shadoh Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Hi Everyone, I just bought a 2nd hand divided tank to display my bettas. My camera battery is flat, but I have knocked up a quick 3d model for you to look at. As you can see, it has 10 divided tanks in front and one long one in back. All dividers extend all way to the top. Tank has cover... Drilling holes is not an option, as it is all siliconed in. Heater obviously would go in the back. I thought of a powerhead in back section and spraybar to each compartment, but there is no way for water and waste to be filtered back out. From what I can see, my only option would be heater with filter in back section to keep warm water circulating. Daily manual removal of waste and 2ce weekly water changes. Could also plant up back section and keep my females in there... Anyone have any suggestions? I will be cutting up some plastic dividers to "card" the bettas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neffy Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 (edited) what about 2 sprey bars one that has little tubes into the tanks but sucks the water out and the other to put it back in after filtration. are you sure you couldnt get a drill to the back long peice put a little drain hole in each compartment ? Edited September 29, 2010 by Neffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Are the dividers full height? If not, you could use the spray bars and let all compartments just overflow over the internal back wall... if they are full height....can't do it that way.... You could take out the back wall of the tank to allow you to drill the internal back wall and then just silicone it up - no probs with a less than perfect silicone job as its not on display at all..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted September 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 There is just over 20mm of clearance between the dividers and the top. I don't trust myself to remove, drill and re-silicon the back divider. You should see the holes in the walls from my last attempt to hang a painting.. Photos of the tank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neffy Posted October 5, 2010 Report Share Posted October 5, 2010 Lovely the colours are pretty ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 What about a small sponge filter in each one? You could run ten of a two prong air filter and this would extend the time between water changes for you (heater in the back without a pump should do a reasonable job of heating the front tanks, just play with the temp at the back till the front tanks are the correct temp) What did you use for carding? Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted October 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 Thanks Bec, Sponge filters may be the way to go. ATM the bays are unfiltered. I use a turkey baster to remove any waste each morning at feed time. They get 2 25% waterchanges a week as well. I have planted up the back section and have the heater and a filter to keep the warm water circulating. The water in the back is used for water changes. I used plastic file dividers for carding with a piece of binder spine to clip it in place at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jondo Posted October 8, 2010 Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 you could put abit of zeolite in each compartment to try and keep the ammonia down just in case and recharge every month or so before you get your filters. Pauls aquarium sells some miniature sponge filters. also if you can find someone with a really really long glass drill bit and drill it through the side and through each compartment then you can run a small sump. just some crazy ideas that might/might not work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted October 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 Thanks Jondo, I'm open to any ideas ATM... Keep 'em coming people! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 You might be able to remove the silicone from the bottom of the long divider. This should leave a gap for water from each of the front compartments to flow underneath the glass. A filter out the back compartment with a modified spray bar to each front compartment will allow for water to move around, get filtered and returned to the front. You'll have to change the substrate to gravel I guess to allow the water (and not the substrate) through the gaps. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 Nearly 6 months later, I have been finally motivated to do something about filtration of this tank. Until now, it has been equivalent to a collection of heated jars - and believe me, jars are easier to clean I've decided to remove the silicone from the back wall, raise it and silicone it back in so there is a 20ml gap underneath for water and waste to be filtered in the sump. I'll put a water outlet tube in each bay with an adjustable nozzle on each one and connect it to the filter outlet. It's probably easier to understand with a diagram.... Any thoughts? Is there anything I've missed? I'll put gravel in each compartment so the bettas don't try to swim under the gap in the back to the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 If you used perspex instead of glass you could probably get a neater finish. You wouldn't need that outlet tube standing in each compartment because you could drill the perspex and have the adjustable nozzle fixed into the perspex. Or, you could cut a bit off the top of the glass so that the nozzles can go straigh over. Of course, I say this as a person who contemplates DIY but then lies down until the feeling goes away. *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 The perspex is a pretty good idea. I wish I had of thought of that before I went to bunnings and committed to my plan. Oh well... DIY isn't really my strong suit. The thought of drilling or trying to cut the glass panel isn't an option for me - I'd find some way to shatter the entire piece :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 1 down, 9 to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 Is the clear airline hose going to be buried? Have you fitted the glass yet? Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 Thanks mate, what is in the bays will be buried. The majority of the clear hose is going to be in the sump at the back. You won't see the sump from the front, as I plan to put a background over the back divider. Haven't even emptied the tank to cut out the glass yet. Spent the afternoon refining the design of the outlet tubes - already had to change the position of the hose from the back to the side, as it didn't allow the tube to sit snug against the glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 Well, it took almost the entire day for me to finally remove the back divider panel. I came close to giving up - I had removed the surrounding silicone and it still wouldn't budge, there was a small gap underneath where I had removed the silicone, so I did a test fill to see if water would flow from the front sections to the sump. It did. In the end, I would have had to re-silicone the sides and the dividers anyway. After chipping the tops of half of the dividers trying to wedge a razor blade between the divider glass and the back panel glass and numerous cuts to my fingertips from said razor blade, I decided to keep going, or else it was all in vain. I have just finished cleaning and removing the last remnants of the old silicone. I'll leave the tank to dry out properly overnight, then attempt to apply the new silicone as neatly as possible first thing tomorrow. Stay tuned... Have I mentioned I am at DIY? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Silicone job done. I made a mess of the first few joins, but am quite proud of the last ones Rough work can always be cleaned up with a razor... Now just to let it cure, give a good soak/washout, then the fun begins - choosing and adding the gravel, buying some new plants and setting up the DIY filtration system... Watch this space... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Well done. Just in time for your new arrivals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 That's what prompted me to get off my arse... I've spent too much $$$ for them to sit in a coke bottle or the tiny A1 barracks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 What size pump in the sump? How are you filtering the water? Done a test run yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 No test run yet. Got to let the silicone cure for 7 days before refilling. Got an internal filter for the sump that filters up to 700L per hour. Made a modified spraybar that connects the outlet tubes to filter outlet via airline tube.Putting the filter into the big growout tank today and will run it in there to season the filter sponge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 So the internal filter can pump enough water with enough pressure up all 12 of the white tubes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 ...am told it will do the job. Powerhead on the filter twice the size of the pump in our barracks. Oh, and it is 10 tubes, not 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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