Hopefully this will be the right place to post this, and not the breeding section. Also hopefully my formatting is ok since I'm new here.
Anyway today I had to make a new fry box for my 90 gallon. Here's the story, last night I tried to rescue some of my 1 month old convicts. They kept disappearing and the mama was freaking out. I tried using my old mesh breeder box that I used back when I was breeding mollies. OOPS. Apparently my other fish (pretty sure my small green terror and salvini did this, they just look guilty) were smart enough to chomp through the net. All of the poor baby convicts became tasty snacks, so I decided to head to the store today and see what I could come up with. I did this while staying on my super low budget.
What I used was a power drill (with 1/8" and 7/64" drill bits), cheap suction cups from home depot, and a clear storage box from dollar tree. The total cost for this was about 4 bucks. I also bought some $5 silicone to seal the suction cups on there in case I needed to reinforce it a bit, since I needed to get some for other projects anyway.
Step 1:
Wash your box to get rid of any nasty residues. I used a light vinegar solution and rinsed it again and it was pretty clean.
Step 2:
Figure out how many holes you want and what size you need. I made some test holes and then I chose the 1/8" drill bit since it seemed like the right size for the 1 month old convicts. It really depends on how much water flow you want and what fry you are putting in there. You should put some sort of sharpie pattern as a guide. (Totally followed mine as you can see.)
Step 3:
Now drill the rest of your holes! Be super careful not to press hard. Be real gentle or the crappy dollar store plastic will split (happened to me in a few spots). Also try not to drill into your hands for obvious reasons. I only drilled into the short sides and one long side. I didn't put any on the bottom part or the other long side since I was lazy, and I have a cooking baster to get any poops or uneaten food off the bottom.
Step 4:
I then switched to the 7/64" bit since it matched the wire parts of the suction cups. I drilled at an angle on opposite ends of the side without holes (this container had like a lippy design thing where I drilled) so I could put 2 suction cups on there. You should also wash your box again to get rid of any plastic pieces that are hanging off the holes. I didn't want the fish to eat any plastic chunks since I tested it in the next step.
Step 5:
Test to make sure the suction cups will stay in place and the edges of the container aren't dipping into the water. You don't want babies to jump out or get nommed.
Step 6:
The edge of mine was, so I took apart another suction cup. I then drilled into the top edge of the middle of the side with the holes. I then stuck the wire part in that using the opposite end of the wire, and then put the suction cup on facing up (if all that makes any sense lol). I got rid of plastic bits again and I stuck it to the bottom of the glass tank lid.
Step 7:
(Hahaha I need to unclog my filter intakes.)
I tested it, and it sticks pretty well! I just have to take off the sharpie now with some alcohol. Hopefully this will work for the next batch of baby convicts! It seems super sturdy so far and I don't think my bigger fish (except maybe the frontosa) can knock it off. It fits perfect on my 90 gallon and would probably work for most other tanks if you get a smaller or bigger container to fit yours.
Hope this helps if you need a cheaper alternative to a commercial breeder box and don't want to set up another tank!
Anyway today I had to make a new fry box for my 90 gallon. Here's the story, last night I tried to rescue some of my 1 month old convicts. They kept disappearing and the mama was freaking out. I tried using my old mesh breeder box that I used back when I was breeding mollies. OOPS. Apparently my other fish (pretty sure my small green terror and salvini did this, they just look guilty) were smart enough to chomp through the net. All of the poor baby convicts became tasty snacks, so I decided to head to the store today and see what I could come up with. I did this while staying on my super low budget.
What I used was a power drill (with 1/8" and 7/64" drill bits), cheap suction cups from home depot, and a clear storage box from dollar tree. The total cost for this was about 4 bucks. I also bought some $5 silicone to seal the suction cups on there in case I needed to reinforce it a bit, since I needed to get some for other projects anyway.
Step 1:
Wash your box to get rid of any nasty residues. I used a light vinegar solution and rinsed it again and it was pretty clean.
Step 2:
Figure out how many holes you want and what size you need. I made some test holes and then I chose the 1/8" drill bit since it seemed like the right size for the 1 month old convicts. It really depends on how much water flow you want and what fry you are putting in there. You should put some sort of sharpie pattern as a guide. (Totally followed mine as you can see.)
Step 3:
Now drill the rest of your holes! Be super careful not to press hard. Be real gentle or the crappy dollar store plastic will split (happened to me in a few spots). Also try not to drill into your hands for obvious reasons. I only drilled into the short sides and one long side. I didn't put any on the bottom part or the other long side since I was lazy, and I have a cooking baster to get any poops or uneaten food off the bottom.
Step 4:
I then switched to the 7/64" bit since it matched the wire parts of the suction cups. I drilled at an angle on opposite ends of the side without holes (this container had like a lippy design thing where I drilled) so I could put 2 suction cups on there. You should also wash your box again to get rid of any plastic pieces that are hanging off the holes. I didn't want the fish to eat any plastic chunks since I tested it in the next step.
Step 5:
Test to make sure the suction cups will stay in place and the edges of the container aren't dipping into the water. You don't want babies to jump out or get nommed.
Step 6:
The edge of mine was, so I took apart another suction cup. I then drilled into the top edge of the middle of the side with the holes. I then stuck the wire part in that using the opposite end of the wire, and then put the suction cup on facing up (if all that makes any sense lol). I got rid of plastic bits again and I stuck it to the bottom of the glass tank lid.
Step 7:
(Hahaha I need to unclog my filter intakes.)
I tested it, and it sticks pretty well! I just have to take off the sharpie now with some alcohol. Hopefully this will work for the next batch of baby convicts! It seems super sturdy so far and I don't think my bigger fish (except maybe the frontosa) can knock it off. It fits perfect on my 90 gallon and would probably work for most other tanks if you get a smaller or bigger container to fit yours.
Hope this helps if you need a cheaper alternative to a commercial breeder box and don't want to set up another tank!
