need emergency help! My bettas will not stay away from each other!

so I have a male betta in a female betta that I got very recently. My girl actually just arrived yesterday! I've had my male for about a week and a half now. My problem is that the divider for the 5 gallon I put in is obviously not very effective! While I was trying to rearrange their tank to put my plants in front of the dividers, the girl found her way to the side of the boy was on! I immediately removed him and stuck him in a large pitcher with tank water in it. Then when I was adjusting the divider to make sure there are no gaps the boy got in between the dividers that I had put in because I thought maybe two was better than one. So now the girl is in the main tank abd the boy is in a jar with an airstone and a moss ball. I feel absolutely awful because he doesn't deserve to be jarred but I didn't want them to hurt each other! I don't know what else to do at this point because we're getting ready to move next Saturday and I can't get another tank right now. What can I do to make them more comfortable until we move?

Need answers fast!

 

HI April, it sounds like to me you have done all you can do at this point. Maybe some one will have an idea but it sounds like to me as long as you freshen his water daily, he will be fine and so will she-otherwise you risk an injury to one or both!

 

There are DIY dividers instructions galore over the web. DIY's are often better than the store-boughts, because they can be glued with sealants and personalized to the tank. A good divider will work well. Until you can make one, be sure to keep the jar warm enough and keep on top of those 100% water changes.

 

I was using a DIY divider. I used plastic divider holders and craft mesh to make a DIY divider (pictured below). But I don't have the sealant and I can't figure out any other way to put sealant in there unless I take the entire tank down and let it dry out. Which I definitely do not have the materials or time to do right now since we're moving in 7 days. This is really stressing me out and feel like a horrible betta mommy.

 

This is a pretty basic divider:



It ensures that the bettas can't slip between the glass and the mesh, which is really the most important thing.

 

thank you so much! I went ahead and cut some of the mesh a little bit wider than I did before because it says that it will help it to push up against the sides of the tank and seal it better. I also used all four of the divider holders instead of just two. If they get past this time then they must be magic!

 

Good! Keep in mind that they are pretty smart animals, though, so getting some aquarium sealant in the future to put on there might be a good idea.

 

I am learning how smart they are. Geez Louise I'm flustered.

 

I am learning how smart they are. Geez Louise I'm flustered.

They're crazy smart!! You should teach them how to jump through hoops Then all your friends would be jealous, lol

 

Maybe you can stuff some filter floss in any small gaps as a temporary solution.

 

I had divided a betta tank with plastic divider holders and craft mesh in the past. It was a 6.6 gallon booksheelf tank that Petco sells (not sure they still do).

Anyway, it is a bowfront tank and the frame is constructed in such a way that it allows for a rectangular top. So in the narrow front of the frame (which has the bowfront shape the added a little door that you can lift to feed the fish. This narrow section sits a little higher that the lid, Even though my divider went to the underside of the lid, one of the betta's jumped the divider in that little area then proceeded to de-fin my halfmoon.

So just be on the lookout for that to occur. Also, I have read on here sometime in the past that it is not preferable to have a male and a female in a divided tank. The reason stated was because the female can get egg bound. I have no experience with that so I cannot verify it, so take it for what it's worth.

Good luck

BTW, I assume this is your betta from Thialand.

 

as soon as we move and I have some extra finds, I am going to get two smaller tanks to put them in, and use the 5 gallon for a quarantine tank. This is too stressful for even me!

 

Love has few boundaries which cannot be overcome☺ In this case not something you need right now - what about those short plastic grasses in squares (I think originally for the the small fluval tanks) - seems like they could be temporarily "sewn" or attached to the mesh to provide almost total blockage but would still allow water to pass through.

Hang in there April & tell those fishes to be patient☺

 

That sounds like a great idea. I think I am also going to do the filter floss as well since I have two plastic dividers rigged up sandwiched together. I can get the floss in there so they can't see each other but still allow water movement. I also need to do a water change on all my tanks today so that would be a good time to do the modification. These two will be bred at some point, but I am going to take it slow and build up my supplies before I do, so they can just hold their horses!!!!

 

This is a pretty basic divider:



It ensures that the bettas can't slip between the glass and the mesh, which is really the most important thing.

Gonna try this out today. I bought a 20 Gallon long and will be dividing it for three male bettas. Hope it turns out okay.

 

That's not fair, why does the guy have to always wind up in the dog house???

 

That's not fair, why does the guy have to always wind up in the dog house???

Don't worry he ended up back in the tank on his side happy as a clam.

 

I tried to divide my ten gallon to make it easier for my mom to feed my little female betta while I'm away at school. But she is soo tiny that the divider I had used previously didnt work. Oh Well!