How to Make Your Own Breeding Trap

[PintoHawk]

How to Make Your Own Breeding Trap

You will need:

1 "delicates" garment wash bag, from the dollar store

1 round plastic lid (I used a margerine lid)

1 utility knife

fishing line

aquarium-safe silicone

1 small, pointed punch

2 furry helpers (optional)

NOTE: My garment bag came with a zipper that went all the way around; I had to cut through the zipper on one side to make two halves out of the garment bag. I only used one half to make this breeding trap, and I have the other half leftover if I wish to make another.

STEP 1

>> Please remember the furry helpers ARE optional, and they technically don't assist with anything anyways.

STEP 2

>> Using the utility knife, carefully cut out a circle from the inside of the lid. I left about an inch all around.

STEP 3

>> You will have a nice plastic ring when you finish that part.

STEP 4

>> Using the small pointed punch, make holes around the lip of the lid, as shown.

STEP 5

>> Use the fishing line to "sew" the lid to the little garment bag all the way around. If you pull your knots too tightly, the line will cut right through the plastic, so be careful.

STEP 6

>> Use a little bit of aquarium-safe silicone, dab on the sewn areas to secure. This step can be skipped if you sew better than I do and yours doesn't have any gaps or saggy spots. Make sure you let the silicone dry 24 hours before submerging, or it can be toxic.

VOILA!

I need to let mine dry before I can rinse it off and float it in the tank, but it should float because the garment bag is very light and the plastic ring floated no problem before I attached the bag to it. If it is too heavy, I will probably just secure it to the side of my tank using a coated twist-tie.

Cute, right? I am such a dork. I love doing little projects like this, and taking the pictures to show you guys was alot of fun too. LOL

[jvision]

Great DIY! If you want it to float, you could always silicon/tie some foam to it. You could make the foam as a ring around, just like the margarine lid, or you could just use 4 same-sized chunks at the 'corners'

[PintoHawk]

Yes, a very good idea, Jason, thank you. Would styrofoam be safe in the tank? Or do I need a special type?

[firestorm]

I think the styrofoam will be fine for the fish. They use styrofoam boxes to carry fish in all the time from a couple of fish stores we go to. I don't think there is more than one kind of styrofoam, and I don't think it could be anymore toxic than the silicon. I guess you just want to make sure to wash it first and not make sure there are any little styrofoam balls to float free. Very great project, another suggestion is you can buy the little suction cups from any LFS, and try putting the little knobs through part of the mesh to hold it to the side of the tank. Or instead of using fishing line, which can sometimes be very difficult to work with you can probably use thread, but making sure to make multiple layers to prevent the thread from breaking.

PS: I will try to get my furry helpers too if I need to make one of these

Edited April 16, 2008 by firestorm

[Dalray]

i should of read this before posting up in the LF equipment thread lol nice.

[Sam Chicklets]

i should of read this before posting up in the LF equipment thread lol nice.

It is a great idea but the holes are too large for your discus.

[MrsFard]

How to Make Your Own Breeding Trap

You will need:

1 "delicates" garment wash bag, from the dollar store

1 round plastic lid (I used a margerine lid)

1 utility knife

fishing line

aquarium-safe silicone

1 small, pointed punch

2 furry helpers (optional)

NOTE: My garment bag came with a zipper that went all the way around; I had to cut through the zipper on one side to make two halves out of the garment bag. I only used one half to make this breeding trap, and I have the other half leftover if I wish to make another.

STEP 1

>> Please remember the furry helpers ARE optional, and they technically don't assist with anything anyways.

STEP 2

>> Using the utility knife, carefully cut out a circle from the inside of the lid. I left about an inch all around.

STEP 3

>> You will have a nice plastic ring when you finish that part.

STEP 4

>> Using the small pointed punch, make holes around the lip of the lid, as shown.

STEP 5

>> Use the fishing line to "sew" the lid to the little garment bag all the way around. If you pull your knots too tightly, the line will cut right through the plastic, so be careful.

STEP 6

>> Use a little bit of aquarium-safe silicone, dab on the sewn areas to secure. This step can be skipped if you sew better than I do and yours doesn't have any gaps or saggy spots. Make sure you let the silicone dry 24 hours before submerging, or it can be toxic.

VOILA!

I need to let mine dry before I can rinse it off and float it in the tank, but it should float because the garment bag is very light and the plastic ring floated no problem before I attached the bag to it. If it is too heavy, I will probably just secure it to the side of my tank using a coated twist-tie.

Cute, right? I am such a dork. I love doing little projects like this, and taking the pictures to show you guys was alot of fun too. LOL

its adorable, and there isone thing off my shopping list...thanks for sharing....did it ever float or did you fasten it? could i request a picture of it 'in action'?

[Burbot]

Great idea and easy to do too!

:beer:

[Gnaw]

Pretty cool!

[ally-o]

Thats a really neat and easy project! thanks for sharing that one. BTW did you end up having to add a floating aid?

[Ishkabod]

if the bags holes are too big you can always sew or silicone some cut up nylon stockings to the basic structure you have already created or you could always make another with 2 more margerine lids and use silicone to stop it from fraying on the edges and or running.

Thanks for sharing

L

[Iceturf]

Neato, thanks for sharing. Now I just need something to breed....