Guppy Breeding

Floyds mum · Oct 26, 2009

Just wondering im going to be breeding guppies to feed my ADFs, will they fry be ok with cory's (pygmy and julii).

Also ive found a book with spawning mops in (basically a nylon tassle with the cork out of a bottle of wine) will this be benificial for guppy fry?

OldMan47 · Oct 26, 2009

Guppy fry will make good use of a floating killie mop. It is just the kind of place they like to hide. I love making them, of course you must have fresh corks. I use 100 turns around a fair sized book then tie of at one end of the book and cut the yarn at the other end. Make a shallow groove around the cork so the tie won't slip off and make a nice tight knot of the yarn laid in the groove. I find I can make 5 or 6 good sized mops from a single skein of polyester yarn.

drobbyb · Oct 26, 2009

Us bowheads use the same technique as OldMan47 has described. I find that dark green works the best for rainbows, but guppies shouldn't care what color since they aren't egglayers. Just buy whatever polyester yarn is on sale.

Floyds mum · Oct 27, 2009

Ok thanx so if i roughly measure the height of the tank and then make a "spawning mop" thats roughly the same (ish) height of the tank would this be good? or not really?

Where would i get only a few corks?
If i got one from a wine bottle and dry it out/soak in boiling water or use the plastic corks would these do?

Essjay · Oct 27, 2009

You can get corks from anywhere that sells wine making kits. Are you in the UK? Even Wilkinsons should sell them as they sell wine making things.

OldMan47 · Oct 27, 2009

I save the corks from the wine that I drink and when I want a cork I just get one out of storage and use it. Mine are real cork, not plastic. I have also seen people who use a fishing bobber the plastic kind you would use when fishing with worms, to float a mop. They look a bit funny in a tank but so does a killie mop.

drobbyb · Oct 27, 2009

I have used a chunk of styrofoam. It's cheap and it works! Really, anything that is neutral to your water and floats will work.

Floyds mum · Oct 28, 2009

Ok thanx people

Floyds mum · Oct 28, 2009

essjay said:
You can get corks from anywhere that sells wine making kits. Are you in the UK? Even Wilkinsons should sell them as they sell wine making things.

Yeah im in uk, im popping into town tomorrow so ill have a look from there

OldMan47 said:
I save the corks from the wine that I drink and when I want a cork I just get one out of storage and use it. Mine are real cork, not plastic. I have also seen people who use a fishing bobber the plastic kind you would use when fishing with worms, to float a mop. They look a bit funny in a tank but so does a killie mop.

Do you just dry them out? or soak them in something?
We have bottles of wine now and then can always save some

lilacamy931 · Oct 28, 2009

I am new to the world of spawning mops, has anyone useful tips or links at all? I think some are needed for the lamps

Actually no worries just found a useful link, but now for an emabrrassing question, it suggests acrylic is that the same as polyester?

OldMan47 · Oct 28, 2009

Acrylic, nylon and polyester are just different plastic fibers. All of them a fairly inert in your tank water. I just go out and buy knitting yarn, but I don't buy any natural fibers like wool or cotton because they will react with the water. You do want a "colorfast" yarn.
As far as the wine corks, I rinse them off when I am tossing the bottle in the recycle bin and put them away dry. When I want one, I just reach in and get it. I worry more about the natural tannins in the cork than about the trace of grape juice that stains the cork.