How to Make a DIY Fry Trap for Breeding Aquarium Fish

In our previous article How to Raise Baby Fish Fry in Your Aquarium, we mentioned several techniques that help prevent the adult fish from predating on their offspring. DIY fry traps have been used by many fish breeders and fish farms to increase their fry survival rates. These simple enclosures are small enough that the young can swim through, but not large enough to allow the parents to pass. The trap can be used to allow eggs and fry to escape. The parents can also be placed outside the trap so that the fry can swim in safety. Both our CEO Cory and Dean, a master breeder, have their own methods for making fry traps. We’ve included instructions below.

How to Make Cory’s DIY Fry Trap

1. Gather the materials. These items can most often be found in arts and craft stores. 1. Acrylic yarn 2. Rectangular sheet made of plastic craft mesh (size #5 and #7) Circular sheet of plastic mesh canvas (size #5 or #7) 4. Plastic yarn needle, which can fit through the mesh hole Scissors 6. 2 binder clips 7. Binder clips 7

1. Use a running stitch to join the ends of the craft mesh. 1. The needle can be used to insert the yarn down into the craft mesh, and then pull the yarn through the cylinder. Make sure you pull through enough yarn to complete sewing the entire edge. 2. Pull the remaining yarn through the cylinder by pushing the needle up through the next hole in craft mesh. 3. Repeat steps 4a and 4b until the entire edge is sewn together. Take the yarn ball and tie the ends.

1. Cut the circular mesh canvas so that it fits the bottom of the cylinder.

1. Continue threading the needle with yarn, and then sew the circular canvas onto the bottom of your cylinder using whipstitch. 1. Place the needle in the bottom edge of the cylinder. Angle the needle up so that it passes through the circular base. You will need enough yarn to complete sewing the entire edge. 2. Insert the needle through the next hole along the bottom edge in the cylinder and then through the circular base. Pull the yarn through. 3. Repeat step 6b until the entire bottom seam is sewn together. The yarn ball should be cut off. Knot the ends of the yarn together.

1. (Optional) Make a few spawning mops without the cork and tie them to the outside and inside of the cylinder to attract the baby fish. 2. Place the cylinder in the aquarium and put gravel or rocks inside to prevent it from floating. The cylinder must be tall enough that it is not visible above the water. This will prevent adults from jumping over the walls.

How to make Dean’s DIY Fried Trap

1. Gather the materials. As an Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from eligible purchases. Polyfoam caulk saver Pond plant basket 1. Scissors

1. The caulk saver should be cut to fit the basket’s diameter. 2. You can reinforce the caulk-saver by pressing it into the basket’s rim. You can secure the caulk saver by pushing it into the basket rim. However, it shouldn’t come out. 3. Place the basket inside the fish tank. For a 10-gallon aquarium, the basket can rest on the tank rim. For a larger aquarium, the basket can float in the water.

DIY fry trap basket with pregnant female guppies inside

The number of fish you raise and breed should increase significantly with your fry trap. If this is the case, consider selling any extras to your local fish market or to hobbyists. Learn more about how to breed aquarium fish for profit in our article How to Breed Aquarium Fish For Profit.