Tank Divider for nano fish

So my idea for my tank was to separate my two tens in half, and separate the 20 G long I will soon be getting into fourths. This will leave me with 8 sections. With these sections I plan on housing and breeding different species of nano fish. But my problem is that the babies should not be able to get through the divider. I will be breeding different types of fish, including wild Bettas, and killifish. So, would the finest plastic craft mesh work, or should I figure something else out.
The only other options I had was using one of the Penn plax or Lee's dividers, however those have mixed reviews.
The other option would be dividers without holes, but those are $17 each, and I would have to separately heat and filter each compartment.
Suggestions anyone?

 

Why separate the 20 long? I would add some cories, mid school fish and a center piece which could be a beta.

 

I want to separate it so that I can breed each species. Alot of the nano fish are not good with other fish, especially the betta, and I was also going to breed shrimp, and dwarf Mexican crayfish, so having those with fish is not a good option.

 

yes I see what you mean.

 

That's not a lot of space for breeding or raising - many of the fish you are wanting to breed have different requirements that have to be met before they spawn and fry survive.
If you are wanting to breed pick a couple that you know you can breed (crays will eat the babies, sponge filters, plants, and climb about and try to find escape routes), they need space to grow splitting a tank only works so well, close quarters make easy meals of small fry.

 

That's not a lot of space for breeding or raising - many of the fish you are wanting to breed have different requirements that have to be met before they spawn and fry survive.
If you are wanting to breed pick a couple that you know you can breed (crays will eat the babies, sponge filters, plants, and climb about and try to find escape routes), they need space to grow splitting a tank only works so well, close quarters make easy meals of small fry.

Crayfish will try to eat babies after they are released from the mother. As long as you have lots of hiding places your good. But yes I didn't think of that part.

 

None of my ideas are final, I was looking at that list of 5 Gallon stocking options. There will be three tanks, so I can separate the fish by temp and PH requirements. Some of them I would like to breed, some I just want to have. I would be happy just keeping a crayfish to have, but I would like to try breeding killifish and wild bettas.

 

As far as dividers go, I took 2 pieces of the opaque craft mesh and then cut a piece of black vinyl report cover to fit and slipped it in between the other 2 pieces. You can then take a hot pointed object and melt the number of holes and size through the black. I did this so my bettas wouldn’t see each other. I then siliconed mine in place. The size of the pointed object will determine how big your holes are.

 

Hmmm, that is a good idea, but I don't have a hot pointed object to use. Thanks though. Do you think baby fish could get through the smallest size plastic mesh?

 

Hmmm, that is a good idea, but I don't have a hot pointed object to use. Thanks though. Do you think baby fish could get through the smallest size plastic mesh?

A sewing needle heated over a flame would work for the hot object.
You can use cloth mesh siliconed around the edge so the holes are too small for fish to pass through but water can, a ten with heavy cover you might be able to get away with crayfish breeding, you'd need lots of cover for small ones to make it, but cave cover for both adults (you know how to sex them?) and possibly some pvc or similar tube caves so the adults and young can hide and escape without being closed in. You'd have to keep up on water changes just for growth and shell maintenance to prevent issues on that front (the whole ten gallon for that setup).
You can probably do killies in the other ten - depending on the species, have a marble substrate, with spawning mops, and lots of moss (for fry to hide, eggs to be laid in, and as a place for food for the fry).
The 20 long you likely could use as a wild betta and some kind of dwarf corydoras. Leaf litter, mosses, sand substrate and you likely would need to accommodate for what the wild bettas would need for spawning (live foods will do for both bettas and cories, hiding places for the bettas, calm areas if you have a bubble nesting species, hiding spaces for the mouthbrooding males, caves for fish to hide from each other as needed). You can do a full tank of sand 1/2-1 inch thick on the bottom with oak, indian almond leaves, or similar leaves that are clean (have not been collected near construction or heavy road traffic, have turned brown before being placed in tank, have not been collected near pesticide sprays - pretty much if you can find a forest in the size of a couple square kms/ms with little traffic would be best) on half of it, you can have mosses and java ferns.

