Set up my new 20gal long tank for my Betta and need some advice

Evening everyone,
I need some help and suggestions. Just set up my new 20gal long tank for my Betta and need some advice. This is where my tank stands right now.


I am currently in the process of a fish less cycle and my water is very cloudy from the substrate that I am using (Fluval stratum). Hopefully it clears up. So my question for you all is, should I leave my HoB in the left section? or move it to the middle and move my heater in either the left or right section? I also ha e 3 sponge filters running in all 3 sections. Hopefully that's enough water movement to get the HoB to run well in all 3 sections with the holes being kind of small. Purchased my dividers from a YouTube named lifewithpets. Awesome divider btw.

 

I'm going to do this exact setup once I move. Already ordered colorful craft mesh for the dividers.

My plan was to always get 2 heaters, and put them in the 1st and 3rd sections as close to the middle I can.

I'm not sure if you ever divided tanks before, but because of your filter position, sections 2 and 3 will get absolutely zero flow and filtration, just water movement from airstones.
Moving it won't help, and that AC20 is much too strong for the betta stuck in the section with it.

I would do away with the aquaclear and add 3 sponge filters instead of the airstones. Sponge filters cost $1 on ebay so it isn't much of an expense.

 

I'm going to do this exact setup once I move. Already ordered colorful craft mesh for the dividers.

My plan was to always get 2 heaters, and put them in the 1st and 3rd sections as close to the middle I can.

I'm not sure if you ever divided tanks before, but because of your filter position, sections 2 and 3 will get absolutely zero flow and filtration, just water movement from airstones.
Moving it won't help, and that AC20 is much too strong for the betta stuck in the section with it.

I would do away with them filter and add 3 sponge filters instead of the airstones. Sponge filters cost $1 on ebay so it isn't much of an expense.

I actually do have sponge filters as stated. All 3 sections has sponge filters. Decided to add the HoB to help filtration a bit but was worried it won't even reach the other 2 sections being in the 1st section. Was hoping if I do switch the HoB to the middle it would be able to reach all 3 sections but idk. Only time will tell I guess if I do continue to use the HoB with my sponge filter. The divider holes are spaced out about 1 inch and I'm not sure the size of the holes but its big enough for water to flow through all 3 sections.

 

Oh! Didn't see about sponge filters. That's good.

Was hoping if I do switch the HoB to the middle it would be able to reach all 3 sections but idk.

It will not.

For example, that is my tail-biter tank of shame. It is divided with mesh. Mesh lets through much more flow than 1 inch spaced hole divider would. The side without a filter has zero water movement; it is completely stagnant.



You can test with a ping-pong ball if you are unsure.

 

Also!

I love Lifewithpets's channel.
If you watch through her tank set up videos, there is more than one where she's saying that even when using the dividers, she is treating them as separate tanks. At around 30 seconds, she explains about water flow. Here's a link:

 

Also!

I love Lifewithpets's channel.
If you watch through her tank set up videos, there is more than one where she's saying that even when using the dividers, she is treating them as separate tanks. At around 30 seconds, she explains about water flow. Here's a link:

I totally forgot about that video. I remember watching that a while ago. Thanks for the reminder.
But after 24 hour testing of my own, my other 2 sections are not getting filtered with the HoB. I'll just remove it and make the water calmer and leave my sponge filter as my only source of filtration. I wanted to do less vacuuming but that can't be avoided with this setup.
I'll just end up getting some snails and shrimp to help out on algae. Now I have to figure out which snails and shrimp are compatible.

 

SO I have the same tank set up. With the 2og long and lifewithpets divider. I have 2 heaters, one in the left and right compartment, as one heater was working over time to keep the tank warm. The HOB, you won't need it. It'll be too much current for the betta anyways. I do use 3 aqueon internal filters though. The flow is just right for my bettas and keeps some surface agitation. The tank will clear up with time with food filtration.

I did the fishless cycle with ammonia and it was cycled in about 2 weeks. It has been up now for maybe 1/5 months

Here is my tank.

 

SO I have the same tank set up. With the 2og long and lifewithpets divider. I have 2 heaters, one in the left and right compartment, as one heater was working over time to keep the tank warm. The HOB, you won't need it. It'll be too much current for the betta anyways. I do use 3 aqueon internal filters though. The flow is just right for my bettas and keeps some surface agitation. The tank will clear up with time with food filtration.

I did the fishless cycle with ammonia and it was cycled in about 2 weeks. It has been up now for maybe 1/5 months

Here is my tank.
View attachment 366053

Beautiful. I personally do not like using non-natural decorations, but this setup pulls it off wonderfully. Very stunning.

 

I'm using 2 lwp dividers with a 10 gallon with 3 sponge filters for water flow as well as an internal filter because of the lack of beneficial bacteria established in the sponges.

 

SO I have the same tank set up. With the 2og long and lifewithpets divider. I have 2 heaters, one in the left and right compartment, as one heater was working over time to keep the tank warm. The HOB, you won't need it. It'll be too much current for the betta anyways. I do use 3 aqueon internal filters though. The flow is just right for my bettas and keeps some surface agitation. The tank will clear up with time with food filtration.

