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Simple fish savers

bettamuse

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
40
Location
Brisbane, Australia
I thought I’d share this idea with everyone. I’ve been using these for years and I know many people who do for the more aggressive cichlid species, but recently a friend saw these in my room and said they’d never seen anyone using them before so they must not be as commonly used as I thought.
They are not the prettiest things to look at but in my breeding tanks fish health overrules appearance every time. I’d say these have been responsible for saving more fish in my tanks than any amount of vigilance could every have done
They are made from ag pipe, grey water pipe or drainage pipe depending on the size you require. Mine are mostly 40mm and 25mm diameter cut into short lengths and held together with electrical cable ties.
IMG_3790.jpg

Because they float around the surface of the tank I’ve found they also stop fish from jumping out of the tank as they give the harassed fish somewhere to hide up out of the sight and away from the territory of the aggressor. I always keep a couple of the different sizes in each tank.

Ram male
IMG_3766.jpg

D.maculata
IMG_3764.jpg

Betta macrostoma
IMG_2904.jpg


Not the best shot but this is looking through the door into my fishroom and you can see them floating at the surface of the tanks
IMG_3749.jpg


They are cheap to make and for cichlids and Betta species they work an absolute treat.

Cheers
Todd
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,768
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Good post Todd, I always have a piece of pipe in the top corner of the tank, but these would be easier and more flexible.
cheers Darrel
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,219
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Yes, these work very well. In bare quarantine tanks, I use lengths of PVC pipe; they sink. I use either film canisters (hard to find now that everyone uses digital:)) or black ABS pipe, which float, for hiding places at the top of the tanks. All are easy to sterilize if something nasty comes in with fish.
 

bettamuse

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
40
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Mike, I forgot about the ease of sterilizing them. I usually just drop them into boiling water before moving them into a new tank. I also use PVC in all my tanks as well for the same reason.
My room isn’t anything exiting. It measures 6m long x 1.7m wide a 1.6m high. The walls and roof are made of cool room panel and there are 60 tanks in it, mostly 2 foot x 18in x15in. and some smaller tanks for fry. All lighting is by LED strip lights.
Looking from the door into the room
IMG_3748.jpg


From the end of the room back towards the door
IMG_3747-1.jpg


cheers
Todd
 

Ruki

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
297
Location
Krakow- Poland
Small off topic. Sorry, but I must. :biggrin:
How are you changing water? Do you have some kind of system of pipes?
 

bettamuse

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
40
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Not a problem Ruki,
I do the water changes manually with a good old hose. No magic pipes.
Filling is from a 1000L tub of rain water with another hose attached to a sump pump.

Cheers
T
 

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