Breeder traps are EVIL!!!

[guppymonkey]

There are so many people posting about how they use breeder traps and then ask why their females die or looked stressed. It just makes me so sad and frustrated. Breeder traps are the most useless thing ever created for the aquarium! Fish aren't meant to give birth in a tiny box. It stresses them out and makes them abort their fry. Fish will give birth more often and be more healthy if they are allowed to give birth in a tank not a tiny box in tank. As long as there are some plants the fry should survive. If you only have room for a few fry then don't breed them! I am sorry for sounding like a jerk but it frustrates me at how some owners can be cruel to their fish like this.

 

[duendecillo]

This is the first time one of my fish had fry, and I used a breeder net. She doesn't seem stressed at all.
Don't the females that give birth in the tank try to hide behind plants because they don't want to be disturbed? And I guess they avoid other fish in nature too...
So maybe they are glad that they can give birth in a safe place?

 

[Morrgan]

I don't use breeder traps for my guppies when they give birth anymore. One reason is that I simply don't need to save the babies, almost all of them seem to survive anyway (in a well-planted tank with only guppies, by the way).

Secondly, I once had one of the guppies get caught between the tank glass and the breeder trap during the night, and she suffocated.

I have, however, since then used it when one of my fish have seemed stressed by other fish for whatever reason. Usually females getting chased by males too much when already a bit weak after giving birth. I put a small plant into the breeder trap to provide cover and gently put the fish in it. After a day or two they've been fine again. On these occasions I have kept a close eye on the space between the trap and the glass, to make sure another fish wouldn't die because of it.

 

[JoKeR]

I understand guppymonkey People wouldnt want to give birth in a cardboard box would you. Heres a cheaper way to save money buy a bunch of hornworth and let it float its chaeaper than a breeder box.

 

[rollntider]

I don't use breeder traps for my guppies when they give birth anymore. One reason is that I simply don't need to save the babies, almost all of them seem to survive anyway (in a well-planted tank with only guppies, by the way).

Secondly, I once had one of the guppies get caught between the tank glass and the breeder trap during the night, and she suffocated.

I have, however, since then used it when one of my fish have seemed stressed by other fish for whatever reason. Usually females getting chased by males too much when already a bit weak after giving birth. I put a small plant into the breeder trap to provide cover and gently put the fish in it. After a day or two they've been fine again. On these occasions I have kept a close eye on the space between the trap and the glass, to make sure another fish wouldn't die because of it.

The breeder trap I had just purchased has a 1 inch spacer to keep space between the glass wall, and breeder tank. So it cuts down on this happening quite considerably.....

There are so many people posting about how they use breeder traps and then ask why their females die or looked stressed. It just makes me so sad and frustrated. Breeder traps are the most useless thing ever created for the aquarium! Fish aren't meant to give birth in a tiny box. It stresses them out and makes them abort their fry. Fish will give birth more often and be more healthy if they are allowed to give birth in a tank not a tiny box in tank. As long as there are some plants the fry should survive. If you only have room for a few fry then don't breed them! I am sorry for sounding like a jerk but it frustrates me at how some owners can be cruel to their fish like this.

So if you feel isoilating a guppy or similar fish in such a small space is cruel, how do you feel about betas being in a peanut butter jar most fo their life? I would think you would think that is cruel too? Betas after all have large still streams to live in the wild.. I think a breeder box for a few days is fine, and this isnt something one should be upset about. I had to put my cats and dogs in a pet box to transport them to my inlaws to feed them for me for the weekend. Was it cruel? Dunno. I coulda let them run wild in my car....and maybe cause a wreck....I think I would rather get mad about pet stores that sell pacu/pleco and 10 gallon aquariums together. that is more cruel to me....but that is just me

 

[Morrgan]

Oh, thanks for the info, rollntider. Haven't seen those breeder traps around here, but haven't been keeping an eye out for any either.

And as far as the stress goes... It is true that catching a fish and putting it in a breeder causes stress. Since the female is already a bit stressed from giving birth, adding to that can't be considered very good. In my case, it's better to leave her in the tank, for there are many places to hide when needed.

Still, depending on the conditions in your tank, it might be more stressful to leave her in. For example, if she is constantly harassed by the male(s).

I guess there's no easy answer to this question, as for so many others concerning fishkeeping.

 

[rollntider]

 

[juliethegr8t]

I just wanted to put out a point for people who don't have well planted tanks, and can't have them. A few months ago, my tank with my platies was not planted, and I couldn't afford live plants. Of course whenever they dropped fry I never saw any. If this is the case, and the owner wants to save babies, a breeder is really the only way to go (besides having to set up another tank entirely). In fact, after I planted my tank (heavily!), my platy gave birth and what did I see out of that batch? One! Obviously the "well-planted survival" technique doesn't always work.

