Tank dividers

[MarkOne]

What are peoples views or experiences of splitting a tank (7g) with a divider and keeping 2 bettas for company (?!) Is this fair for each fish? Is it comany?!!
Tank has a small filter and heater in it.

 

[WILDER]

I don't like divided tanks i think they cause desease as you get dormant areas for bacteria to multiply causing desease, but that's just my view.

 

[riogal_11]

Sounds like a good idea. I have a 10 gallon divided and a 5 gallon divided and everything is fine. Mine ignore each other for the most part, but still flare at each other once in a while. You could even split a 7 into 3 parts in case you catch the betta epadimic that seems to be going around here

 

[Elise]

I split my 5 gal three ways. I think my fish love it! They get depressed when I do the betta shuffle and some end up by themselves. Although, Wilder has a point, disease can be spread this way. But I do have two boys who share a split 2.5 and one gets fin rot every couple of months while the other never does.

I say go for it!

 

[MarkOne]

Thanks guys! The dividers I have seend have tooth gaps all over so there will be an even flow of water through to the other side. Currently I have gravel and a couple of rocks in there....no light.
Is it worth putting anything else on each side for them? Should I use a low light needing plant or stick a plastic plant in each side??

Thanks!

 

[riogal_11]

In all of my divided tanks everyone has at least one silk plant with them. MY 5 gallon also has glass things in them. I don't know exactly what they are. Soemthing like a candle holder or something. The boys love them. They swim in and out of them and stay in them for long periods of time (except for when I try to get pics of course) I use desk lamps to light mine for a few hours a day and they get the lighting from my room. Have you thought about making your own dividers? I know around here one divider is around 15 dollars, you can make tons of your own for just a few dollars. I also noticed that you said plastic plants. I would recommend getting silk as they won't damage the boys fins.

 

[MarkOne]

Thanks for your advice. I'm feeling flush at the moment so I might go and buy a couple of dividers!
Have a tank dilemma, who fancies helping?!!

I have two spare tanks at the moment.
One holds 9g, and has a filter and heater
The other holds about 18g and has heater, filter and light.

Was thinking about dividing the first tank into two, and the second tank into 4 and housing just male bettas, but it seems a bit of a waster if you know what I mean!
Any suggestions welcome!!!

 

[riogal_11]

Having a spare 9 gallon and 18 gallon in the betta forum is definitely not a waster. That just means more bettas. I wish I had the room for larger tanks to divide. The one thing I would suggest though is that maybe make the 18 gallon a female community, then you won't have to worry with dividing, it won't seem wasteful and well, that just means more bettas For the 9 gallon, you could divide it into 3 or 4 sections, I think that would work out good.

 

[MarkOne]

Yeah I know what you mean...nice scenario!
So have the large tank with a large number of female bettas you say? What sort of figures could we talk?

And then split the small tank into say 3 and house males??

 

[riogal_11]

Well I have 6 in my 10 gallon so I'd say you could house probably 12 or so. It must be heavily planted. And since I'm assuming you don't already have any females I would try to get them about the same size when you buy them. I love advising people to start female communities, b/c so often they sit on the shelves for weeks just b/c they don't have long flowy fins. I would say 3 on the 9 gallon too. I have a 10 split into 4, but that's only b/c it is necessary. Three would give them 3 gallons a piece and it wouldn't be too narrow!

 

[MarkOne]

sounds like a plan...are females as aggresive as males with regards to other fish? If I decided to say get 4 or 5 and some other community type fish, rasboras or something would they get along fine?

 

[riogal_11]

Well as far as agression goes, I have some females that are more aggressive than my males. One can't even go into the community tank b/c she is so mean. I'm not sure on answers as to rasboras or others. I'm too scared to mix anything up. If you are worried about colors I think you'll be surprised at how cute and colorful the females can be. My tank has a ton of color in it, and is my favorite tank. I get comments on it all the time, and people are amazed that the occupants are just simply female bettas. Maybe someone else can help you with things that are compatible with girls. Mine would surely kill anything that I tried to put in their tank.

 

[MarkOne]

Fair enough thanks! What is the minimum amount of females that should be kept together??

 

[riogal_11]

The general consensus is at least 6. That will help spread out the agression, but you could obviously fit more than that into your tank. I wish I had an 18. I would squeeze in as many as I could

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I have 6 girlies in my 10 gallon and I love it! If you can, try to get sisters from the same spawn, that way there won't be much nipping or fighting as they are not strangers!