What Is A Spawning Mop?
Spawning Mops are used to facilitate breeding. Spawning Mops are made up of many strands of wool or yarn and are designed to mimic densely planted areas in the wild.
Egg scattering fish swim into the spawning mop and deposit their eggs. The eggs stick to the Spawning Mop and can be removed and hatched in another aquarium away from predatory fish who may otherwise eat them.
Advantages of using a spawning Mop
- They provide a spawning site for egg scattering fish
- The Spawning Mop can be removed and checked for eggs and placed into a separate aquarium away from predators to hatch and raise
- They are easy and cheap to make, so really there is no harm in trying them!
How To Make A Spawning Mop
Gather materials
To make your Spawning Mop you need:
- Cardboard - anything will do
- Wool - dark green is a popular choice as it somewhat mimics plants
- Cork, Polystyrene or Rock - this is used to either float or sing the spawning mop
Wrap wool around cardboard
Start by wrapping the wool around the cardboard, you need to wrap the wool around the cardboard about 100 times.
Tie and cut
Now at one end tie a separate piece of wool around the loops of wool on the cardboard.
At the other end cut through the loops of wool and remove the mop from the cardboard.
Attach cork, polystyrene or rock
If you want a floating Spawning Mop attach either a cork or some polystyrene by using a couple of strands of the Spawning Mop to tie it on.
For a sinking Spawning Mop attach a clean rock to the spawning Mop. In this case you will need to use a few strands of the mop to tie and hold the rock in place so that it done not slip out.
Put it in the tank!
Your spawning Mop is now complete!
You can add it to your aquarium, when you add it you should squeeze out the air in the wool so that the strands sink.
How To Use A Spawning Mop?
Spawning Mops are used commonly in two different ways, either floating or sunken.
You can try using multiple spawning Mops, some sunken and some floating, to get the best spawning results.
Floating Spawning Mop
A floating Spawning Mop in simply placed in the aquarium with the top of the mop floating on the surface with the strands of yarn hanging below.
Egg scattering fish such as tetras, Danios, Rasboras Rainbow fish, Corydoras catfish (and many others) will swim into the Spawning Mop and deposit their eggs.
Sunken Spawning Mop
A sinking or sunken Spawning Mop serves the same purpose as a Floating Spawning Mop however the mop is sunk to the bottom of the aquarium.
Egg scattering fish particularly those that inhabit the lower region of the tank such as Corydoras catfish will swim into the spawning mop and deposit their eggs.
One advantage of a sunken Spawning Mop is that any eggs that do not stick the woollen strands of the mop will fall into crevasses between the strands and remain safe from predators who would otherwise eat them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What fish can a Spawning Mop be used with?
Egg scattering fish such as tetras, Danios, Rasboras Rainbow fish, Corydoras catfish (and many others).
What wool should I use to make my Spawning Mop?
Almost any wool or yarn will do. Acrylic is said to be less likely to leach colour but if you are concerned about colour leaching from your Spawning Mop you can boil it before using it.