Also, I think it depends on the fish. Some fish are much more stressed out in a breeder - some will freak out so badly they die in it, or once removed. However, I have tried several different fish in my breeders, and they all react differently. My current mommy platy doesn't like it at first, but after awhile, she calms down and is quite fine. She gave birth to two healthy fry about two weeks ago, and I'm proud to say, both her and her fry are doing well. I really wanted some fry from this female, so it was really my only option to put her in a breeder.

Breeders may seem cruel, and they certainly can be, but I think sometimes they are a neccessity. Not everyone is lucky enough to have plants or a birthing tank, so they use what they can.

 

[Patrick333]

i have never had a fish thats about to give birth die in a breeder net.

 

[jams.alaskan]

Hey 55gallondude!
I gave birth in a cardboard box - so there.

OK kidding........ personal choice really, if the fish dosen't mind that's fine. I don't use one cause I seem to always catch them in the act. I do use it for time out though.....

ALASKA

 

[Angry_Platy]

Well I must have platies who are on valium then as my females are perfectly happy in there...the only fish that gets stressed out by it is my male (when hes in "time out") and I think thats because hes a naturally agressive fish. My females are usually very reluctant to leave the safety of the breeding box!!

 

[snowyangel]

I used to never use breeding traps untill my b/f bought me one not knowing i didn't like them, so I tried it. Well it wasn't untill i did start using them that I was actually able to save fry. Having over 12 hungry neons will remove a whole batch of fry in minutes believe or not with or without plants, as Julie mentioned. I make sure not to leave my females in there for more then a couple hours but in that time period i feed her and put a plant in aswell. I think it comforts her alot and then she proceeds to have her fry. I have one VERy pushy/horny male and he's very stressful to my females so when my female gets seperated, my male is just pasing back and forth outside. I'm sure my female prefers the trap more then anything at the moment. If after the two hours has passed that she still looks big? I put her back in the main tank and she often delivers the rest and I'm right there to scoop them out

 

[guppymonkey]

I could understand using a breeding trap to isolate aggressive fish, sometimes being alone does wonders to remove that aggressive streak. I still don't understand the justification for using them though, especially with some people that insist that swordtails and mollies are fine in the traps. They are obviously way too big for them! I guess pet stores help the problem by selling traps that show swords or multiple livebearers in the same trap.

So if you feel isoilating a guppy or similar fish in such a small space is cruel, how do you feel about betas being in a peanut butter jar most fo their life? I would think you would think that is cruel too? Betas after all have large still streams to live in the wild..

Considering that bettas have been bred to live in small containers for hundreds of generations, I have a harder time feeling that is cruelty. Although it is cruelty to not change their water or to keep them in vases with plants. A half gallon tank is better then their native environment, a nasty rice swamp with no oxygen and human feces for fertilizer.

I think a breeder box for a few days is fine, and this isnt something one should be upset about. I had to put my cats and dogs in a pet box to transport them to my inlaws to feed them for me for the weekend. Was it cruel? Dunno. I coulda let them run wild in my car....and maybe cause a wreck....I think I would rather get mad about pet stores that sell pacu/pleco and 10 gallon aquariums together.

Are the cats and dogs staying in the boxes for days and giving birth in the boxes? I doubt it. And if they are staying for days in the pet boxes then its animal cruelty and thats illegal.

 

[Aqua_Princess64]

You're right guppymonkey and I totally agree. However, I still use a breeder box to keep my fry in after I let the mom have them in the tank. I keep them in the breeder box because I don't want to move them and stress them out right after birth and because my other tanks are taken or about to be taken. I used to use the breeder box on guppies and they never had their babies because they would die first.

 

[Morrgan]

A half gallon tank is better then their native environment, a nasty rice swamp with no oxygen and human feces for fertilizer.

I don't quite see the justification here. How can any tank be better than the wild? At least in their swamp they can choose to swim elsewhere if they don't like the conditions, whereas in a half gallon tank they can't do anything if the water becomes bad. Since they have lived there for ages, their environment can't be all bad for them. They're adapted to low oxygen and don't have problems with it, and I don't think human feces (in the wild that is, where they are quickly broken down into other things) are much worse than whatever chemicals (such as fertilizers) or compounds exist in a tank.

Besides, in my opinion, half a gallon is nowhere enough for any adult fish. At least around here those are considered cruel among aquarists.