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A spawning mop is a simple but useful aquarium tool. Whether you take the time to make your own mop, or opt to buy one, you’re likely to get the same result. So the choice is yours.
Spawning Mops are a man-made aquarium breeding tool. They help to replicate plants and plant root systems for egg scattering/laying fish in a tank setting. This helps to encourage the fish to breed in their main tank, or in a breeding tank setup. The mops also provide hiding places for fry (babies) until they are big enough to safely venture out into the larger tank area.
If you would like to add a Spawning Mop to your aquarium, or you’re just interested in their uses, keep reading for more information and tips.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spawning Mops
How Do Spawning Mops Work?
Spawning Mops work by artificially replicating plants and plant root systems that a lot of egg scattering/laying fish use to breed in. Despite being simple and inexpensive they do a great job when it comes to providing an environment that helps to encourage these types of fish to spawn/breed. Spawning Mops also provide hiding places for baby fish (fry). This helps to keep the fry safe until they are big enough to evade any adult fish that are looking for a tasty snack.
Spawning Mops are not just used in a fish keeper’s main tank to encourage breeding. They’re also used in tanks that have been specifically set up for breeding a particular fish. These tanks are usually called breeding tanks. But they can also double as nursery tanks once the adult fish have been removed.
You can also use a Spawning Mop as a replacement for live plants in your aquarium. Some fish destroy live plants so it’s not always possible to keep live plants in your tank. A spawning mop, whether floating or fixed, can be used as an inedible and tough substitute for live plants.
What Is A Spawning Mop Made Of?
Spawning Mops are usually made of non-biodegradable man-made fibres such as Acrylic, Polyester and Nylon. Which makes them hardwearing and long lasting. You may find Spawning Mops that are made of other types of man-made fibres. But make sure that whatever they’re made of they’re aquarium safe.
Do Spawning Mops Have To Be Green?
Spawning Mops don’t have to be green. But most generally are because they are designed to replicate natural plants. You can use other colours such as brown or black if you prefer to, but you do need to take the native environment of your fish into account. Although most aquarium kept fish probably won’t mind what colour the Spawning Mop is as long as it does the job.
Do Spawning Mops Need To Float?
Spawning Mops don’t have to be free-floating despite this probably being the most general way to use them. You can also attach a Spawning Mop to the glass of the tank using a suction cup to keep it in place. It will still provide a floating breeding area but it won’t keep moving around the tank. You can also attach the Spawning Mop to wood or rocks in your aquarium. There are also Spawning Mops that are designed to be embedded in the substrate so that they look like a growing plant. The style of Spawning Mop you use will depend on which species of fish you are trying to breed.
How Long Does A Spawning Mop Need To Be?
On average a floating Spawning Mop is somewhere between 6-10 Inches/15-25 cm in length. The size of Spawning Mop that you’ll need will depend on which fish species you are trying to breed. It will also depend on the size of the fish tank. Generally though, a floating Spawning Mop needs to be long enough to float loosely to allow the fish to swim through and around it. If your fish are egg depositors rather than egg scatterers you’re more likely to need a shorter mop or an embedded mop. So do some research on how your particular fish release and fertilize their eggs.
If you would like to buy a Spawning Mop for your fish tank there is an Amazon Link below to get you started. The link will also show you some other useful fish breeding tools such as breeder boxes, cones and breeding grass depending on what is available at the time.
Spawning Mops And Breeding Tools (Amazon link)
Which Fish Use Spawning Mops?
There are many species of fish that will happily use a Spawning Mop for breeding. However, these fish will be egg scattering or egg depositing fish. So you will need to check out how your particular fish breed. Livebearers (fish that give birth to live young), for example, don’t need a Spawning Mop to reproduce. Although you can use one to create a safe place for the tiny fry to hide in. Particularly if you don’t have lots of plants or other hiding places in your aquarium.
How Do I Remove Fish Eggs From A Spawning Mop?
Removing fish eggs from a Spawning Mop can take a little time and patience. Whether the eggs will be easy to remove or not will depend on what type of fish you’re breeding. Some eggs can be gently rolled off of the mop and others are harder to remove without damaging them. Sometimes it’s easier to remove the whole mop and put it in a nursery tank. Alternatively, if you’ve set up a breeding tank you can leave the mop in place and remove the adult fish once they’ve spawned.
Below is a YouTube video that demonstrates how to remove eggs from a Spawning Mop. The video is by Bay Area Aquatics and I hope you find it interesting and helpful.
How To Make Your Own Spawning Mop
If you want to make your own Spawning Mop the YouTube video below shows you how to do it. The video is by Bay Area Aquatics and it gives you easy to follow instructions.
