a cheapskate's breeding trap

[GaryofMontreal]

Hello everybody,
Man, I'm cheap.
I've been wandering stores looking for an old fashioned livebearer breeding trap - one the babies drop through the bottom to save them from Mom. I haven't found one I like, largely because:
a) the compartments for females are very small, and I can't always time fry dropping efficiently;
b) they are expensive tiny almost useless devices.

Anyway, I just found a dollar store plastic collander that fits in a five gallon perfectly, has holes of the right size and that gives the female about 1.5 to 2 gallons of swimming space. It might be worth checking out.
Gary

[jusdeb]

Well I guess I better fess up with my cheapskate bye...I buy wadding offcuts from my local Spotlight store , this is the stuff quilters use for padding and I use this as filter floss.

[PintoHawk]

I have a collander ready in case I need to separate Mom before she drops, too, I read it somewhere on this forum or another forum not that long ago. ;)
I also read a tip about using cotton quilt batting for filters, but I haven't tried it yet.

Cheapskates UNITE!

[GaryofMontreal]

I use a lot of dollar store or junk store stuff:
polyester batting for filters;
turkey basters, the ultimate all purpose aquarium tool and fry catcher;
plastic strainers as egg tumblers (just put an airline under them and eggs into them);
fake tupperware as egg incubators;
marbles as substrate fry hiders;
flat boxes for on top of tank filters (see DIY thread).

The dollar store will give you an ugly tank, but it'll also give you good stuff that works.

[Melody]

I like to line a brooding tank with a dollar store laundry bag (soaked to make sure it's colourfast). The drawstring opening allows me to tie it securely around the top of the tank. The female is much less stressed in her own little tank I find, as opposed to floating in a breeding trap. I have used the Collanders too and they're much better than the commercial fry traps. Those things should be outlawed.

[jusdeb]

Loove my turkey baster . Like the laundry bag idea as a fry trap , must try that one out.