# Show your divided tanks here!



## MyRainbowBettaFish

Hey everybody,

as most of you know by all of my threads i have been posting, i am going to be dividing my ten gallon after i restart my tank in a couple of years(i know it is a long time, but i have fish already in that tank and don't plan on redoing it yet). I plan to put a sponge filter and heater in the middle with two dividers on each side. Does anybody know how effective 1 sponge filter is for a whole 10 gallon tank? I know nothing about sponge filters, or how to set them up, so i need a lot of advice lol:lol:. I was also considering a Aqua Clear filter because i have read good reviews and have heard they have an adjustable flow. Should i get an Aqua Clear or sponge filter? Again, i know absolutely NOTHING about sponge filters! Just hoping to see some of all your great divided tanks and what you used for dividers!


Thanks again,


MyRainbowBettaFish :lol:


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## Bounce

I don't have a divided tank but I have a sponge filter and love it. I use a Lustar Hydro 1 filter (recommended for 5 to 20 gal.) in my 10 gallon tank. I'm such a fan of sponge filters, I even keep two Lustar Hydro 2 (recommended for 10 to 30 gal.) running in my 75 gallon just for supplemental filtration and to have in case I have to set up a QT or hospital tank.

They're very simple and run off an air pump and they're good for betta tanks because of their very low current. The only thing I don't like about them is the fact that they're not very attractive so I just try to hide them behind decorations or plants.

More info about sponge filters here:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/SpongeFilter.html


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## thekoimaiden

I love both my divided tanks and my sponge filters. I'm setting up a large sponge filter in my goldfish tank right now to be used a QT filter. My current betta filters are home-made sponge filters, but I'm going to be switching to commercial ones when my summer job begins. I whole-heartily believe they are the best filters for bettas. Here are my two divided betta tanks. You can kinda see the bubble filters along the back wall of the middle section. 



















At the time the first picture was taken, it had stronger lighting than my second one. As a result I'm currently battling some PITA algae.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

beautiful tanks! I will look into sponge filter for sure!


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## freemike

I love my sponge filters. Here is a tank I just made tonight for my veil tails. The sponge in this tank is the hydro 0 recommended up to 10 gallons.


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## SpookyTooth

I absolutely live by sponge filters when it comes to bettas! I don't know any other filter that has so much control; what's better is that you can run multiple filters off one air pump! The biggest downside is the noise the pump can make if it or the cable is vibrating against anything though this is usually easy to rectify through some gentle nudging into the "right" position.

I don't have a photo of my divided tank (waiting for it to send from my phone... takes a whiiiile) but I have the heater on one side, filter on the other and they are both pressed up against the divider. My tank is somewhere between 13 and 14 gallons and is also planted.

There are two types of sponge filter you can buy: stand-alone ones (which have a weighted bottom) and stick-to-the-side ones. I like the stick to the side ones, they often have two sponges on them (depending on size) and are super efficient.

Something I'd personally suggest buying if you go for a sponge filter is a non-return valve -- especially if your air pump will be sat outside the tank below the water line. Non-return valves stop the water from being sucked into the air line and going into the air pump and therefore increase its longvity. They cost anywhere between $0.50 and $5, depends on brand you get - they are _tiny_ though so it might be worth getting a spare in case you need to change airline tubing and lose it!


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## lvandert

Here's my bachelors pad. Yay crafting mesh!!!


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

great tanks everybody! i really appreciate it! So for the sponge filters, i would need a sponge filter (obviously) , airline tubing (how much for 10 gallon?), and what types of valves?

I would appreciate it if you guys could create me a list of what i need for just the sponge filter. How do you install it? Is their any stores you recommend purchasing them from?




Thanks again and i can't wait to see more of everybody's tanks!



Hopefully my computer will let me post pictures of my tank......

can you please help me with this thread???


here is the thread:http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=102758
If you can help that would be awesome! I really want to show you guys my tank!


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Also, if you guys want to participate in some of my POLLS:

the betta fin shape, color and pattern POLL:http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=102767


the divided tank game plan POLL:http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=102868



Thanks!


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## Neil D

Here is my divided 10g tank. ^_^


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Neil D said:


> Here is my divided 10g tank. ^_^


It is beautiful! what is your divider made out of, and where is your filter(i can't find it haha)?


