Tank Dividers
Contents:
- For what it's worth
by patzerk-at-cps.msu.edu (Kurt E Patzer) (27 Jan 92)
- Dividers and Spirulina
by Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise/bewellnet.com> (Tue, 15 Sep 1998)
- Dividers and Spirulina
by "Myongsu Kong" <mkong/brownwoodlaw.com> (Tue, 15 Sep 1998)
by patzerk-at-cps.msu.edu (Kurt E Patzer)
Date: 27 Jan 92
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria
As another aside to my last post, this could probably go in FAMA's for
what it's worth column (or maybe it already has). I went to get a
divider for my 55 at the pet shop, and they wanted $10 for a style I had
used in the past in a 10 gallon tank with poor results. Instead, I went
to Franks, and bought 3 needle point sheets (don't really know how they
are used for needle point, but they are basically like a heavy plastic
screens with holes about 1/8th inch). They cost $0.49 each. I used
monofiliment fishing line to tie them together to the proper height, and
about 4" too wide for the 55. I then put it the tank. The bowing from
side to side, due to the over sized width, keeps it in contact with the
sides, and 1" of gravel is plenty of support to keep it standing.
You can also use these things to protect your undergravel filter from
being dug up by mbuna and other crater loving fish. Put half of your
gravel over the filter plates, then put a sheet of these over the
gravel, then put the rest of the gravel on top of them. The digging has
to stop at the sheet. From my sources, these sheets are cheaper than
egg crate.
--
KEP
patzerk-at-pleiades.cps.msu.edu (Kurt E. Patzer)
Michigan State University
by Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise/bewellnet.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Doug Brown wrote:
> I have 2 pairs of apistos in a 55G tank and cleared out the middle with the
> idea that if one pair spawned I could put in a divider. The time is now!
> Does anyone use dividers?
No one makes a commercial divider for a 55 G tank. A 29H is the largest I've ever
seen. Its height is fine if you have gravel in your tank, but it's an inch too
narrow. I'd suggest you make your own.
> Any tips for building my own?
Get some plastic cross-stitch needlework cloth at a fabric store. It's really
cheap and can easily be cut to size. You'll need to put some rigid bracing on all
four sides (it's more flexible than commercial dividers). Use some plastic end
strip, used to cover the edge of a piece of wall paneling, for this. Use some
large hair pins or paper clips to clip the ends to the sides of the tank .
Commercial side strips and clips are much superior, if you have them.
Needle cloth is wonderful as a bottom screen to separate egg scattering fish from
their eggs once they sink to the bottom.
> Also, Brine Shrimp Direct (thanks for that info Bill) sent me a sample of
> spirulina flakes with the BBS eggs. Do any of you feed the BBS spirulina
> (or any other supplements) and is it worth it?
The spirulina flakes are for your fish not the brine shrimp, right? I've tried
these flakes on apistos but mine prefer a meatier diet. They're great of mbunas
and other vegetarian fish.
Mike Wise
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
> For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
> email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
> Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
by "Myongsu Kong" <mkong/brownwoodlaw.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
in building dividers, like mike, i've also used the plastic corner
protectors to frame the divider, but i've used vinyl screening for screen
doors/windows - which i guess would have the same effect as the plastic
netting, although one is probably cheaper than the other (i just had some
left over from a home project). i stapled the screening onto the plastic,
but the staples rusted through (i thought they were aluminum... go
figure). when the divider fails, i'm thinking about using fishing line
(monofilament) to attach the screening to the plastic.
a quick & dirty method, if you have a glass tank, is to cut the plastic a
smidgen longer than the height of your tank from the bottom to the plastic
lip that rims the top of the tank, so that you need only cut two lengths of
plastic - staple the screening onto each side and for each of the front and
back side, slide the plastic upright between the lip and the bottom glass,
where it'll wedge into place. you just need to allow for excess screening
on the bottom so that the fish won't dig under the screening.
one thing you should watch out for is bowing. you should measure the width
(from front to back) of your tank (both top and bottom) before you starting
building, since i've noticed that on my tanks the width in the middle is
not the same as the width on either end.
i like the homemade dividers better than the kind sold in the stores
(pennplax?) since the screening permits greater water flow between the
divided sides and allows the fish on each side to see the fish on the other
side, each side acting as dithers for the other side. however, the
store-bought stuff is a lot easier to set up....
-myongsu kong.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
The Krib
Tank Hardware
The Krib