Habitat - Indoor :: Tank Divider?

[ckoolgrl]

I recently had to separate my 2 RES (~1 year old) that I had in my 40 gallon breeder tank due to the female acting very aggressive toward the male for the past few weeks and biting the back legs of my male. I placed the aggressive female in a "temporary" housing situation for the moment...a 10 gallon tank with basking platform and light and I am going to change the water daily to keep it clean...I have no other choice at the moment unfortunatley. I ordered a tank divider online that will arrive in about a week or so. Have any of you ever tried using a tank divider? They are meant for fish so I'm wondering if it might be too flimsy. I'm not sure what else to try. I'm a student and live in a small apartment so I unfortunately I don't really have the space or the money to purchase another large tank setup and maintain them both. I'm unsure how to solve the aggression problem or if it's even possible. I spoke with someone at my local exotic pet store and they said they will gladly take the female if I can't solve the problem but I really DO NOT want to have to resort to that. My RES are my babies and I love them both very much. I'm not sure what to do. The wierd thing is that even though the female has been acting aggressive toward the male, they would still bask together and sleep next to each other at night. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[BullDog]

Nathan has used eggcrate to separate his boys.
You can see it in his post here: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14842

Keep in mind that a 40 gal won't last too long, especially with 2 RES. Nathan's is a 240 gal.
With the tank divided, you will still have to provide 2 basking areas. For a 40 gal, if that's all you can fit right now, I would suggest building an above tank of some sort, so you can put as much water as possible in there.

At some point in the future, you will need two complete setups, or one monster tank. If you can't see yourself ever doing that, then maybe it's best to rehome one of them.

[ckoolgrl]

Thanks! Eggcrate is a great idea!!! I'm going to get some asap. Where do I purchase it? A hardware or home store or somewhere like that? Yes, I am aware that I will need a larger tank in the future. I got the 40 gallon when they were hatchlings. The aquarium stand I have can accomodate up to a 90 gallon tank that I planned to purchase when needed (maybe sooner than later...I might have to beg the parents!). I also have an extra turtle dock + lamp so I'm good there. So hopefully eggcrate, then larger tank + eggcrate, and then eventually 2 complete setups when I am done with college and living in a larger place will do the trick. Thanks again. I feel a bit better now. =)

[ckoolgrl]

Nevermind..I just read the previous post about eggcrate so I know what to look for now. =)