unless I move them but cutting to size is important ...then the blue plastic strips are put on all four sides to make it so they never bend