Tank Divider causing problems?

[Deadline]

I have a tank divider in my 10 gallon so that it can hold two bettas. Recently within the last week or two, I took one of my bettas out due to fin rot. I placed him in a one gallon with some java moss and started treating him with Melafix. As of now he looks alot better but my other betta is starting to have the same problem.

I do water changes every other day or so now because the ammonia and nitrite levels have been taking a while to build. I decided today to take the divider out and let my one betta live in the entire tank. His section was the side without the filter and originally I thought that the holes in the divider were enough for water circulation, and while that may be true, the filter cant pull the garbage from that side of the tank because of the divider.

I am going to start trying to do water changes daily to keep ammonia at 0 and now that the divider is gone, hopefully the filter can do a better job at cleaning the water.

Sigh anyhow, anyone have any sugguestions or comments, I feel like a horrible fishkeeper because 3 out of 4 of my fish have fin problems (though only the one fish I got recently has the black edges around his fins, the others turn white before they start to dissapear.)

[ct-death]

I just bought a 10G with the idea of putting 2 bettas in it as well (w/ divider); however, I just got 2 Whisper 15 filters - one for each side. I'm cycling now, but maybe you could get 2 filters?

[BIGgourami]

if you use a small hose to syphon out some of the water you can pick up the poop and stuff at the bottom of the tank on both sides.

[polypterus101]

high ammonia levels can cause the fins of bettas to corrode

[Deadline]

Main question is would the divider hinder the filter from filtering out all the ammonia and nitrite once all is cycled?

And thanks for all the help so far :)

[Aislinn]

I think it depends on what kind of divider it is - as in, how it affects your water circulation. If the water is circulating well through both halves of the tank, then your bio filtration will be fine. Most dividers negatively affect the mechanical filtration on the non-filter side though, so you need to vacuum much more often. Somebody upthread suggested putting a small filter on each half of the tank, and I think that's a great idea. I've never divided a tank before, but if I had to, that's what I'd do with it.

[Deadline]

Ah Alright, I think as for right now My betta will be living in the 1 gallon heh... at least until they are all better.

[kmail5776]

Main question is would the divider hinder the filter from filtering out all the ammonia and nitrite once all is cycled?

And thanks for all the help so far :)

You can't 'filter out' nitrogen products without chemical filtration. Biological nitrification turns the ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. That's what happens "once all is cycled."

Could you move the filter so the intake tube is on one side of the divider and the outflow is on the other?