 

Wow , thanks for all the ideas!

 

Hmmm, that is a good idea, but I don't have a hot pointed object to use. Thanks though. Do you think baby fish could get through the smallest size plastic mesh?

Just use a small pointed object and hold it over a candle flame or gas stove.

 

Hmmm, that is a good idea, but I don't have a hot pointed object to use. Thanks though. Do you think baby fish could get through the smallest size plastic mesh?

I used typical craft mesh to make dividers for my guppies. A single sheet would allow them to go through, so I made the dividers with 2 layers of craft mesh. Making sure that the holes of one layer are overlapped by the other layer. Just make sure you silicone the edges of the divider to the aquarium. I had a lot of fry escape through to the other side from the edges of the divider.

 

So, I found a craft mesh that is size 14, and each hole is approximately 1.82mm squared. Do you guys think a baby could fit through this? I know that a livebearers fry could not, but I am unsure about fry from egglayers

 

So, I found a craft mesh that is size 14, and each hole is approximately 1.82mm squared. Do you guys think a baby could fit through this? I know that a livebearers fry could not, but I am unsure about fry from egglayers

With just one layer of mesh, I would imagine the fry could get through. Though if you overlapped the mesh so that the holes of one layer of mesh was covered by the spines of another layer, the holes would be small enough.

 

Ok, I will try that

 

I order poret sponges or mattenburg sponges from Swiss Tropicals.
Poret® Foam Shop - SWISSTROPICALS
Mattenfilter Shop - SWISSTROPICALS
They make them in standard tank sizes.
I have my Dantum angels separated in a 55 gallon with a 2" thick sponge and it works great for keeping fry with parents undisturbed.
Stays in place all by itself from pressure of fit.
They not only divide the tank perfectly but house an incredible amount of bacteria and infusoria for fry .

 

Those are a definite possibility, thanks!

 

I used plexiglass and just burnt holes in them

 

Did you get a store to cut the plexiglass for you? I don't have that kind of equipment to cut it myself.

 

The problem I see with your "home made" divider is the very small holes. Water will not flow thru really small holes. After a short period of time, a film will also develop on the divider, further clogging the small holes. I would recommend using Marina Hang On Breeder Boxes. They come with two sizes of grates for the return water. Use a piece of poret foam in their place to ensure no fry get back into the main tank.

 

Those are not the same thing, they don't divide the tank....

 

The plexI glass look is great. I didn’t Want my bettas seeing each other though.

 

I appreciate the versatility of a divided tank as much as the next person, but I have to vote for separate tanks (even though you didn’t ask for that option). What if u have to medicate for different problems in one tank? What if you have to provide different foods (any food small enough for fry will pass through your barriers)? What if [insert various scenarios here that I can’t think of right now]?
If you plan on starting small, maybe 1-2 species, sure go for a divided tank, while keeping your others in reserve, eg for the what if’s above. But I really think you’ll be better served with separate tanks. Yes, you’ll need more hardware (and outlets), but I think it’s the safer bet.

 

bitseriously
What if I kept a 5.5 gallon tank, with say a male guppy only in it to keep the cycle going, and then if one of the various scenarios occured, I could move the infected fish(es) to that tank.
By separate tanks, if I got the no holes dividers from life with pets, would that be suitable)

 

bitseriously
What if I kept a 5.5 gallon tank, with say a male guppy only in it to keep the cycle going, and then if one of the various scenarios occured, I could move the infected fish(es) to that tank.
By separate tanks, if I got the no holes dividers from life with pets, would that be suitable)

The potential of only one fish being affected/infected is slI'm depending on the ailment.

 

So let me make sure I understand correctly.
20 gal - will not divide because the do not make a hole-less divider, will buy 29 instead, because why not?
10Gs- divided, but with dividers that do not have holes, so they will not be sharing water, and there will be a filter/heater on each side.
5.5 G, well it will remain a 5.5G

Does this all sound reasonable?