Reddit mentions: The best fish breeding tanks

Yes, it’s actually pretty awesome breeding box, I can’t recommend it enough. Easy to clean, super easy to set up. Just hang an airline to the pump and good to go.

Got it from Amazon for $12.

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2

If it gets really cold in your room, you may want to hang it close to your heather though.

1. Flow is always tricky. You want good movement through everything, but you want the sand to stay down. 300gph in powerheads might be enough, but that will depend on your rock layout and what animals you want to have. Some need more flow than others.
   
   
2. "Basic" hang-on-back (hob) filters are good for adding a bit of extra water volume and flow. But for actually filtering the water, live rock is your main filter. I have an aquaclear 20 on a 2.5g tank right now, its filter chamber is empty at the moment (to increase flow), but I might fill it with live rock rubble one of these days. External canister filters I haven't tried, but hear very mixed opinions on how well they work for saltwater. I would stick with live rock as your main filter.
   
   2a) Refugium filtration! My 2.5g has one of these on it, acting as a refugium and gravity filter. In it is about 3/4" of sand from an established tank, with a small layer of sea shells tossed in to give more hiding places for copepods/amphipods/mysis. It also has a huge spaghetti worm in it that does a great job at cleaning. Basically the refugium is a low-flow environment that lets waste drop out through gravity, with places for small invertebrates to live and eat that waste. You can buy dedicated hob refugiums that will likely fit a 20g tank no problem.
   
   
3. You're going to want salt to spare in general, so you're not surprised in an emergency. Buy a pail if you can afford it, but if you can't, enough for 2 setups and a couple water changes should be good for now.
   
   
4. T5 and T8 are incompatible from what I understand -- I have little experience with bulbs. I always recommend LED. Bulbs need replacing often, and worse, they break!
   
   
5. If you go LED, the 10W per gallon doesn't apply. Lighting is tricky. I would recommend LEDs.
   
   
6. This one is totally up to you, there's advantages and disadvantages for both.
   
   Hope that helped some! Best of luck!

Also, quick story about the stand. Today I found this stand http://www.amazon.com/Petco-Brooklyn-Gallon-Metal-Stand/dp/B008VRXEK2 online and went to my local Petco to pick it up. They had to look in the back for it, but when they found it, they rung it up and the price said $10. Every worker in the fish department and the manager tried their hand at scanning the UPC and still it said $10. So they were like, "well, it's your lucky day" and gave it to me. So anyway, saved $50 there.

Yes I vote a time-out for the gluttonfish in a breeder box net... he needs to be fasted for the next 3-4 days at least, and then fed some daphnia to help him clear out any remaining bloat...

Upon resuming his normal feeding, he should be taken to the breeder box net and given his portion of food in the breeder box net, while the rest of the tank is fed their portion separately.

Something like these - check measurements to be sure it will fit in your tank without taking too much space away from the other fish:

• https://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Hatchery-Breeder-Separation-Breeding/dp/B07GN3YSWC/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/NGe-Aquarium-Isolation-Hatching-Incubator/dp/B07NYWYD92/
  
  Keep the net well above water level as bettas can jump and if you keep the net too low to the water surface, the betta may try to jump over it.

This;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QRDCP2?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

Plus this;


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EWENMAU?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

Plus this;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010TIEMP6?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

Equals this;

http://s119.photobucket.com/user/gunzen31/media/617D1269-81D4-45D6-BAAA-E0B97B1D596F_zpsf3btyjod.png.html

33 dollars plus tax free shipping. Add some Chaeto and you have a good sized refugium with a pump that fits perfectly with a piece of 1/2 flexible tubing to connect the pump to siphon tube.

I got five of these individual tanks. There's a small clear divider in the middle that's removable. I took the divider out and each girl got their own tank during the first week for quarantine. They're just shy of about a gallon of water capacity.

I had them all lined up so the girls could see each other during quarantine week. After the first day they all stopped flaring at each other.

