# 10g Divided Progressing



## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

My three guys' home...now to find some foreground plants...


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## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

WOW, your tank looks great! Is it hard to clean with all the plants? Would love to do something like this with me barrack tanks!


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks!  Not really, as you can see it has 2 small HOBs astride the dividers running about 2/3 speed. It gets mechanical as well as biological filtration. You don't vacuum or stir the substrate where the plants are, and only lightly on the surface of the rest. I do a 50% change once a week, each section has a Zebra Nerite for possible algae. Bettas are darn near hand fed, so there is little if any food left over. If for some reason you get way too much in there, a turkey baster suctions it out. If anything falls in the plants, the fish love hunting in them, and of course poo is a great fertilizer..


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## Tonksy (Apr 6, 2013)

Thank tank is gorgeous! I applaud you!
I love the Plakat and EE poking around in their sections <3

What plants do you have?


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Looks great! What dividers did you use?


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Lovey setup!


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Wow, thanks everyone!  Yes, the "guys" love their sections, they hang out in the plants and pop out whenever I come by. You can see my DTHM on the left near the bottom as well.

At the back is Rotala Indica and Rotala Wallichii. The midground is Telanthera. I'm looking for a foreground -not HC, it floats away-has to be dry-started, nor dwarf sag or hairgrass. Maybe glosso or dwarf water clover if I can ever find it...

I used craft mesh (brown for natural-ish look) and report binders to DIY the dividers. Sort of like this tutorial: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/diy-aquarium/diy-aquarium-tank-dividers-21866/ . I siliconed the binders in on both sides and the bottom, and put one across the top. Very stable.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

One of the nicest divided tanks I have seen. Fish aren't half bad either. 

Very fine manzanita branches wrapped in moss would make a good hardscape. I have to say that your plants look nice and healthy.


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

I like how you have your filters set up around the dividers. Do you baffle them at all?


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## Nibblez (Jan 29, 2013)

Wow, that looks stunning with the betta's in them. Looks so clean simple.


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## isochronism (Nov 24, 2012)

I use the Biomaxx 10 filter in a small shrimp tank. I am very happy with it. It looks to me as what you have there. I use a small Fluval Pre-Filter slip on. I am impressed. Very nice!!


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

I'm in the process of tearing down my 10 gallon.

I might just do this.


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks for all the kind comments :-D The HOBs are Azoo Mignon 150s, they are adjustable though I'm running them moderately strong. The center and right have the most current, but it doesn't bother the Bettas. I modified them somewhat like this Azoo 60 (same design, just smaller than the 150s) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKkChviIQds , Fluval prefilters (trimmed slightly to fit next to dividers) and coarse sponge on the outflow to baffle a little. I enlarged some of grid holes in the front of the mesh to facilitate circulation.

The Bettas


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

Oh, the DT is quite handsome!


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## Lena N (Mar 22, 2013)

Tank you for sharing this. Pitty I you did not tell this before.  I would try to do the same for my 4 Bettas. I would defenetly save a lot of money to compare with what I got and tank would be more nice looking and easier to operate. It is such great idea with 2 filters. And I love the colour of mesh for deviders. Did you also get it from Michaels like in tutorial? Plants are great too. Do all of them need a lot of light?


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## wish4coner (Mar 22, 2013)

I am definitely giving that a whirl with my 10! Thank you much for posting the link. Geesh, and I paid for a substandard one, not even close to being nice, at Petsmart. It looked like glass at the top. I love it!! Good job!


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

With that brown mesh, they probably don't see each other clearly enough to get stressed, either, do they?


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Exactly! They are aware there is something on the other side of the mesh, but they can't see clearly enough to get excited. They are too busy playing hide and seek in the plants, or begging for more fooood!


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Mashiro said:


> Oh, the DT is quite handsome!


 Thanks, I was just having a look at Petco and he kinda got in my face, lol. I'm tall and we were eye-to-eye. It turns out he was the store fav.. They told me they often put their favorites up high to keep an eye on them, and hope they will go to an experienced home. I'd like to get a good photo, without the flash he looks velvety black with blue shimmers, and his tail and fins look smokey and almost transparent.



wish4coner said:


> I am definitely giving that a whirl with my 10! Thank you much for posting the link. Geesh, and I paid for a substandard one, not even close to being nice, at Petsmart. It looked like glass at the top. I love it!! Good job!


Thanks, it was a fun project. BTW, don't pay the price at Aquarium stores for silicone. I went to Home Depot, got DAP "All-Purpose Adhesive Sealant". At the bottom of the tube and package, it says "Aquarium Safe". Under $5 including tax.


LittleBettaFish said:


> One of the nicest divided tanks I have seen. Fish aren't half bad either.
> 
> Very fine manzanita branches wrapped in moss would make a good hardscape. I have to say that your plants look nice and healthy.


