How Often Should I Clean the Fish Breeding Net?

Fish breeding nets are used to confine pregnant live bearing tropical fish and to thereby prevent their newly born fry from being eaten. Live bearers, such as guppies and mollies, which are typically housed in community aquariums, give birth to tiny fry, which are normally immediately fed upon by other species in the tank. Breeding nets consist of a fine woven net, which is stretched over a plastic frame. These nets require washing for various reasons, and, provided the aquarist is diligent in doing so, they can be expected to have a long life. Breeding nets should always be washed after each use.

  1. Preventing the Spread of Disease

    • Freshwater tropical fish are prone to a number of diseases, including microscopic parasites. These pathogens invade the gill chambers of the fish and eventually multiply to such an extent that they kill their hosts. Being microscopic, these external parasites are not always immediately seen by the aquarist and can easily be introduced into otherwise healthy aquariums through the addition of new fish and plants. Breeding nets should therefore always be cleaned before they are moved from one aquarium to another to prevent the potential spread of these disease organisms.

    Routine Dleaning

    • Breeding nets are typically only used when fish are about to give birth or sometimes to confine new fish before finally releasing them into a community tank. These nets should be cleaned after each use and dried before being stored. Breeding nets that are put away wet will eventually begin to deteriorate, so they must be shaken out, or left in the sun to dry after each wash.

    Dirty Nets

    • Breeding nets that have been left in an aquarium, particularly in a fish breeding room, where the tanks are set up to be functional and not necessarily attractive, as those placed in a living room, eventually become covered in algae and detritus. Nets that have been forgotten in an aquarium for a lengthy period must be thoroughly cleaned, particularly if the netting is stained from unicellular algae, or covered by encrusting algae growths.

    Medicated Nets

    • Breeding nets that have been soaked in an aquarium sterilizing solution to rid them of potential disease organisms must be thoroughly rinsed to remove all traces of the medicated bath and then cleaned and put in the sun to dry. Breeding nets must never be washed with soaps or other house hold detergents, because these are detrimental to aquarium water, the beneficial bacteria and to your fish.