goldfish spawning mops

[fancygoldfish]

hey all,

was curious what everyone has used, liked, loved or hated. personally i have used nylon rope separated and tied together to a floating boy. wool tied into a bundle and floated. mop heads. i think this year im going to try a pot filled with rockwool and planted with a big bunch of ambulia

[Ghost]

G'day fancy,

I use a modified type of "hedgehog" gutterguard. A place called Brushlands at Browns Plains in Bris will make it for you. You can bend it to shape, its easy to sterilize and lasts for years.

[fancygoldfish]

have you got any pics of it or info.

[Ghost]

Here's a pic;

But I think if you buy off the shelf, the bristles are too harsh. I have friends that use them like that for goldfish though. For my fish I get brushlands to make a softer version.

HTH

[goldenswimmers]

G'day fancy,

I use a modified type of "hedgehog" gutterguard. A place called Brushlands at Browns Plains in Bris will make it for you. You can bend it to shape, its easy to sterilize and lasts for years.

yeah I have seen softer ones made espeacially for breeding...but they charge an arm and a leg over the net...so this could be a winner ghost

i work mainly with thick elodea...I like the way they catch eggs and also then I just take out and leave the elodea in place for the fry to feed off(any attached algae,micro-organisms etc)...a winner too that I read they do in japanese ponds..is create a mesh barrier(real fine plastic mesh) that fits nicely along the bottom of the pond(think those old style screens they use for screen printing on clothes etc)..this then catches all the eggs that fall to the bottom and are missed if you move the eggs after etc....

[Ghost]

Hello GS,

Coincidentally I use a similar method to catch eggs that miss the mops. I use baskets that are about 3' x2' x2' in large (3300L) tanks. I line the basket with shadecloth that is removable, and only put brushes in the baskets. With a flock breeding method, I know there will only be eggs in the baskets, and that fish that are not participating are less likely to be eating eggs. I remove brushes and linings at about 9am, and I think I get almost all of the eggs produced. Other advantages are that milt is concentrated for better ferilization, and it's convenient to set the baskets in shallow water where the fish want to breed.

[Ghost]

Forgot to say; I like your use of elodea, but I can't use anything organic.

I raise at high density, and any organics cause bacterial problems and high morts.

If you're interested in some old school goldfish breeding, send me your email and I'll send you some books by a clever old Qlder.