Building net box for growing fish in the main display?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Omrit

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 13, 2015
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Recently I was growing fish for my 300 gallon African cichlid tank and the 40 gallon I was growing them in was getting cramped but they were not ready to be with my big fish(in my opinion). So I cut a hole in some green house panels and glued a screen over it to make a divider that allowed water to pass through. After I installed it giving them 1/3 of the 300 I started growing them there. Being in such a large body of water they grew fast and when I removed the divider my fish were already used to them, there wasn't even a bit of drama.

I was thinking of a way to do this on a smaller scale and I thought about making a frame that sits near the top of the tank with a net fitted around it. Like those guppy breeder boxes people place pregnant guppies in right before they drop their fry just a fair bit larger than those. I could grow some fish in it and whenever I get a new large cichlid I can use it to acclimate them. Is there any reason this wouldn't work? I was very happy with my divider and this sounds even better, but I also have not seen anyone use such a method hence I ask.
 
Amazon has all kinds of kits to build custom dividers. I bought 1 for $40 if o remember correctly and made a divider for my 500gal tank 34”W x 29”H. Very easy to put together. Easy to cut to customize exact fit. All suction holders come with the kit. 11.75” squares that connect together. I could custom build 1 for any where near that price 👍🏼
I don’t have a clear pic of the 500gal cause it has a black background, but there was enough pieces leftover to make a divider for my 125gal as well. Easy to see against blue background.

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very common for people who breed stingrays to use “pup boxes”…. I personally used and like rubbermaid containers floating or tied up to the tank braces. Drill whatever holes you wish and place in the current. The better way to run them is use an airlifter to pump fresh water into the tub and have it exit through holes on the other side of the container. The clear Rubbermaid totes are nice and almost as clear as the glass so u can still view everything as normal. Heres one i used yrs ago… super beneficial like u mention to have the fish in a larger system with better water 💀🤙

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