Home Made Fry Net

Several years ago I kept endlers. I made fry containers which I used in a few different ways, but the structure was the same for all.
The advantage with home made containers is that you can make them as big as the tank allows.

What you need:
Plastic craft mesh
Netting fabric or plain net curtain fabric depending on how small the holes need to be. The smallest fry need the net curtain fabric.
Acrylic or nylon 'wool'
Strips of polystyrene as floats
And a bit of sewing ability - or know someone who has.


The main part of the container is made from panels of craft mesh stitched together to make an open topped box; and a loose panel for a lid.
Strips of polystryene stitched around the rim on the outside enable the container to float. I've used them on the inside as well but find they are better on the outside as fry can get trapped behind the strips.
The liner is made from netting or net curtain fabric. By netting I mean the fabric that little girls dance dresses are made from. Net curtain material is the plainest, cheapest type of this fabric with no design. The kind that nosey neighbours peer out from behind.




The plastic mesh container can also be used as a birthing trap in a separate tank for livebearers by omitting the lining. The box is bigger than commercially available fry traps so the female is not as stressed. If big enough (ie only slightly smaller than the tank itself) decor such as plastic plants can be added to help reduce stress in the female by giving her somewhere to hide. As they are born, the fry drop through the holes in the mesh, and to safety. If the box is large enough the female can be left there for several hours to recover before returning her to the main tank.


I don't have a photo of the container with a lining as I disposed of them when they finally started to tear. But I do have a photo of the mesh box - ignore the polystyrene on the inside; as I said earlier they work better with them on the outside!