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## ao

Neil D said:


> Here is my divided 10g tank. ^_^


is that a... voss bottle?


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## Neil D

XD Yeah, that's a bottle wrapped around the filter intake, to prevent the betta from getting stuck to the side. The filter is in the back left corner of the tank. The divider is a store bought one with the clear material replaced with a black mesh from Michaels.


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## augustus waters

Neil D said:


> Here is my divided 10g tank. ^_^


this is beautiful 

i want it


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## Neil D

Aww, I feel loved. ^_^


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Neil D said:


> Aww, I feel loved. ^_^


it is really pretty!


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## SpookyTooth

Finally got an updated photo of my aquarium!

Right, for a sponge filter you need the following:
- *Air pump* 
For a 10 gallon you won't need an overly powerful one. I use a Tetra brand one.
- *Air line* 
It's better to get too much rather than too little just in case some of it splits so I'd suggest buying about a meter or so. It also depends on where the pump will be situated.
- *Air-Flow Valve*
This should come with the air pump, if not you can always buy them individually. This controls how much air is passed through to the filter.
- *Filter*
Of course... the sponge filter!

Optional stuff includes:
- *Non-Return Valve*

I've attached a random diagram of how the stuff fits together. The black box is the sponge filter, the blue lines are the air line, red box is non-return valve, gold box is the adjustment valve and the green box is the air pump. Each "thing" should have a little nozzel that the air tubing is squeezed on to (it is a tight squeeze, the tighter the better).

Good luck!


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## Neil D

Nice tank! Heavily planted. Bet your betta is in heaven in there. lol


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## SpookyTooth

Oh, thank you so much! Kaze's side is more densely planted than Echo's (Kaze on the right, Echo on the left) as he doesn't have as many cave ornaments. He has a really good habit of scratching himself up on the most gentle of things so I've made sure he only has driftwood structures as hiding places, thought the extra plants might also help compensate.

I added some java ferns, marimo moss balls and a coconut shell bridge covered in pearl moss yesterday after they ended their quarantine, seems the guys approve of them!


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

SpookyTooth said:


> Finally got an updated photo of my aquarium!
> 
> Right, for a sponge filter you need the following:
> - *Air pump*
> For a 10 gallon you won't need an overly powerful one. I use a Tetra brand one.
> - *Air line*
> It's better to get too much rather than too little just in case some of it splits so I'd suggest buying about a meter or so. It also depends on where the pump will be situated.
> - *Air-Flow Valve*
> This should come with the air pump, if not you can always buy them individually. This controls how much air is passed through to the filter.
> - *Filter*
> Of course... the sponge filter!
> 
> Optional stuff includes:
> - *Non-Return Valve*
> 
> I've attached a random diagram of how the stuff fits together. The black box is the sponge filter, the blue lines are the air line, red box is non-return valve, gold box is the adjustment valve and the green box is the air pump. Each "thing" should have a little nozzel that the air tubing is squeezed on to (it is a tight squeeze, the tighter the better).
> 
> Good luck!




thanks you so much for taking the time to upload these pictures and write these instructions! They helped me out a lot!

Did you just put your filter on one side of the tank and heater on the other?
Also where did you get your divider/what is it made out of?
I was thinking about putting my filter and heater in the middle with two dividers on each side to separate my bettas.


Thanks!:lol:


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## SpookyTooth

You're certainly welcome!

I have the heater on one side with the filter on the other, both pressed against the divider. I don't know if it does anything but I have the outlet of my filter facing the divider in the hope it'll help spread the heat of the heater.

The divider we used is a Penn Plax 20gal cut to size. It's clear but my mother sewed some large-pored sponge onto either side to break the line of sight, I've also attached some moss pads to one side in the hope they'll spread across and create a moss wall.

