Old Barracks

[Bren MacFish]

I've purchased Teenie's Betta Hilton and another betta barracks divided four ways. Prior to that, I've just lined up one foot tanks thin end out and not run cycles (50% change midweek 100% change weekend). This has worked great and by planting plants on top of half clay balls in shot glasses topped up with gravel, the tanks have always had very happy live plants and a bare base and been easy to clean. The glass shots ($2.50 for six) look great, glass on glass. When I picked up the 4 way, whose dividers stop about 3cm above the bottom, I realised my love of barebottoms might be in jeopardy. They also have a triangular cut out at the back to slip a heater thru which was meant to be guarded by plastic pot scrubbers stuffed in the gaps. Unfortunately all my heaters are too long to angle down into the cutaway. So I hole punched plastic file covers all along one edge and cut out a little challenge window in each and slipped them down over the divisions and held in place by file clips. I have a heater in each end and a box filter in each corner, and altho the centre sections are less filtered and slightly cooler, it all seems to work quite well as a male tank. The file cover holes and bare bottom provide much better circulation than gravel might and the fish can just avoid the window when they're tired of seeing each other. When I tried the same for Teenie's ex-tank (now the female tank) whose divisions are only 1cm above the bottom, I find that the tops of the folder covers tend to lean out and the girls want to investigate the cracks between the folders and the glass and attempt to drown themselves. I was thinking it would be nicer if I could just run a grille the length of the base. Something 1cm thick to cover the gap. Something like undergravel filter casing without filter material or anything to slow the flow to the sump which is built into a partion at one end. I know nothing about what ugf grilles look like or if the sump which draws through a double glass overflow wall at one end would be happy about that. Would this work?

[splendidbetta]

I wont be of much help here, but UGF bases are at least 2 cm high and made of rigid plastic. they are very difficult to put in an undivided tank unles you put them in diagonally first, so unless you can remove the dividers, you won't be able to just slide it under. HTH :blink:

[Bren MacFish]

I wont be of much help here, but UGF bases are at least 2 cm high and made of rigid plastic. they are very difficult to put in an undivided tank unles you put them in diagonally first, so unless you can remove the dividers, you won't be able to  just slide it under.

HTH

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So I'd have to cut it into six little rectangles and slide those down and have a space the with of the divider? Would that impede water flow?

[splendidbetta]

i wouldnt know from experience but yeah, you would have to cut the UGF into smaller segments. it shouldnt affect the water flow too much, as the plastic of the UGF grated, as in it has those grid-slot holes in it all along the top. so water could still pass through the holes and under. especially if you have the UGF activated and some sort of thin substrate like river stones so it would be sucking the water thru and under and keep it circulating... but i think you should do more research first, before you go cutting up UGFs i havent done something like this before, so dont take my word like GOD's :huh:

[Bren MacFish]

You're all betta gods as far as I'm concerned. This counts as research doesn't it? I wouldn't be able to plug the UGF in like normal... the water flows out the top pipe, under the dividers and back to sump. The UFG would just be a fish barrier. Anyone got an old UGF I can play choppy choppy with?

[splendidbetta]

lol, but the bettas think we are their slaves yeah, this is research, but wait till you get some more oppinions about what you want to do, first :huh:

[Najoha]

Why not use a plastic mesh like gutter guard but finer. I got some from a lfs and used the aqua glue stuff to stick it to the glass. But the tank would have to be empty. That way you can have your clean bottom and maintain the water flow under the glass. Also ugf not used properly would probably end up with gunk under it that would be a pain to clean

[VickiPS]

In Bakerman's ginormous set-up, he uses small plastic pocket combs. Brilliant solution! The cells in the tank are exactly the right dimensions that a small comb will wedge in place.

[Bren MacFish]

Hmmmm, a 30cm by 1cm comb would be perfect. I like all these lateral ideas. I really have never met a UGF in person so it was just an idea I thought might work. I don't really want to empty the tank and wait the week or so it takes to dry and soak the seals. Altho I may have to. Someone should invent a firm mesh divider that people can cut to size for wedging. Something like they use in filters but finer. Betta keepers all over the world would love it. I bet those Americans have already invented it.

[kingcrab]

There is a product known as oyster mesh a tough plastic comes in a variety of sizes. You just need to frame it with plastic edging (don't know its real name). Plastic shops should be able to help. Can cut it to any size you want.

[Bren MacFish]

Thanks, Kingcrab, "oyster mesh" are the magic google words.