Ideas for a substrate divider

[Ana]

Hello !

I need some help !

I have an aquarium which has gravel as a substrate. I would also like to add sand to the same aquarium. I need a means of dividing the two substrates....I would like some kind of material that would allow me to bend...ie not a hard consistence, as I would like to have a wave type of design....

Also, I am thinking of making it a bit higher ( about half an inch to one inch) than the substrate height, so it wouldn't mix. So whatever I am going to use has to be kind and safe for the fish to touch. Am I making any sense ????!!!

Any ideas, would be very appreciated.

Ana

[Mark in Vancouver]

I had some success by cutting two-inch wide strips out of a teflon cutting board. You can get cutting boards that are incredibly thin and durable. Then you use the strip to divide the substrate, and it's pretty bendy.

Remember that plant roots and burrowing fish won't be able to cross the barrier, though.

[Ana]

Hi Mark !

Thanks for your quick reply.

My biggest worry is to use something that could be toxic to the water and fishes. So I want to make sure that I choose the right material.

I need to add more substrate to the aquarium, and I though rather than put more gravel in, to use sand instead, as Emma once suggested...as it is much kinder to the loaches.

I have never heard of teflon, but then is probably just me....I will make some searches and see what I can find.

Once again, many thanks for your input !

[qumqats]

I have a 180G tank I hope to get up and running this summer.

I'm planning on having sand as the substrate in half of the tank and gravel as the substrate in the other half. The separation between the two will be PVC or ABS 2" piping that will also function as a place for the loaches to hide. I'll use 90deg joints at the ends so the sand/gravel doesn't get into the piping.

With some creative use of 90deg and T joints I should be able to make an interesting 'jungle gym' for the fish!