I wanted to do the compartment in the centre of the tank as well but my sponge filter was too big and it'd have taken up sooo much space. If you get a stand-alone sponge filter I'm sure you won't have a problem using the compartment - I think it's better, to be honest; it means you can stuff it full of plants if you're using clear dividers and break up the line of sight if you feel you need to.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

ohh that divide sounds awesome! What did your mom use to sew the moss? I really want a moss ball for Honeycomb's tank, which is an already an old established tank (10 gallon). i have NEVER had live plants and really want a good beginner plant.mHow do i take care of it? what affect will it have on my water? I rarely have the light on in the tank, as it is by a window(yes i know, bad idea..) and i clean it every week. i have heard that sometimes critters can hide in the ball and show up in your tank later? Is there any other plants you recommend? Sorry about changing the subject and all the questions i just want some live plants my betta will be happy with and require low matinence(no fertilizer or plant food needed, no trimming leaves-if its possible). I also like the look and how they do not reproduce quickly(from what i have heard).

Thanks, again sorry for changing subjects lol


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## SpookyTooth

Mum used fishing line to sew it  We have a reel of the stuff and it has proven to be endlessly useful!

Moss balls are AWESOME! They don't require much if any artifical light - as your tank is near a window the natural sunlight should be more than enough. They'll need to be taken out and squeezed + rerolled each time you do a water change as they have a habit of getting covered in debris. They also need to be turned whenever you do a water change as they are spherical so you don't want one side constantly in the dark or it'll go brown.

Marimo moss balls are actually a species of algae so you may find it helps keep "pest" algae down by competing with it - depends on how many moss balls you buy though. Marimo moss balls grow about 5mm a year.

Critters _can_ hide amongst the moss ball and with most other plants, too. More often than not these are harmless but it's always worth quarantining your new plants before adding them to the tank. The length of quarantine depends on your own personal preference, some say a week some say two. My quarantine time varies depending on who I bought plants from (if it's someone I've shopped with before and trust the quarantine time is less). Quarantining can be achieved by having the plants in a different tank with regular tap water (no conditioner). Some critters will survive chlorine which is fine, these will likely be seed shrimp, cyclops and other copepods that are harmless to your fish (some like to hunt them).

Planaria (flatworms, arrow shaped head) and detritus worms (thin, hair-like worms that squirm around all odd like) can also come in on live plants. These are harmless to bettas but are more annoying than the smaller microfauna that can call plants home. Detritus worms should fade with time (regular tank maintenance helps keep numbers normal, they're always present in an aquarium and help breakdown mulm and debris in the tank's substrate) and planaria can be removed using a turkey baster.

Other easy to grow live plants that don't grow overly quickly are java ferns, java moss (always recommended!!) and anubias; java ferns and anubias should be attached to objects, their rhizomes cannot be buried or they'll rot and the plant will die. Floating plants are things like duckweed (which can grow very quickly but is easier to remove if you find you have too much; please make sure it's legal to own where you live and make sure you don't dump excess duckweed down the drain - put it in a composter if you can as it can become invasive); duckweed adds a wonderfully natural touch to the aquarium that bettas appreciate as it also filters light.

Java moss has a habit of growing upward so if you find it gets too tall you may need to trim it a little, chances of it growing at such speed though are slim as although it will thrive in a "low tech" set up it can be quite the slow grower. Other mosses like willow moss are also gorgeous and easy to keep but java moss is the most readily available and you can get large chunks for a low price.

All this talk of live plants makes me want to start another tank! D'oh! Hahah.


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## ao

I have a million plants in my tank/s that I never fertilize. I just make sure I never vaccum the substrate too clean, and usually make sure there's a few snails in each tank to fertilize the plants naturally. these include, but are not limited to

Elodea
Anubias nana
Java fern
Java moss
Süsswassertang
Hygrophillia
Giant baby tears
Guppy grass
Cabomba
Banana lily
... I even have some kind of underwater clover...

Most of this stuff is in a widowside 2 gallon Jar with 4 feeder minnows, all is left floating


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## laoshun

Pretty messy plants, hopefully invest in nicer ones lol.


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## Neil D

Whoa beautiful bettas and tanks! I love the sand!


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## freemike

Here is pictures one with flash and the other without of my 20 gallon long tank that I just finished. It's housing some albino and axelrod cories with my Bettas so only 2 sections.


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## Bounce

Very nice, freemike!


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## freemike

Thanks bounce.


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## Hallyx

I like that look, Mike. Do you have that CO2 bottle hooked up to you bubblers? Those "nuclear reactors" don't look too ugly. I bought mine based on your picture.

Here's my 5g divided. Thekoimaiden and I are among a few proponents of the double divider...even heat and filtering, hard to jump, no plumbing in the fish bays.