Thanks! They are planted in Flourite. Interesting thought, love that "tree" look and have tons of moss...



Nibblez said:


> Wow, that looks stunning with the betta's in them. Looks so clean simple.


Thanks! That's what I was going for, restrained natural semi-Dutch. just looking for some foreground plants to finish..



Lena N said:


> Tank you for sharing this..... And I love the colour of mesh for deviders. Did you also get it from Michaels like in tutorial? Plants are great too. Do all of them need a lot of light?


YW! I got the dividers at Jo-Ann Fabric, they were 59 cents each. They are referred to as #7 cross stitch or needlepoint plastic canvas. The background Rotala are low-moderate light, the Telanthera is medium to high light. There are (2) 18 watt lights on it.


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## Nibblez (Jan 29, 2013)

Maybe you can try some dwarf hair grass for the foreground, should go well with the rest and also provide a nice little coverage for them to sneak through.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Tete, what width did you cut your dividers to? I tried the 10" in the tutorial, and it seems way too big for my standard 10g--I'm getting way too much bow.


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

Deanna01 said:


> Tete, what width did you cut your dividers to? I tried the 10" in the tutorial, and it seems way too big for my standard 10g--I'm getting way too much bow.


Deanna, check the measurements on your 10g. Not all 10g's are standard size.


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Nibblez said:


> Maybe you can try some dwarf hair grass for the foreground, should go well with the rest and also provide a nice little coverage for them to sneak through.


I do like hairgrass, but am thinking of maybe glosso or dwarf water clover 



Deanna01 said:


> Tete, what width did you cut your dividers to? I tried the 10" in the tutorial, and it seems way too big for my standard 10g--I'm getting way too much bow.


Deanna, I used the tutorial as a jumping off point.. I put the mesh up to the end of the tank, turned it horizontally and vertically to see which would be the most efficient. I marked it, and cut it to the closest grid, using the grid as a measuring device and straight edge. I trimmed back another row or two of mesh just until there was no bowing. I had a sacrificial piece of mesh to experiment with (at 58 cents apiece, thought I'd risk it, lol) Once I was happy with it, I used it for a template for the next divider.
I siliconed the binders to both sides of the tank and the bottom of the tank and slid the fitted mesh into it. Once it was in (took a little wiggling) I put a piece of binder on the top. The mesh itself is not attached. Very stable, yet the mesh can be removed. Mind you, it would be a PIA to get it back in... 

HTH


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Oh, putting a piece of binder on the top is a great idea! I needed to trim off two more rows and still have a bit of bow, but I think it is okay.


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

leave as much height as you can so there is as little space as possible between the divider and top. I cut mine to where they just fit under the rim ledge. I had to put a very small notch in for the HOBs to straddle them.


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## ShukiAi (Feb 15, 2012)

Wow, your tank looks fantastic! I'm in the process of cycling a new 30 gallon for my betta sorority and my plan was to use their old 10 gallon and make it a divided like yours. Now I'm even more excited! I hope mine can turn out as lovely as yours. Your bettas are very handsome as well.


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks! It was fun to do. If I was going divided, I wanted it to look nice.


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## Lena N (Mar 22, 2013)

*Dear TeteRouge*, want to thank you again for your thread! Got report covers at office depot (2,99$), two were black +1 green,1 red,1 blue. And mesh canvas in Michaels (around 50c each). Returned Top Fin devider to store. Good savings for me, thank you very much!!!!! Maybe you know where to buy *Aquarium Clear Suction Cups? 
*


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

This is just beautiful! I would love to be able to do a 10 gallon divided with my one young boy, Chai Son, and one other male, but I've been told by a lot of people that it would stress them out ... does this not seem to be the case with your boys? I know with my two CT girls who are in a divided 10 gallon (below) they don't seem at all bothered. Occasionally they will both go to the divider (I used a divider kit but I got a piece of plexiglass cut to the size of the mesh for additional stability because the mesh that came with the kit didn't seem to be sturdy enough) and swim alongside each other the length of their shared divider, but neither seem upset or stressed, and they don't flare. The rest of the time, they just sort of do their thing. Males are different, though, I know, so I would love any input as to how your males do.