I did the fishless cycle with ammonia and it was cycled in about 2 weeks. It has been up now for maybe 1/5 months

Here is my tank.
View attachment 366053

Wow very lovely set up. For me, I like to be more all natural looking set up. But you pulled it off nicely.
I have removed the HoB and just decided to go with only the sponge filters I have in all 3 sections and get some snails and ghost shrimp to help clean my tank. Try to limit vacuuming with the substrates. I'm afraid I'm going to be kicking up too much dust again. Lol
Also, the one heater in the middle seems to be working out. I have 2 temp gauges, one on both end sections and the heat seems to be keeping up at a constant 78 degrees so I'm happy about that.
Been on the fish less cycle for 3 days now. Hopefully it gets cycle within a week. (Crosses fingers) lol. All 3 of my betta are currently sitting in a 1 gallon tank each. They will deffinitly love this new set up.

 

Probably not the right place to post but I'll ask here anyway so I don't have to make another thread. Looking into getting nerite snails for my tank and I am wondering how much should I get for each section? each section has about 6.6 gallons. I was thinking about getting 2 snails for each section (6 total nerite snail). Would that be to much for my tank?

 

Probably not the right place to post but I'll ask here anyway so I don't have to make another thread. Looking into getting nerite snails for my tank and I am wondering how much should I get for each section? each section has about 6.6 gallons. I was thinking about getting 2 snails for each section (6 total nerite snail). Would that be to much for my tank?

I personally would only do 1 snail per section (3 total Nerite snails). So they have enough algae to eat, you still might have to supplement their diets with algae wafers, ect. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid as they might try to go for a stroll outside the tank. Hope this answers your questions!

 

I personally would only do 1 snail per section (3 total Nerite snails). So they have enough algae to eat, you still might have to supplement their diets with algae wafers, ect. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid as they might try to go for a stroll outside the tank. Hope this answers your questions!

Yes, that helped. Thank you.
If you don't mind me asking, would you recommend getting ghost shrimp or red cherry shrimp with my snails? Or is that a bad idea as they can eat the snails if I'm unlucky. Or even the Betta can get to the shrimp instead.
I do have an aqueon versa top coming in this Wednesday. Hopefully that is tight enough to keep them from climbing out. I actually already bought some algae wafers as I knew I wanted snails and will most likely need to supplement them. Just waiting for my tank to be cycled before I purchase them.

 

Yes, that helped. Thank you.
If you don't mind me asking, would you recommend getting ghost shrimp or red cherry shrimp with my snails? Or is that a bad idea as they can eat the snails if I'm unlucky. Or even the Betta can get to the shrimp instead.
I do have an aqueon versa top coming in this Wednesday. Hopefully that is tight enough to keep them from climbing out. I actually already bought some algae wafers as I knew I wanted snails and will most likely need to supplement them. Just waiting for my tank to be cycled before I purchase them.

You're welcome!
I don't know a lot about shrimp so I won't be much help to you there sorry.

Do you have male or female bettas? I have heard of ghosts shrimp going after long flowing fins don't know how true it is though. Cherry shrimp might get eaten by your bettas if there aren't enough hiding places.

Maybe someone with more experience with keeping bettas and shrimp together will come along and help you.

I hope I helped in some way! Good luck on your tank hope it cycles fast!

 

You're welcome!
I don't know a lot about shrimp so I won't be much help to you there sorry.

Do you have male or female bettas? I have heard of ghosts shrimp going after long flowing fins don't know how true it is though. Cherry shrimp might get eaten by your bettas if there aren't enough hiding places.

Maybe someone with more experience with keeping bettas and shrimp together will come along and help you.

I hope I helped in some way! Good luck on your tank hope it cycles fast!

I have 3 male Betta, 1 veiltail, 1 delta, and 1 dumbo/elephant ear.
No worries about not knowing much about shrimps and betta. I'm just as clueless. Lol
I'm still learning about them but been reading up how some Betta can eat the red cherry shrimp and or ghost shrimp so I'm afraid of getting them if they have no chance of survival.
Maybe someone with this experience can chime in.
I'm so anxious about getting my cycle done quick. Patience is just so hard. Lol. I really want to drop my boys in there as they have been in a 1 gallon for about a month now.

 

Bettas and shrimp can be amazing and it can be very bad. They can snap at the drop of a hat. You could have a betta living with the shrimp for their entire life and then one day you wake up and everything is dead. It does happen. However, it hasn't happened to me. My bettas have done absolutely fine with my ghost and cherry shrimp. however, I did try a bamboo shrimp awhile back and my female betta DESPISED the thing. She chased it repeatedly throughout the tank until I removed her. The smaller the better, the less color the better. Ghost shrimp are fine with the fins, it is whisker shrimp you have to watch out for. They are commonly mistaken for ghosts and end up in their inventory in general fish stores or chains. They grow longer arms with larger pincers, to be honest not by much, but they have been know to eat on longer flowing fins with slower moving/sleeping fish.