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TasV
07-20-2015, 05:30 AM
Can I ask for some one to post photos of their hatching jars? I hadn't thought about using hatching jars so have never looked at them. I was looking at a fishroom video today that looked like their hatching jars had sponge cut to fit the bottom and slid over pvc riser with holes drilled in the base with an airline run down through the middle of it so the whole thing was a airlift sponge filter. The outlet went out through the lid of the jar by the look of it.

Mugwump
07-20-2015, 04:00 PM
Here's a vid from 'Angels Plus' http://www.angelsplus.com/ they sell them.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_nnF-bcE7c

catsma_97504
07-21-2015, 12:06 AM
You have the basic concept of the rearing jars.

Here are a few things I've learned attempting to work with them:

* If the sponge material is too dense water will not circulate through the jar well and the wigglers/fry may not survive. My sponges I bought from AngelsPlus were so dense that the jar would build up about 2 inches of air overnight. I had to use different sponge material :(
* Use an air pump rated higher than the tank the jar is submerged into. If working with a 20 gallon tank, look at a pump rated for a 40-55 gallon. This will ensure that the pump is capable of generating enough water movement through the jar
* Tank water needs to be kept as pristine as possible. Do not allow nitrates to build up and ensure the tank is stable
* Pre-seed the jar sponges by using the jar as a large sponge filter. By working with the jar as a filter you'll be able to not only seed the sponges to minimize waste buildup in the jar, but you'll also have time to make adjustments

TasV
07-21-2015, 02:12 AM
Ok.. thanks.. that's all excellent. I wonder how using a larger sponge gauge would go with a fine covering of gravel to increase the flow and reduce blocking up? When things all go together I am hoping to use a high volume air compressor to power all the tanks. Now that I'm thinking about the hatching jars, too, I think I'll look at getting a series of smaller air pumps as well. I like the idea of having a large hatching tank with multiple hatching jars in it that are running as air-lift filters all the time to keep them functional and calling them into service as required. That way there will also be another source of food for the fry on the sponge material that the fry can graze on between snacks :)

Damonc
07-21-2015, 06:58 AM
Another alternative to the rearing jar is this hang on breeder box. I have used them for a couple years now and have had great success. I use a 2" wide piece of slate in my breeder tanks and just move the slate right into the box a day after they spawn. Once they go to wigglers I just shake them off the slate and remove it. I place the slate in the box so the eggs are under the inlet tube so they get a constant flow of fresh water over them.

Here is a link

http://www.finnex.net/index.php/breeder_box

Here is a video showing how they work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJSx_iBXIls

TasV
07-22-2015, 02:20 AM
Another good idea! I've not seen them for sale in Australia, however, the general concept should be very easy to DIY!

TasV
07-22-2015, 02:35 AM
Damon, how big are those boxes? I looked at the link but it doesn't seem to mention a capacity. I found these here in Austraia: https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=6504

ziouxpioux
07-22-2015, 04:12 AM
You have the basic concept of the rearing jars.

Here are a few things I've learned attempting to work with them:

* If the sponge material is too dense water will not circulate through the jar well and the wigglers/fry may not survive. My sponges I bought from AngelsPlus were so dense that the jar would build up about 2 inches of air overnight. I had to use different sponge material :(
* Use an air pump rated higher than the tank the jar is submerged into. If working with a 20 gallon tank, look at a pump rated for a 40-55 gallon. This will ensure that the pump is capable of generating enough water movement through the jar
* Tank water needs to be kept as pristine as possible. Do not allow nitrates to build up and ensure the tank is stable
* Pre-seed the jar sponges by using the jar as a large sponge filter. By working with the jar as a filter you'll be able to not only seed the sponges to minimize waste buildup in the jar, but you'll also have time to make adjustments

I had one of these and found it to be a royal pain in the rump. It quickly proved to me to chuck the idea.

Mugwump
07-22-2015, 02:06 PM
Damon, how big are those boxes? I looked at the link but it doesn't seem to mention a capacity. I found these here in Austraia: https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=6504

I believe the large boxes are about a gallon....

Damonc
07-26-2015, 11:26 AM
I believe the large boxes are about a gallon....

Yes they hold one gallon

TasV
07-26-2015, 06:43 PM
So, what's that in litres.. nearly 4L... ok.. so the ones I found were only half the size of the ones Damon showed. Don't think they will be big enough and shipping in from o/s will be too $$$. I think I will explore the jar idea a little more and come up with a cheap DIY version. Do people still put methylene blue in the jars or is that considered 'old fashioned' now? I don't even recall seeing it in LFS for ages though I still use it in my lab with kids in bio classes and we still classify it as non-hazardous.

Danburns
07-26-2015, 06:53 PM
One option you might consider is a simple 2.5 gallon (9.46 L) glass tank. I use them all the time and they provide better access for cleaning, in my opinion. I do not use Methylene Blue or Hydrogen Peroxide, just straight tap water. The chlorine will not harm the eggs and will dissipate before wigglers pop. Never a problem with fungus, but then again we have very nice water.

I have even used a dishpan in a pinch. An old photo from when I was still using MB before I quit.

235

Mugwump
07-27-2015, 04:52 AM
I use 2 1/2's too.....they're great for fry.....I, also, use straight tap water...works great.....

catsma_97504
07-27-2015, 07:20 PM
You need to know what's in the tap before knowing if it would be feasible. I am unable to use straight tap during the summer months while my municipal water comes from the river. High in iron and the last report indicated it now contains trace amounts of radon222. So, needless to say untreated water isn't an option for me. However, when my water is sourced from a local spring I can. Only downside to the spring water is that it contains high levels of phosphate, but it works great so long as I don't forget to sterilize the gallon jar or a 2.5 gallon tank with bleach.

In fact, the last spawn I pulled, I was so excited (the Bulgarian Greens) that I pulled a rookie move and forgot to bleach the jar. None of the fry survived long enough to reach free swim :(

TasV
07-27-2015, 08:11 PM
Radon!!! :eek:

You'll be able to make these then ;) lol

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/custom/images/medium/4c2c6373dc680.jpg

catsma_97504
07-27-2015, 08:34 PM
Not quite but definitely scary.