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Lena N said:


> *Dear TeteRouge*, want to thank you again for your thread! Got report covers at office depot (2,99$), two were black +1 green,1 red,1 blue. And mesh canvas in Michaels (around 50c each). Returned Top Fin devider to store. Good savings for me, thank you very much!!!!! Maybe you know where to buy *Aquarium Clear Suction Cups? *


You are welcome, Lena, it was fun to do! I'm afraid I don't know where to find the suction cups. I used DAP Clear silicone to attach mine. I did get an airline tubing kit at Petsmart which has suction cups, but haven't used it-the water is sufficiently oxygenated by the action of the filters/water movement. The bettas seldom go to the top of the tank and are quite energetic. I got my report covers from Walmart (even cheaper, lol) and painted them black w/Krylon Fusion. The Krylon was suggested in many Aquarium DIY threads in a few different forums. Caveat- should wait until completely cured, I waited 3 days. 



bannlow2471 said:


> This is just beautiful! I would love to be able to do a 10 gallon divided with my one young boy, Chai Son, and one other male, but I've been told by a lot of people that it would stress them out ... does this not seem to be the case with your boys? I know with my two CT girls who are in a divided 10 gallon (below) they don't seem at all bothered. Occasionally they will both go to the divider (I used a divider kit but I got a piece of plexiglass cut to the size of the mesh for additional stability because the mesh that came with the kit didn't seem to be sturdy enough) and swim alongside each other the length of their shared divider, but neither seem upset or stressed, and they don't flare. The rest of the time, they just sort of do their thing. Males are different, though, I know, so I would love any input as to how your males do.


Thanks, Bannlow! The dark mesh apparently obscures vision enough so the guys really seem quite unaffected by each other. On rare moments, if both are next to the front of the mesh (where the slightly enlarged grid holes are- you can see a couple in the DTHM pic) _and_ peek through, I might get few seconds of flaring, but almost never. They are happy rummaging around in and through the plants, occasionally snoozing and patrolling their sections. BTW, that is a very nice tank your girls are in!


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

@ TeteRouge, thank you so much ... that is interesting that the darker mesh seems to be a deterrent. Maybe one of these days I'll try it.

Thanks for the compliment on my girls' tank - I have updated it a bit and gotten some more plants, etc. but they do seem very happy in there, which makes me happy!


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

TeteRouge, you have inspired me!










The silicon is still drying, but how did I do?


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Looks really nice! Who's going in there?


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

bannlow2471 said:


> Looks really nice! Who's going in there?


Thanks!

I'm going to put Gabriel, my Cellophane and White HM, Ciel, my Red White and Blue Crowntail, and Claude, my Blue and Red Rosetail Dragonscale. 

It's going to be heavily planted and have a small piece of Mopani wood in each division. Probably going to use Red Cherry Shrimp, about 4 in each division.


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Wow that should be amazing! Can't wait to see it!


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

Nice!!! That is looking very good, looking forward to seeing the finished product! I'm happy to have given you some ideas!

Are you going to put a piece of binder on the top of the mesh? I have it top and bottom as well. Your substrate will keep the bottom stable, anyway, but you will want it on the top. Any flex might give one of your boys a chance to get next door for mischief, lol


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

TeteRouge said:


> Nice!!! That is looking very good, looking forward to seeing the finished product! I'm happy to have given you some ideas!
> 
> Are you going to put a piece of binder on the top of the mesh? I have it top and bottom as well. Your substrate will keep the bottom stable, anyway, but you will want it on the top. Any flex might give one of your boys a chance to get next door for mischief, lol



Thanks!

If you want to see more you should subscribe to my journal! There's a link in my sig.

I just put the bars on top and it really evened out the bow, thanks!


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## Toaster11 (Jul 9, 2012)

This thread inspired me as well. I now have my two boys living together and I am very happy with the results. Thanks!
http://www.bettafish.com/picture.php?albumid=5674&pictureid=51977


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm really glad to have given you some ideas, Toaster! That's a really nice tank you have! I bet your boys love it and all the hiding spots in there. It looks kind of peaceful with the temple and bridge. I like the way you used the red plant on the side.


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## Toaster11 (Jul 9, 2012)

TeteRouge said:


> I'm really glad to have given you some ideas, Toaster! That's a really nice tank you have! I bet your boys love it and all the hiding spots in there. It looks kind of peaceful with the temple and bridge. I like the way you used the red plant on the side.


Thanks!!!
The only thing I'm a bit worried about is that the entire filter is on one side. The water circulation doesn't seem to get to the left side of the tank. The water over there is perfectly still. Is this something to worry about at all?


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## TeteRouge (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm not an expert by any means, tho I would guess there is likely some movement, but much less. I'm not sure what kind of filter you have. If it is a powered filter and it can't sit astride your divider, I would put it so the intake is right next to and touching the divider. You could also put a sponge filter in the still side.


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## Toaster11 (Jul 9, 2012)

TeteRouge said:


> I'm not an expert by any means, tho I would guess there is likely some movement, but much less. I'm not sure what kind of filter you have. If it is a powered filter and it can't sit astride your divider, I would put it so the intake is right next to and touching the divider. You could also put a sponge filter in the still side.


I'm thinking of getting a sponge filter. That would probably work best. Maybe I will lose my current filter all together and just use a sponge.


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