I acclimated them to the main tank's water and temperature by slowly replacing the water in their individual tanks with water from the main tank.

I then bought a floating fish breeder box and started to put the girls into the main tank. Least agressive first to most agressive while rotating them in and out of the breeder box before releasing into the main tank. There was about 15 or 20 minutes between each rotation, just long enough for me to observe the girls in their new environment behind the plastic keeping them safe from each other.

My guess is that since they'd been seeing each other for a week in a similar fashion they pretty much ignored each other once they were all free in the main tank together. Spent most of their time exploring and picking their own spots. About five minutes of chasing while they all played musical plants and then harmony from then on.

I have a double tail betta that was never meant to make it, but he has lived an awesome life. Bought him from Petco for 50 cents and they marked him "cosmetically defective." He was only 1/3" long. Now he's almost 1 inch. His spine is a mess and he can't actually be in a real tank because filters throw him around too much. I set up a Marina hang-on breeding box so he gets to use the entire 20 gallon as his sump. He has substrate, plants, decorations, and a floating tube that he sleeps in. His life rules.

Good luck to your guppy, man.

I have 2 of these they work perfectly, but you have to get a turkey baster to get their poop out. Good luck with them! Marina Hang-On Breeding Box, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDCP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_ZUIsGHEMJ7QeD

these are my specs. I got an acrylic tank, it’s super light. I can move by myself without much problems even with all the hard scape in it. My stand is metal. Petco Brooklyn 29 Gallon Metal Tank Stand, 30" L X 12.5" W X 29.5" H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VRXEK2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QmjKDbQS51AJY . Should I still be super concerned? I’ll start looking into a bigger support in the mean time

Thanks! I didn't want to make people think I was selling a product to them or something... but here's an amazon link to what I bought :)

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526231723&sr=8-2&keywords=breeder+box

Waaaaaaaaaay to many of mine do. I used to have sand loaches that ate most of them for population control but my heater failed last month and they didn't make it. Now it's entirely up to my betta and unlike previous ones, he's not much of a fry eater.

Platy fry are different than guppy fry though. My guppy fry hide for the first day or so and then swim around in the open just like the adults. Platies tend to stick at the bottom of the tank and hide so you could have a good number of them and just not be able to see them. My platy fry that are nearing 3wks old are just barely starting to swim out in the open.

I would not raise that fry in a separate container. There is no filtration and no heater, an ammonia spike is highly likely with the decomposing food and the temp will not remain stable. If you want to separate your fry I recommend this HOB breeder box All you'll need is a cheap air pump and some basic air tubing to make it work. I run 3 on my 40gal, mostly for plants nowadays, but it works very well for raising fry as it's constantly cycling tank water through it, so it remains filtered and heated.

If you do start saving the fry, make sure you have plans for what to do with them, be it selling them to a LFS or getting bigger/more tanks.

edit Typos and clarity.

Breeder boxes are fine but you still need a larger habitat overall. I use this one, it is great.

Marina Hang-On Breeding Box, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDCP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_OogjusLKNxMrt

you're probably better off with one of these guys until they grow big enough to not be eaten, gives them more room and better water flow than a water bottle

Is that a fluval chi? I'm starting one soon but i am not sure about CO2, so your tank is totally tank inspiration.

How many endlers did you start with? I'm considering them for my 5g. I'm also gonna add this: https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-External-Refugium-Breeder-Hang/dp/B00KAJEAJS?th=1

You could save more of the fry, at least until they get bigger, in a hatchery like this. Though once they get bigger you'll need to move them out to another tank as they'll still be too small to not get eaten by their parents or others in the main tank.

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2

This lets you easily segregate an aggressive and/or beat up fish while still benefiting from the established bacteria of the mature aquarium. You just need a small air pump to get the water flowing into the box.

I prefer this to trying to add a divider into the tank because it's usually pretty disruptive to the aquascape to try and put a divider into the main tank.

