Tank Journal Archive

[Agent M]

These dividers were made for a 14" wide, 18" tall tank.
I got the idea from this thread:
http://www.aquariumlife.com.au/showthread.php/32796-Setting-up-a-CRS-tank-using-UGF

Materials for 2 dividers

• Suction cups - I took the suction cups off the back of my Bunnings pump that I use for water changes.
• Stretch Elastic Beading Thread - Spotlight $3.00 for a roll. I use this to sew and tie frags onto fragging tiles instead of fishing line. Most common colour avail is clear.
• Wool needle
• Gel superglue, for gluing on the suction cups
• "Poster Hangers 10" pack from Riot Art & Craft $11.99 - these just slide on to the mesh and you cut them to size
• "Poster Hangers 68" pack from Riot Art & Craft $8.99
• 4x Plastic canvas from Lincraft or Spotlight $3.50 to $5.00 each, I chose this one as it had the biggest holes. It was the perfect width for my tank if I used the mesh landscape and I had to cut a second piece to get the height I wanted. It does gape so I sewed the two pieces together using the elastic thread:

The Result

Potential Uses

• Isolating sick fish that you don't want to quarantine but want access to in order to feed or treat
• Isolating new fish while you train them to eat prepared foods
• Isolating delicate or young animals until they are big enough to release into the aquarium
• Separating fish into one side of the tank before a tank move
• Separating fish in a quarantine tank if they are fighting in a smaller space
• Separating fish that are fighting with each other until you can move one to a new home
• Keeping incompatible animals in the same tank
• Keeping breeding pairs of fish

 

[Lesley]

OMG. love it...in our old tank we had to do this while trying to catch a purple tang, we bought gutter guard and it kept curling up it was horrid. This looks like something that would be simple to use. Just wondering are you happy with the flow that gets through, it seems quite dense. Are you offering to make and sell these ????

 

[Agent M]

OMG. love it...in our old tank we had to do this while trying to catch a purple tang, we bought gutter guard and it kept curling up it was horrid. This looks like something that would be simple to use. Just wondering are you happy with the flow that gets through, it seems quite dense. Are you offering to make and sell these ????

If you want to knock up a quick one, you can just put poster hangers on either side of the mesh and make it a bit wider than the tank so that it bends and wedges into place.

With flow, that all depends on what equipment you are using and how you choose to set things up. It would be better to have flow directly in each section. Flow does go through the mesh but at best you would have medium flow.

I've set mine up for how I need it at the moment, the left section is getting indirect turbulent flow from aiming a neighbouring powerhead at the front glass. The right section is very low flow with an airstone because I'm putting 2 juvenile scooter blennies in there and it will make it easier to feed them without having to turn off a pump.

Not offering to make and sell them, just sharing the info around :) I measured by eye from just holding the pieces against the tank and I don't think I'd have the patience to make them for all the different shaped/sized tanks out there.

 

[Lesley]

If you want to knock up a quick one, you can just put poster hangers on either side of the mesh and make it a bit wider than the tank so that it bends and wedges into place.

With flow, that all depends on what equipment you are using and how you choose to set things up. It would be better to have flow directly in each section. Flow does go through the mesh but at best you would have medium flow.

I've set mine up for how I need it at the moment, the left section is getting indirect turbulent flow from aiming a neighbouring powerhead at the front glass. The right section is very low flow with an airstone because I'm putting 2 juvenile scooter blennies in there and it will make it easier to feed them without having to turn off a pump.

Not offering to make and sell them, just sharing the info around :) I measured by eye from just holding the pieces against the tank and I don't think I'd have the patience to make them for all the different shaped/sized tanks out there.

Bugger, i want one.....that is so clever, but I am not handy like that at all. Amazing job. looks great.

 

[Agent M]

Bugger, i want one.....that is so clever, but I am not handy like that at all. Amazing job. looks great.

In a tank your size there'll be a bit of sewing pieces together as the mesh only comes in one size, but its really easy to do scouts honour! Everything is easy to cut using just scissors and the poster hangers will hide any rough edges. I spent hours looking for dividers to buy, they were surprisingly expensive & crap looking, and this was the easiest option in the end.

The sewing is probably the trickiest part - you have to make the thread long enough and tie it on really well so it won't come undone in future. I kept a long tail that I hid with the poster hangers so if it does come undone it will be easy to tie back up again. I also kept pulling it tight after every few stitches and running my finger along the stitches already done to make them all even.

 

[ezza]

You have done an amazing job @Agent M !! I think it's fantastic. I was wondering, would something like fibreglass fly screen work? It obviously comes in larger sheets.

 

[MQ-9]

Its also very handy for making 'windows' on floating icecream containers, so you have good water flow passing through them. Sort of like in this googled picture, but instead of flyscreen mesh.

You can even sew together cubes (well open at the top) of the plastic canvas, and use them to keep all of your macro-algae from escaping a sump chamber. If you lift the algae cage up and place a net under it, its easy to get a good harvest of copods too.

 

[Agent M]

You have done an amazing job @Agent M !! I think it's fantastic. I was wondering, would something like fibreglass fly screen work? It obviously comes in larger sheets.

Hmm, not sure @ezza but sounds like it would be ok - I mean they make boats out of fibreglass don't they?

@MQ-9 that is a brilliant idea!

 

[ReeferRob]

OMG. love it...in our old tank we had to do this while trying to catch a purple tang, we bought gutter guard and it kept curling up it was horrid. This looks like something that would be simple to use. Just wondering are you happy with the flow that gets through, it seems quite dense. Are you offering to make and sell these ????

Put that rolled plastic in hot water, then under a heavy object like a book and let it cool, might take a few times to make it lay flat.

 

[Tannum_Paul]

Wow talented too! Great job! If I didn't know would think you are a engineer!

 

[slin1977]

Neat and tidy project - thanks for sharing and documenting . One day I'll revisit .

BTW your tank looks surreal - I Like surreal!!!!
How are the scooters getting on?

 

[Agent M]

Neat and tidy project - thanks for sharing and documenting . One day I'll revisit .

BTW your tank looks surreal - I Like surreal!!!!
How are the scooters getting on?

If you think my holding tank is surreal in that state you will like what I'm going to do when the new display tank is set up a whole lot better :)

The scooters are going gang busters, one of the males is a slow feeder and still smaller than the other - drives me nuts some days at feeding time. I often quickly flick the pumps on to make the food dance on the bottom of the tank to trigger him to eat more - but he's turning into a strong looking fish.