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I want to divide my 10g so that it will house both my male bettas. I put 2 pieces of plastic needlepoint canvas together and made holes on each end so that I could insert suction cups to hold it in place.
Well I put the second betta in after placing the tank divider and there was like a 2mm space from the front tank glass to where the divider starts and the bettas could see each other. I had to take the other one out because they were flaring and wouldnt stop looking at each other.
I looked for the plastic binder things for reports at Walmart and they didn't have any.

The canvas stuff is clear but you can only see outlines...not directly through it. And it was this little space that they could see each other through.
I would rather not silicon the divider in because I would have to drain the tank and it would be hard to get out if I changed my mind.

What can I use to fill the space so they can't see each other?

*Kristin*

I divided my 2.5 gal with drilled plexiglas and sealed it with hot glue... it DID NOT WORK!

The hotglue kinda came unglued, and was basically acting as a gap filler, and one of the bettas got around it and killed the other betta

If they're flaring at eachother a lot, they're probably going to fight quite a bit if they can get around that divider (around does include ABOVE, mind you), and you'll probably end up losing one or both of them.

IMO, get a sheet of glass (drill it if you want to let water thru it or build a filter into the divider somehow) and silicone it right down the middle of the tank. Be sure you keep the top covered (a versa top cover or sheet of glass maybe), and the water level dropped at least an inch. You may want to take some fine grain sandpaper to the glass (if you drill it, sand it AFTER you drill it) to make a bunch of tiny scratches to make it look cloudy so they can't see eachother... etching might work too, but that involves chemicals and could be nasty...

Good luck with them

Could you get some more canvas stuff and just cut a little bigger piece, so it would go all the way to the glass?

Yes, but by using the suction cups...the plastic is kind of bent so that it won't touch the glass. It will still leave a small space. I didn't want it permanent.

I may just leave my other betta in his 5g. I was trying to get rid of it, but he is much happier and calmer in there.

The betta in my 10g was extremely ticked off that he could only swim in half of his tank. As soon as I took the divider out, he made a lap around the tank. So I guess I'll just leave things like they are until I want it permanent.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! /:'

*Kristin*

The plastic is bent so it won't touch the glass... they'll probably get around it. Leave the divider in there to see if the other betta can get around it, maybe?

Heh... they'll probably be happier in their seperate tanks anyway

wierd. . .I don't understand the whole divider thing. . .bettas are very territorial, and it would seem, in theory of course, that keeping two male bettas in such close quarters would just stress them out. . .maybe I am wrong, but if they are meant to live in solitude of each other, then why not make a small community tank of the ten gallon, and give each betta their own space? If they get past the barrier, you will just end up losing one or both of your bettas.

Fish are like potato chips. . .you can't have just one

That's how they are now. I plan on leaving them like that now. I am just trying to get rid of a tank. The 5g that houses one male betta is hard to clean and I tend to neglect it. It is acrylic and very scratched and it is bowing a little. I don't want to buy another tank for the betta. I have a 1g, but I don't think it is right to keep a fish in a 1g tank....so I tried the divider and it didn't work.
Thanks for your advice.
When I get brave I will try to add one male betta to my community 55g tank...not sure if that will work out though.

*Kristin*

What did was buy 4 of the dividers from big als (http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=31053;category_id=1587). Then replaced the plastic with some heavier plastic needle point plastic from some place like Micheals. and with the braces in the kit and the heavier plastic, they bettas were all save from each other. yes it costed a little bit more. but the setup turned out really nice

and as far as worring about them going over it. try to put the divider as close to the lids as possible and also lower the water level a little more than normal.

i had tried the hard plastic dividers with holes and used a tank safe silicone. but the water flow wasnt good enough for the filtration. and i had set the tank up so it flowed in a circle. so i went with the setup above.

Here was the 40g I split and had 5 bettas in it
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b48/monkeyboy000/Tanks/40g-split-07-21-05.jpg

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Get some flyscreen edging channel and you can make what ever size you require. Easy to attach the canvas to as well.

Just a thought.

Rob


Too many Kid's, not enough Fish