A Tank Divided

[AlitaConejita]

Test, test, will this post? (This my 3rd attempt to start this journal)

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Posted

 

[AlitaConejita]

Yay! It worked

OK: I was going to divide my new 10 gal into 3 parts for 3 bettas. Each section would have a unique look and I even named the tank Sybil after the woman/movie with multiple personalities syndrome. But I realized that with a 3 part divide, Jack would have less horizontal swim room than he currently has in his 2 gal tank.

So now I am going to divide the tank in two. I don't have a theme yet - and I LOVE themes any suggestions are welcome. Currently I've considered Jekyll/Hyde or two-face, ying & yang, or sun & moon. Whatever the theme, I want contrast so nothing like a Gemini theme.

I've glued the binders for the DIY divider today and will start cycling it on Monday.

 

[AlitaConejita]

My supplies:



And my current progress (not much!):

 

[guppy2002]

looking great! i would love to see the finished product!

 

[AlitaConejita]

I had to find a heavy stone to keep the sponge filter from floating (I cleaned it in boiling water and put it in a cheese cloth that I tied to the base of the filter. I also tried to slow the flow if the bubbling with a fridge clip but that hasn't done anything

And here are my baseline tests:

Should I be worried about the pH?


On the regular pH test, it comes up at the bottom of the test (7.6) but on the high pH test it comes up at the top of the test (7.4). ???

 

[Blondielovesfish]

The pH looks more like 7.8 to me, though because you're seeing it in person you're a better judge!
 
I wouldn't really worry about it.

 

[AlitaConejita]

I thought 7.8 as well but my daughter said the top one and as I have trouble with reds/greens, I went with her assessment

 

[AlitaConejita]

Can't seem to get the ammonia level right. I put the amount the bottle said should get to around 4 ppm and after waiting an hour, the test said .5ppm I doubled the dose and after an hour, the test said 1 ppm. I'm not going to add any more ammonia tonight though... I think my bedroom is smelling a little funny
First test:

Second test:

 

[attibones]

Are you using Dr. Tim's ammonia? I think I saw a bottle of it in one of your pictures. If that's the case, then you'll need to add plenty more. I had this problem with it myself.

 

[Texan_Betta_Lover]

That's odd.. I do agree with attisons though. You'd need to put more than you're using right now since it's not a sufficient amount of ammonia

 

[AlitaConejita]

Tuesday is a long school day for me . I will double check the ammonia levels tonight when I get home and dose till it gets to the right amount.

Do you think it'll be a problem that I will have essential spread the first ammonia dose through a 24 hr period? Will it affect how quickly the tank cycles notably, or just the one day it takes to get it the right amount?

 

[attibones]

Nah. Because your cycle will not have even really started yet, you're free to spread it out. Of course, don't do it for say a week but you'll be fine for what you have had to do due to your schedule.

(Also, OMG, 1,000 posts!)

 

[Shelster]

Looking forward to the progress on this

I think Jekyll and Hyde as its the first thing I thought of, then saw it was one of your options too

Good luck

 

[AlitaConejita]

(Also, OMG, 1,000 posts!)

congrats!
 

Looking forward to the progress on this

I think Jekyll and Hyde as its the first thing I thought of, then saw it was one of your options too

Good luck

If I do Jekyll/Hyde, I think I'd focus on the dichotomy between the "intellectual man" and the "human base/instincts/beast" rather than person/monster because I don't like the idea of portraying one of my fish as bad/evil (I know, I know - I'm getting a little crazy about this).
 
I was up this morning past 3am (homework + procrastination) and getting a little loopy when I thought of getting a pink rosetail betta. Jack is blue and crowntail/spiky, so a good contrast would be the societal opposite (pink) and soft/full tail... then I could make their parts of the tank go along the them of soft/sweet victorian tea party-ish and punk-rock spikey thing (like a spiked dog collar thing) ... victorian tea party vs victorian goth/punk style
 
OR, giving up on contrast, having the overall tank be kind-of an homage to a summer day. I've moved from warm south florida to cold massachussets - I'm starting to miss the blue sky, warm sun, and green grass. In my delusional/pre-MORE COFFEE!!!! am state, I started to think of Jack's blue and green colors as that of a summer day and all it was missing was a warm yellow sun (yellow halfmoon or rosetail?). In the color spectrum, blue and yellow are opposites so the tank would still contrast but it would be one "scene" essentially ... a soothing scene I could look at during winter ... from my bed ... with hot chocolate while I dream of soaking up the rays of the sun with Iced Tea in a hammock (in reality if I tried to drink anything in a hammock I'd probably spill it )
 
Anyway - I'm still pretty tired so may-be none of the above makes sense   Back to office hours! - I'm soooo tired!!!!