New 5.5 gallon divided Betta tank!

palmbreeze

palmbreeze

Fish are friends...not food!
Jul 26, 2005
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Ohio
I am SO excited! :D I am setting up a 5.5 gallon aquarium from scratch! It is about time I get a new tank! I need some brilliant ideas from you guys! I know I posted before about dividing my 10 gallon for Bettas. That idea is out. I'm just going to set up this aquarium.

Ok here are my thoughts. I would like to divide it into two and put a male Betta on each side. I would like to get live plants. I don't know where to put the filter, or what kind to get. I don't know where to put the heater. I don't know how to divide it. Screen? Plexiglass? I don't like the screen very well because it traps debris, but I'm not sure what options there are. Last thing I need is for a Betta to escape to the other side!

Also, would there be room for a couple of Ottos on each side? I tend to always have algae. Also, I have hard water where I live. I currently have a Betta in a 10 gallon tank and he is fine. I was thinking about wood chips, or small pieces of driftwood, but I don't want the Betta's to hurt themselves.

Yay! I'm excited! Any ideas would be great, from colors to equipment! Thanks!
 
I have a divided 5g betta tank on my desk at work.. I took clear plexiglas, drilled uniform, quarter inch holes in it, and glued it in place with aquarium sealer at the corners. I added a UG filter with divided plates and lift tubes..one on each side. The holes in the divider allow heated water flow-thru. Its crystal clear and has been working well for nearly 3 years. I think an otto on each side would be ok, maybe two.
 
I like the idea of the plexiglass with holes drilled into it. Thanks for the idea! Was it hard to get it glued correctly so that it fit into the aquarium?
 
palmbreeze said:
I like the idea of the plexiglass with holes drilled into it. Thanks for the idea! Was it hard to get it glued correctly so that it fit into the aquarium?
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Not at all...I cut the piece to just fit snug under the lip of the rim of the tank....then 4 small amounts of aquarium sealer at the corners, pretty much out of view.
 
they actually only flare from time to time..they get use to the other eventually
 
Be careful with filtering small tanks with bettas...The current is too strong for them and they will get tired and die....Small filters dont allow you to adjust the flow rate and are designed for max. aeration of the water...This constant high flow is what gets them.As always, I stand behind my bare bottomed, not filtered jars...A snap to clean and much easier to keep a healthy Betta in.
 
Ahh yes, the filter issue. I have learned my lesson well about filters. I had a couple bettas get caught in the intake and die in a 10 gallon. Some people on here told me that if a betta isn't strong enough to swim out of the intake, then it wasn't healthy to begin with.

On my 10 I still have an AquaClear 10 with a sponge wraped around the intake just in case. What about the knew 5.5 gallon? What would be a good filter for the Bettas in there?
 
Some people on here told me that if a betta isn't strong enough to swim out of the intake, then it wasn't healthy to begin with.
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Total bollocks... ...The bigger the fins, the easier they will tire in a highly filtered environment...Split the tank into 2, keep it unfiltered and barebottomed...Pluck out poop every day with a turkey baster and do a 50 percent water change atleast every 3rd day...You wont have any problems with ammonia, fin rot or pop eye. I GUARANTEE IT.
Queen
 
Or you could use one of those airpump powered filters. Thats what I have with my bettas.
These come with a replacable cartridge. Instead of buying replacements every week, I break out the bottom of the cartridge, replace the carbon with a rolled up little filter sponge and use it that way. Besides the carbon, the cartridge comes with a little white sponge rinse out weekly. I have this set up in each of two 5 gallon tanks with betta and it seems to be working fine. No discernible current, no ammonia ,or other problems. I do 50% water /week.
 
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