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## thekoimaiden

Hallyx said:


> I like that look, Mike. Do you have that CO2 bottle hooked up to you bubblers? Those "nuclear reactors" don't look too ugly. I bought mine based on your picture.
> 
> Here's my 5g divided. Thekoimaiden and I are among a few proponents of the double divider...even heat and filtering, hard to jump, no plumbing in the fish bays.


Oooh. I don't think I've seen your divided tank. What kind of filter do you have in there?


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## freemike

Hallyx said:


> I like that look, Mike. Do you have that CO2 bottle hooked up to you bubblers? Those "nuclear reactors" don't look too ugly. I bought mine based on your picture.
> 
> Here's my 5g divided. Thekoimaiden and I are among a few proponents of the double divider...even heat and filtering, hard to jump, no plumbing in the fish bays.



Actually if you look just above the cave on the left you'll see a 30ml dropper bottle that I cut up to use as a bell type diffuser. I use the heater to hold it down. It's not the best method, but it seems to boost my plant growth when I put it in there.


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## Hallyx

O K That's brilliant, Mike. Not too much trouble for what it does. 

@thekoimaiden....The filter is just a cheap Hagen Mini with <2.0 cu in of foam inside, there *but *there is about 3 cu in in front of the intake and a 2in dia x 3in long foam tube (>8 cu in) in the outflow. (that white stick is to keep the end closed), plus another >3 cu in floating in the filter bay. 

I'm sure it is due to all that foam in the flow that I was able to cycle my 5 gal bare-bottom in 13 days and keep it stable with two fish.

I'm using about half as much foam to cycle my 3 gal (work in progress).


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## thekoimaiden

Hallyx said:


> @thekoimaiden....The filter is just a cheap Hagen Mini with <2.0 cu in of foam inside, there *but *there is about 3 cu in in front of the intake and a 2in dia x 3in long foam tube (>8 cu in) in the outflow. (that white stick is to keep the end closed), plus another >3 cu in floating in the filter bay.
> 
> I'm sure it is due to all that foam in the flow that I was able to cycle my 5 gal bare-bottom in 13 days and keep it stable with two fish.
> 
> I'm using about half as much foam to cycle my 3 gal (work in progress).


Neat! I'll keep that in mind in case I ever need to downsize. I'm kinda worried about what to do with all of my tanks when I move out.


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## newf

Here is my twenty gallon long. I really like having this tank. It is the first divided tank I tried to do, and with one exception, it has turned out fairly well. The plants are growing well now that I bought a better light. The fish all seem happy too.


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## Hallyx

That's really attractive, newf. Did you think you'd forget their names? (Just kidding.) Good job hiding the filter.

Are those the Betta logs everybody talks about? First time I've seen a good picture of them.


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## newf

lol..Hubby is a graphic artist who sees everything as a opportunity to design and put vinyl on. I came home one day to the names already on the tank. 

Yes, those are betta logs. They are the best investment I think for bettas. All my bettas love them.


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## Anna27

Thats an awesome tank Newf!


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## Anitax3x

That tank is awesome newf!


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## Neil D

I almost drooled, Newf.


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## freemike

Hey Newf what light fixture are you using on your tank? I'm looking to upgrade mine.


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## newf

Thank you everyone It took a few trial and error days to get it working right. I really enjoy it.

Freemike, I bought that light at Petsmart. It is a T5 dual light. Here is the link to the page for you. It really made a big different with the light quality. We just bent the legs to get it to sit higher on the tank. I have glass tops on the tank so the light gets through very well.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11248153


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## TuckerLove

Here is my divided tank. Im very boring, lol. I cant wait til I can try my hand out with live plants.


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## mjoy79

Love everyone's divided tanks! 
Here is my only (currently) divided tank. It has an Aqueon filter in the left side but after reading this thread I'm thinking of changing that. The filter has foam in the outtake to block some of the flow but I think I could do something better. The heater is in the middle section along with fake plants to make sure the bettas dont see each other  And of course, at the off chance that one divider fails, there's a backup.


