Making Your Own Dividers

[atmmachine816]

anybody know a good way to make your own ten gallon tank divider?

Thanks

Austin

 

[bobf]

I just bought a piece of clear perspex from B&Q and cut it to size, then proped it up in the gravel with some spare suckers each side. All a bit heath robinson but it served the purpose.

I drilled a few holes to let some water through and put a foam filter in as the fry being raised were the wrong side of the spraybar from the external filter

 

[Tolak]

http/www.gcca.net/howto/tank_divider.htm

I take the eggcrate cut a little big, and just wedge it in. This works fine for angels, I would reinforce it with the pvc for larger or more active fish.

 

[sally2]

"I just bought a piece of clear perspex from B&Q and cut it to size, then proped it up in the gravel with some spare suckers each side. All a bit heath robinson but it served the purpose.

I drilled a few holes to let some water through and put a foam filter in as the fry being raised were the wrong side of the spraybar from the external filter"

Hi I'm a complete novice in diy what did you cut the perspex with ?

Also the holes how big ? I'm hoping to keep guppies and their fry.

Foam filter and spare suckers? Where do you buy them from?

sorry to be a pain!This will really help me as I can't find a divider to fit my tank.

thank you

 

[SkiFletch]

Just about any Home Depot or Lowes will cut glass or plexiglass for you. Do you want two seperate sealed chambers or allow them to communicate water? If you want them completely sealed, use glass. If you want them to communicate, use plexiglass since its much easier to drill . Make sure they cut it perfectly to measure so that it fits easily. NO divider should push against the walls of the tank, there should be some play. If it pushes against the tank walls, it WILL crack them.

 

[nativecollector]

I use the needlepoint plastic with the book report binders sealed in place. The needlepoint plastic slides right down into the binder holders and allows water flow from one end to the other easily. It is kind of hard to see but here is a pic of a 20 gallon divided 5 ways using that method.
Click here

 

[sally2]

Thats very helpful where did you get the needlepoint plastic and bookbinders from?

Also did you use aquarium sealant?

Thanks

 

[nativecollector]

The needlepoint plastic you can get at any walmart or crafting store the report binders I got at office depot, but you might could find them at walmart as well. And to seal them I just used aquarium sealant. the way I do it is I mark on the outside of the tank where I want to put the dividers and then on the inside I use tape to line off a half inch section with the mark on the outside of the tank being in the middle. This way when you apply the sealer and it dries you pull the tape off and you have a nice clean straight edge. Just make sure that you have the binders lined up from one side to the other, if they are not straight across from one another the plastic can pop out of them from the angle that it is pulled at.

 

[sally2]

Thank you - I'm in UK and we don't have Walmart- they own Asda but it doesn't stock much craft items.

Ive tried some craft shops on the internet but no luck.

I'll keep looking- if anyone knows please let me know.

cheers

 

[nativecollector]

What kind of store do you have that sells a little of everything, like a walmart/k-mart/roses. Those are the only ones I know of, but any store that has a crafting section should also have a yarn section therefore should have the plastic canvas for needlepoint. I looked on the internet but could not find a picture to even show you what it looked like. Everything on the net was in somesort of kit and only showed the finished product.

 

[sally2]

Thank you that's the problem I'm having!

I'm sorry to ask this but how would you feel about sending some by the cheapest method - when i looked into something else it was about $10 +weight - do you think it would be very expensive? Ive looked everywhere for needlepoint plastic and dividers no luck

I'd need 3 big bits my tank is 80x45x35 so i'd need 35x45 bits.

thank you

 

[nativecollector]

The sheets that I buy are only like $.78 ea, so for $5 I could get you like 6 sheets, but then you would be paying an arm and a leg just to ship them. Call some of the closest cross-stiching places or yarn places around you they are about to have them somewhere near you.

The best I can tell is they are called needlepoint plastic canvas. There is bound to be a store near you that has them. I mean I live out in the boondocks and we still have a walmart, but then again they will put a walmart just about anywhere these days.

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

Plastic canvas is available from hobbycraft in the uk, not sure if they have a website? sometimes you can get it on ebay too.

Emma

 

[sally2]

yes! At last!

Thank you I've found some that says "7 mesh" is this small enough to protect guppy fry?

The sheet are 1/2 cm too small do you think the book binders will take up the difference i.e. do the sheets need to fit snuggly?

Thanks

 

[nativecollector]

the binders that i use all but close completely together. I also dont use that small of a mesh either. the holes in mine are like 1/8-1/4 inch wide. I dont know what that converts to in cm. it is also 1/8" thick or a little thicker.

They do need to fit snugly, other wise they will flop all around in the tank. On the tanks that I plan on keeping divided I have gone as far as to silicone the canvas to the binder for extra stability.