# Divided tank on a budget!



## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Just made my boys a new home! 
Here is a break down of costs and materials notice how thrifty/ cheap I am lol
Tank 20 Long: 32$ on sale 
Heater 25-50 gal: already had 
Pump: $12 on sale had to spend 50 cents on a extension though 
Filter 30 gal external: already had
Dividers: 24$ for a acrylic sheet I also broke a few and had to buy more
Acrylic drill bit: 8$ 
Tubing: 3$ for 4 feet 
Sticky feet: 10$ 

Basically I made my own dividers and used those little rubber feet to hold them in place so my dividers are removable if I want. The holes on the dividers keep the water flowing so I have no dead zones and keep the water on the surface still so they can build their little nests. The only problem I have had is they like to jump dividers during feeding gah! 
the only thing I may work on is dividing the outflow from the pump because I have been finding a few dead spots if the outflow isnt angled just right. And here are pictures...


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## TonyK (Apr 4, 2011)

I like it. I have a couple of quick questions. What are the feet your using? I would like to see your filter setup and how you are running the pump. I would like to do something like this.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

I am using the plastic feet used for drawers and doors I am testing them also to see if they hold up in the water so far so good. And I believe you can see the filter but I will try to get a good photo of the filter soon. The filter is a basic external wisper filter made for 30 gallons that I am running with carbon and huge wad of filter floss. The pump is one I picked up in the broken bin at my local petco it was missing the intake cover so I picked up a extension pipe that fit (the white thing) and put screen over it that I had laying around. The filter pump and heater are all in their own segment of the tank to make it easier and I didnt want an external slump. And the pump moves the water from the filter to the other end of the tank where it is forced through the dividers by the pumps intake. 
I hope this helps until I get more photo's !


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks for the pictures of your set-up. I've been looking at doing this in a 50 gallon tank (except my filter/heater will be at the back) and I wouldn't have thought about using the 'feet' to hold the dividers in place. I might try that idea in one of my 10 gallon tanks.

Was it easy to drill the acrylic? I have Tim the Toolman for a father and sometimes he gets a bit out of control with the power tools. Are you finding that amount of holes provides enough movement through each section? I'm worried one end of my tank is going to be boiling and the other end freezing. 

It looks really professional. Much nicer than mesh. It makes me want to go buy some acrylic and experiment :mrgreen:


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

I also really like your set up - my only concern is the water level, like you said they like to jump at feeding time, but they can also jump any other time. I would lower your level to about 6 inches below the divider. I am dealing with 2 shredded boys right now, b/c I only had the level 3 inches below, and one jumped.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

You could always buy some plastic craft mesh sheets and some report cover end (like the cheaper DIY) and make toppers. You just silicone the cover end to the middle of your craft mesh and pop it onto the top of the acrylic sheet 

Love your set up! I plan on doing this sometime down the road, but I can't find a 20g long!


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

That would work well with that set up - I had done that once but had a HOB filter going and the mesh got very algae-ey but with this set-up, would work very well.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

cajunamy said:


> That would work well with that set up - I had done that once but had a HOB filter going and the mesh got very algae-ey but with this set-up, would work very well.


You could always cut the mesh away from the HOB area? I know I would anyways lol


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Yeah im looking into some covers for the tank. And thanks for the comments guys!
And I suggest 110% buying an acrylic drill bit and spraying the hole as you drill it keeps the plastic from shattering and keeps the holes smooth. And the pump keeps the water flow temp and quality equal.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Just a curious question about this... since it's completely acrylic, they see each other (probably several of the others too) almost all the time, completely unimpeded line of sight.

Would they be preoccupied with flaring at each other? My AB bettas are arriving soon and I've got the DIY mesh dividers and I'm just worried that they will overstress X_X


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Almost all of my males have always had a line of sight to the other males before I used to keep them in acrylic pet keepers so they have gotten used to seeing each other, once and a while they do flare but its not often. So I'm not worried about stress. However I am planning on making some black acrylic dividers just using black acrylic plastic instead of clear that way if I ever feel one of my boys is to stressed out I can just block them off from the group.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Okay thanks so much, Creat! How long does it take for them to get used to each other? I remember when I *briefly* had HongBo and Lelouch in a divided tank, Lelouch looked like he was going to kill himself or something, he kept ramming into his decorations X_X. Since I've got a male coming, he's going to have a neighbour again, so I don't want him to *ACTUALLY* kill himself


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

My males honestly take about a month or so to get used to other males and flare occasionally after that.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

I figured out how they kept jumping the divider... its just two boys and they will cross any distance to get in the same segment I keep waking up in the morning and their they are just chillin :/ Each one of them has their own way Poe will jump over the top so I covered it so Splatter decided that he needed to go visit and will slide under the bottom corners which I sanded off round so today I fixed that... No more visiting each other boys! It gives me a heart attack each time.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Creat said:


> My males honestly take about a month or so to get used to other males and flare occasionally after that.


Gah I'll see if my heart will hold out for that long, XD

Thanks again


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

question.............. I got some acrylic and wanted to do something similar for a 30 long but am not a handman (i'm a woman, for one) soooooo like... What kind of drill do you need? Like you buy a drill for $100 something and then on top of that a drill bit? If so I think I will stick to the plastic craft mesh divider idea........ but love the look of yours.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

I have a drill or you can borrow one probably lol but the key to the nice clean holes is to buy a drill bit made specifically for plastic spraying the bit and hole with water while drilling keeps the holes. I clamped all the sheets down together and drilled on top of wood... I also bought one large piece of plastic that I cut into the sheets with a table saw however any hand saw will do. 
I always wanted to try the mesh method I might for a smaller tank I just like the way the water movement flows with the drilled holes. And also I am very much a woman lol I am a handy woman!


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## smellsfishie (Apr 14, 2011)

Haha  I like to do "handyman" type stuff like putting things together etc... but this drilling acrylic is somehow scary for me. I don't have the $ to put into a drill soooo plastic sheets it is! Love the look of yours though. Very nice.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Ha ha sure for me the only thing I had to buy was the plastic sheet and the drill bit which was like 8$ lol I want to see yours though lol there are so many different ways to make a divider


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## SwayLocks (Sep 5, 2011)

Creat said:


> I am using the plastic feet used for drawers and doors I am testing them also to see if they hold up in the water so far so good. And I believe you can see the filter but I will try to get a good photo of the filter soon. The filter is a basic external wisper filter made for 30 gallons that I am running with carbon and huge wad of filter floss. The pump is one I picked up in the broken bin at my local petco it was missing the intake cover so I picked up a extension pipe that fit (the white thing) and put screen over it that I had laying around. The filter pump and heater are all in their own segment of the tank to make it easier and I didnt want an external slump. And the pump moves the water from the filter to the other end of the tank where it is forced through the dividers by the pumps intake.
> I hope this helps until I get more photo's !


hey man nice setup im going to make one just like this only with black acrylic. i just dont understand what rubber feet your talking about? i have lots of drawers and doors with no plastic feet. let me know please. any links to where i can get some would be appreciated


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

Where do you get acrylic sheet? I have a 20gallon long I plan on dividing for four bettas..I like the idea of the acrylic; would be much more easier to clean than the mesh I have in my 10 gallon...Diatoms are making it look awful.:lol:


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Ha ah I got mine at HomeDepot but any hardware store should carry it


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