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## Neil D

That's a cool tank Mjoy! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVxgVk5rmdo

A video of my tank ^


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## MistersMom

*Here are my divided tanks!!!! *


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## Anitax3x

Your tanks are adorable! ^^


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## MistersMom

Mine? Thank you


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## Anitax3x

Yes yours


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Sorry i haven't been on this site in a while...was busy. So glad to be back! LOVE all your tanks! They are stunning! Wonderful new ideas...!


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## MistersMom

I recently Divided my 20 gallon again for my new HM boy Bello


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

beautiful!


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## labloverl

MistersMom, I see you have the filter and heater in different sections. Does that work out well? Also, how did you make the little craft mesh "logs?"


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## Aurie

Here's my tank setup.. still in progress.. more plants needed


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Aurie said:


> Here's my tank setup.. still in progress.. more plants needed


Wow! Your tank is so clear and neat! LOVE it!


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## labloverl

Here's mine, just made so I don't have a second boy yet. The filter is a little strong on the right side, even with the floating plant.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

labloverl said:


> Here's mine, just made so I don't have a second boy yet. The filter is a little strong on the right side, even with the floating plant.


Nice setup! Very ....natural!


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## gwenny

It's so nice to see so many planted betta tanks nowadays! I love how natural they look and that they're safe for our betta's fins! 

Here's my divided 12 gallon long setup today. The plants are growing nicely and I was able to fight off a cyano and algae bloom *phew*


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## Hallyx

Now THAT is one terrific Betta tank, Gwenny. Lot's of floor space for swimming. Beautifully set up and decorated.

Where did you get that tank?
Is that an LED light strip? How's it working for you?


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## gwenny

Hallyx said:


> Now THAT is one terrific Betta tank, Gwenny. Lot's of floor space for swimming. Beautifully set up and decorated.
> 
> Where did you get that tank?
> Is that an LED light strip? How's it working for you?


Why thank you Hallyx! :-D One of the main reasons I chose this tank was because it was long and shallow, perfect for bettas.

It's a Mr. Aqua 12 gallon long rimless tank. I got it from marinedepot.com

And yup, it's a strip with 129 LEDs (white & blue combo). It's doing all right, the plants are doing quite well. The only thing is, they're all green xD I have a couple plants that are supposed to be more colorful, but since it's not fluorescent...they're just green lol


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## Enkil

Pics of ONE of my divided 10 gallons. XD
This one houses Uther (right) and Frost (left). Uther is a giant HMPK and Frost is a HMPK.
Tank is kept in a heated room to remain at 78-79 F.


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## freemike

Updated my tank filter and divider. I started using a powerhead on my 20 gallon long. I combined the sponge filters and ran them through the divider. I found it actually made the divider a lot more stable and secure in the tank. I'm downgrading the boys to a 10 gallon divided though. I have plans to make a high tech NPT Gourami tank out of the 20 long. But for now this is it...


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## Hallyx

That's great, Mike. Using your Hydro as an induction/intake filter is brilliant. And filtering out of both sides. Hides well, too.

Do I see two heaters in there?


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## freemike

Yeah two 50w eheim jager.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Anitax3x

freemike said:


> Updated my tank filter and divider. I started using a powerhead on my 20 gallon long. I combined the sponge filters and ran them through the divider. I found it actually made the divider a lot more stable and secure in the tank. I'm downgrading the boys to a 10 gallon divided though. I have plans to make a high tech NPT Gourami tank out of the 20 long. But for now this is it...


That looks AWESOME! I may just do that for my boys in my soon to be divided 6 gallon.


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## Catie79

I'm so glad to see this thread, since I'm already planning Lucky's upgrade and I want to divide a 10 gallon tank so I can have a second betta. Is there anything I need to know about picking up aquarium sealant? When I read how to make your own dividers, they mentioned using that to glue them in place. I'm looking at Marineland Silicone aquarium sealant. 

I also like the double divider idea, since I won't have to worry so much about whether or not the current is too strong when I get a filter for a 10 gallon tank. For a sponge filter, is the 10 gallon setup going to be enough? It's the Elite single sponge filter with the Tetra 10 gallon air pump.

Thanks!


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## Hallyx

A top quality silicon sealant by GE or Dow is safe in your tank, and a lot less expensive than from the fishstore.

@Freemike 
Do you know the trick with the credit card for hiding the line between the substrate layers?


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

Love these tanks!


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