Improving Your Breeder Basket

IMPROVING YOUR BREEDER BASKE

The breeder baskets that come with the ThatPetPlace.com TIC kit consist of a simple plastic frame and a draw string net bag that is, according to the breeder basket instructions, meant to be installed around the outside of the frame.

There are two problems with this design. First, when you put the net bag around the frame, alevin will frequently get caught between the frame and the netting, where they’ll die. Second, the mesh of the net bag is so fine that it traps all fish waste and uneaten food. As a result, unless you clean the bottom of the net very diligently and do so often, a disgusting mess develops that breeds bacteria that can foster if not cause fatal gill infections.

There are two ways to address these issues.

1. Modify the breeder basket
We recommend that you replace the bottom panel of the net bag with coarser screen material. Here’s a picture of what that looks like.

To achieve this improvement, follow these steps provided by Bob Wible.

WHAT YOU NEED:

  1. Net breeder basket
  2. Aquarium caulk (cement)
  3. Scissors
  4. Fiberglas screening 4 ½ x 6 ½
  5. Plastic wrap
  6. Aluminum wire 18 gauge

PROCESS:

  1. Assemble basket frame.
  2. Place large piece of plastic wrap on bottom outside of frame (to protect it from the cement).
  3. Place net on frame so that the wrong (unfinished) side of the net is on the outside. Pull loop on net tight so net stretches over frame.
  4. Sit assembly upside down. Bottom should be pointing up.
  5. Squeeze a small continuous bead of cement  around edges of bottom.
  6. Place piece of screening on the cemented area.
  7. Lay another piece of plastic wrap on top of screen.
  8. Turn complete assembly over on hard flat surface and press on top so cement flattens out.
  9. Let sit for 24 hours.
  10. Remove net from frame and take off both sheets of plastic wrap.
  11. Let cement dry another 24 hours.
  12. Cut original bottom netting away from newly installed bottom screening.
  13. Wire bottom corners of modified net bag to bottom-inside corners of frame.

​Here’s another view of what the modified net bag looks like.

2. Keep your breeder basket clean
Even if you’ve replaced the fine-mesh bottom of a standard breeder basket, it’s still necessary to monitor conditions at the bottom of the breeder basket and, whenever debris begins to build up, use a siphon or turkey baster to suck up the dirt.

​Keep it as clean as you can!