I have an extra HOB filter rated for a 20 gal, I could swap out the one on my 13 gal fresh and have a 30 gal rated hob. Water changes aren’t an issue. This tank has a fluorescent tube hood, would that be enough? Or should I start researching lighting? If I need another light I may wait a bit for the tank to establish before adding the anemone. I’m also thinking of adding this with chaeto/purigen/phosban as added security

No problem.
You can find tumbler on Amazon, Ebay, etc. It will look like this: https://www.amazon.com/Senzeal-Aquarium-Cichlids-Incubator-Mouth-Brooding/dp/B0793J5C8F
They can look a little bit different, but all need to be attached to the air line.
You can use it even if female shrimp died, just carefully remove eggs and place them inside (yep, sounds weird but it may work). It will not guarantee 100% success but chances are pretty good.
Its actually designed for fish but will work for shrimp as well.

Make sure your aquarium of room is heated to 80F for the shrimp to feel more comfortable. I also did some more research and apparently they can also hatch quicker with a higher temperature. I really really recommend you to buy a sponge filter. They are cheap and make sure your fry don't get blended. Or buy a hang-on breeding case and an airpump (around 20 usd) which is about the same price or even more expensive then a sponge filter. But this will not need you to heat a separate tank and will give you everything your tank has in a mini box.

Apperently you can get a cheap sponge filter for 5,47 on amazon :https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051XIN78/ref=pd_sim_199_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WRWHT2SBMS569R2CQ11T which will only require you to buy an airpump which is about the same price.

I myself use this:
https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2 but I have no way to tell you if it works yet I'm trying to figure this out myself. But the water circulation and the heat circulation is a pro for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XDW8E1QD3H21EB5AGFER An airpump for 5.59

And you might wanna grab this for extension:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563MW/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JENJHA2BGWWBTTPNDG7Q

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QRDCP2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Got it to put a little rock and some chaeto algae in for a refugium for pods mainly. Not sure it is the exact same one, but looks the same. I already had a pump that is in use with my skimmer, I added a line to it and it is sufficient for both. I have a 40 breeder, and this HOB is a half gallon, so kinda small, but cheap and easy.

AAccept it or buy a hang on breeder. There are many different ones. I like this one https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2 Does well to get water moving through it instead of it sitting there stagnant/really slow in others.

Im a huge fan of this one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAJEAJS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sure thing! Here's a list of the main equipment:

Lighting - Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights

Light Risers - OEM FINNEX LIGHT RISERS FITS PLANTED+, RAY2, FUGERAY, ETC.

Filter - EHEIM Classic 250

Co2 - Tank / Diffuser / Drop Checker

Heater - EHEIM Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater

Addon - Finnex Breeder Box with Light

This. It is a breeding box and uses my air pump to lift water into the box from the tank. Its pretty minor flow it.(1/2 gallon in 5 min)

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDDJ2/ref=twister_B00Q4PKI7A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Breeder box. hangs on the back or side. Run an air pump and a tube to it and it will circulate tank water up and through the box and the roots of your pothos.

Unless you want the root look inside the tank, then just use anything, tubing string wire whatever you have to tie it up like a bouqet and tie it off over the side.

I would go bigger too. I'm jealous actually, I'm stuck in a situation where I am only allowed to have a few small tanks.

If you'd like to do a little of both, I would suggest investing in a few breeding boxes to attach to your tank. With the larger sizes, you can actually put down substrate and plants and essentially have small 1 gallon tanks attached to your tank. The brand I linked hangs on the outside, and when you run a line from an airpump to it, it circulates with the tank water. They are great for shrimp.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Saim-Plastic-Aquarium-Hatchery-Breeder/dp/B014W67ERO/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1526926509&sr=8-19&keywords=breeder+box+for+fish+tank

The betta in our 55g was constipated - I stuck her in a breeder box to isolate her so I could fast her and control her food intake. Also gave her a couple epsom salt dips.

