Divided Tank Help Please

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ownedbycats

Aquarium Advice Activist
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Nov 26, 2011
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I am trying to divide my tank. I tried using GE tpye 1 silicone to glue plastic report cover spines to the glass, then I was going to use those to hold plastic canvas. Unfortunately, the silicone dind't hold the plastic spines, they came off. Is there something else I could use to hold the plastic spines in place, or another way to divide a tank but still let water through?
I am currently cleaning the silicone off the glass.
 
ownedbycats said:
I am trying to divide my tank. I tried using GE tpye 1 silicone to glue plastic report cover spines to the glass, then I was going to use those to hold plastic canvas. Unfortunately, the silicone dind't hold the plastic spines, they came off. Is there something else I could use to hold the plastic spines in place, or another way to divide a tank but still let water through?
I am currently cleaning the silicone off the glass.

At my LFS they have grated tank divider that suction cup to the tank. Because it is grated it still allows water through. If you can't find it t your LFS maybe you can order it online.
 
You can go to the craft store and see if they have any embroidery grids. Not sure what the real name is. It's the plastic grid that they use for some type of crewel work or something. Obviously, I'm not a sewing kind of girl. :oops:
 
the original poster has the grid. The issue is attaching the spines to the glass. Silicone doesn't adhere well to most plastics. If glass strips were used, there would be no issue.
 
Would cyano acrylate (super glue) gel work or would it be too tough on the report cover strips?
 
Cody, if I could find a way to use the suction cups to attach the plastic mesh without leaving gaps at the sides, that might be an option. I have seen cloth mesh dividers to temporarily divide tanks but I want something longer lasting. I have seen the plexi glass dividers but they don't seem to have enough holes to let water flow freely. That's why I was trying the plastic canvas option. Are the dividers you mention different than these?
Rutrag, I hadn't thought about super glue. Do you know if super glue is aquarium safe? What do you mean when you say it might be "too strong" for the report covers?
 
Super glue is aquarium safe. We use it all the time to glue corals to frag plugs for reef aquariums. I had my doubts when I first used it, but I have a couple of times myself in my 75 with no ill effects. Use the smallest amount possible to get the job done as you'll actually have better results with it that way regardless. Once it's dry, it pretty much just turns to plastic anyway. Be careful not to glue your fingers to the project, cause that usually doesn't end wel.

I'm not sure that it wouldn't be too aggressive of a solvent for the relatively soft plastic that they use for report cover splines (if I understand what you're talking about, that is). It works by melting the plastic a little to turn it into a semi-liquid to allow it to bond. You might try using some on some scrap to see what happens. My gut tells me this would be the quickest and probably cheapest solution available.
 
Be careful not to glue your fingers to the project, cause that usually doesn't end wel.
I've actually glued an Anubius to my fingers that way lol. Anyway, mummaoftwo has some pretty neat dividers in one of her tanks, I'm going to pm her and see if she'll tell you how she did it in here.
 
My next questions are: What kind/brand of super glue? ( The fact that any left overs can be used on plants is a bonus)
How long after using it before I can fill my tank? ( I really want to cycle my tank and start adding critters.)
If super glue works by melting the plastic a little, does it also melt the glass a little?
The report spines came in a package of six so I have some extras to experiment with, I only have one tank.
 
Super glue makes a mess of glass and is really hard to remove if you get it everywhere. It won't damage the glass itself though. I've used the exact same method but didn't use glue. It trick is to get the binders to fit as snugly as possible. Use a binder on both sides and one across the top to make it rigid. You can also put one across the bottom. I didn't because the substrate holds it in place. They do move if bumped with your arm or something but to stop that just put a small blob of silicone on either side of the top two corners of the divider. The silicone will stick to the glass and hold the divider in place.


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depending what your keeping in or out. home depo sells grated light covers with 1/4 inch holes. i use them in my 55galls to seperate pairs of angels and works great .cut to fit snug
 
ownedbycats said:
Cody, if I could find a way to use the suction cups to attach the plastic mesh without leaving gaps at the sides, that might be an option. I have seen cloth mesh dividers to temporarily divide tanks but I want something longer lasting. I have seen the plexi glass dividers but they don't seem to have enough holes to let water flow freely. That's why I was trying the plastic canvas option. Are the dividers you mention different than these?
Rutrag, I hadn't thought about super glue. Do you know if super glue is aquarium safe? What do you mean when you say it might be "too strong" for the report covers?

Yea I'm sorry I didn't consider what size your fish were and if they would fit in the gaps on the sides. The dividers I saw were used in a 50 gallon that housed larger Severums and flower horns.
 
Thanks everybody for your help. (y)
I'm going to do as Momma.of.two suggested and add spines to the top and bottom, and secure the corners of the dividers. I think I'll use superglue there (not too keen on silicone after all the scraping I just did), I'll just be very careful not to make a mess, maybe brush it on with a cheap dollar store paintbrush I have hanging around.
On another site, someone had then put a single strip of black tape down the front of their tank after this kind of divider was in place and I'm going to do that. It hides the glue and spine and blends with the plastic frame.
I'm also going to find a couple rocks and put one on each side of the canvas for extra support.
Cody, I still appreciate the suggestion, even if it doesn't work for me because I'm going to stock small species, it might work for someone else.
 
Just remember dividers can fail. Fish can jump. Tank circulation is compromised. What works for one person may not work for another.

I'm not a fan of divided tanks if you couldn't tell, seen lots of failures.

GL with your tank. I hope it works for you.
 
Coursair, I'm planning to keep African Dwarf frogs on one side of the divider and small community fish on the other. If the divider fails, or critters manage to jump from one side to the other it won't be a big deal. It's just that from what I heard it's easier to make sure the ADFs get enough food if they have their own side. It may take hand feeding if the divider fails, and I am willing to do that if necessary, but I want to try a divider first.
 
ownedbycats said:
Coursair, I'm planning to keep African Dwarf frogs on one side of the divider and small community fish on the other. If the divider fails, or critters manage to jump from one side to the other it won't be a big deal. It's just that from what I heard it's easier to make sure the ADFs get enough food if they have their own side. It may take hand feeding if the divider fails, and I am willing to do that if necessary, but I want to try a divider first.

Ah I see. GL
 
Many people recommend using the turkey baster method for feeding them, and I would always give them a little rock space they can be a little secluded from the rest of the nosy, piggy fish who want to eat their food, Good luck.
 
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