It was about three weeks. Fed daphnia once a week, fasting the rest of the time. (And some peas the first week but was told that's not actually a good idea for Bettas.) She eventually poopsplosioned and slimmed down quite a bit. Has been back with her friends for ~3 months now and is eating/pooping normally. (And doesn't look swelled up at all.)

yeah, gotta put her into a breeder box and feed the babies for a few weeks until they aren't mouth sized anymore

https://www.amazon.com/PETS-ISLAND-Aquarium-Incubator-Isolation/dp/B07BF6DRX8

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2

I use the large ones, but there are other size so it's not obnoxiously over-sized.

how is that confusing? my display would use the ai prime, and i would use a hardware light to power (https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518996752&sr=8-1&keywords=marina+breeder+box)
[this] that way i can just have a brighter light specifically to use on the box 24/7.

I can't remember the exact website we bought it from the mfg directly, but it's on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Folding-Koi-Breeding-Quarantine/dp/B00E0OJTFO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8
I only use it for a few hours every year on average.

Not sure if this is the same one, but I've been considering this one from Amazon.
Finnex External Refugium Breeder Hang-On Box, Water Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KAJEAJS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ar0bAbBAQVCJE

You can get a breeder box and separate her into it while you feed the other fish. It's a few bucks on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BF6DRX8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k27ODb5X1H68Y

Is there any way you can put in a colored divider so they can't see each other? She can definitely become egg bound and die in the presence of a male. If you just need a temporary solution to let her heal, try a breeder box inside the sorority tank.

$60 on amazon though it's just a metal frame

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QRDCP2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469679463&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=marina+hob&dpPl=1&dpID=415N6F%2BPJBL&ref=plSrch

Looks almost exactly the same as mine which is a Marina Breeding Box

Marina Hang-On Breeding Box, Small https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDF4K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PsE7AbMPY8VBG

Add multiple new fish at once and change the rock work around right before the new additions. Also, you could keep the Clown or the new fish in an isolation cage for a while after the introduction.

I use this as one so I'd think an old filter would work too!

https://www.amazon.com/Capetsma-Isolation-Acclimation-Incubator-Clownfish/dp/B07M7H2BK2

Do you think something like this would work ZOSEN Aquarium Fish Breeder Box Isolation Box Breeder Hatchery Incubator (white) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZP47P2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cEX5BbQY890YR

I'm assuming you would go with the large one? The problem with refuges is that you typically need a big refuge to make a dent on a large tank. If you do go with it, I'd recommend going with caulpera since it tends to export more nutrients than most other macroalgae. Just look up the potential issues with caulpera.

Finnex also makes a HOB refuge if you don't want to have it in your tank.

Dood great idea! I got the medium size but my pregs molly died...and thought defeats the purpose of having it. I paid $5 for a tetra air pump.
[Tetra air pump. $4](Tetra Whisper Air Pump, For 20 to 40 Gallon Aquariums https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PB8SMM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3C1VDbDXPN0S3)
[Marina breeding box. Only one that has to connect a flowing water to oxygenate.](Marina Hang-On Breeding Box, Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDDJ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ME1VDbJADGW00)

If you're talking about one of these, yeah it will work. In my opinion, it looks ugly and since it by no means is a necessity, I would forego it. But functionally, it should work. Depending on your setup, you can light it with your existing setup (sometimes you can position your lighting so the overflow lighting hits the breeder box and your display tank), or use an ikea clip on book light.

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Hang-On-Breeding-Box-Large/dp/B005QRDCP2

I know breeding boxes are used by some in the shrimp community, and this is basically the same idea...I'd just be worried about the water in the jar getting dirtier than the rest of the tank. The mesh will let some of the waste out, but since it's not going to be getting any real water flow in that jar it could cause a small ammonia spike in there killing any shrimplets you'd get.

If you don't want to setup a tank you could get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDCP2/ which will keep the shrimp separated from the rest of the tank inhabitants, but still allows water movement between the box and the tank.

You could maybe setup a small airstone in the jar, just enough to create flow so water in the jar and the rest of the tank are being cycled in and out.