Zayne Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 what wool do you use for a spawning mop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_r Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 when i was breeding killies i used green fake wool (synthetic i think it was) worked a charm dont use real sheep wool, it rots or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Black acrylic. The dark colours show up the eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imsweet Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 I have dark blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 i have some dark blue...and still one of the first ones i made, which is brown/white/cream multi coloured - don't go there. Its so hard to see the eggs :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 So do you make them just like a pom pom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Wrap the wool multiple times around a book. Thread a separate bit of wool through one end and tie in a knot to hold all the threads together in a bunch. Cut through the threads at the other end and you have a mop. Tease out the individual strands of ply to make it bushier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Wrap the wool multiple times around a book. Thread a separate bit of wool through one end and tie in a knot to hold all the threads together in a bunch. Cut through the threads at the other end and you have a mop. Tease out the individual strands of ply to make it bushier. that sounds easy enough, I'll give it a try. Thanks Caryl :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 If you want it to float and the ends dangling down towards the bottom of the tank, tie a cork or bit of polystyrene to the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Thanks for adding that Zev, I forgot I have a bit of poly holding mine up. You will also have to do a bit of squishing and holding down of the wool for a few minutes at first to get it waterlogged enough so the strands stay underwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 i rinse mine with hot water from the kettle a few times before using them, to make sure any dye/chemicals from the factory are washed out properly and then they sink. Also don't be clever and tie a longer peice of wool on to loop over the side of the tank for pulling it out, they can siphon the water out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 i rinse mine with hot water from the kettle a few times before using them, to make sure any dye/chemicals from the factory are washed out properly and then they sink. Also don't be clever and tie a longer peice of wool on to loop over the side of the tank for pulling it out, they can siphon the water out :lol: Twinkles, I won't ask you how you know this! Mine are various colours (dark brown, black, dark green) fake fur-style! By this I mean each strand has lots of other fluffy strands coming off it. I really like the way it looks in my tank, to the extent that I wrapped some of my filter hoses in the green stuff to disguise them! Make sure the 'wool' is 100% polyester. I have had my mops for years and I boil them to sterilise them with no ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 I have been playing. Note I had to use green gardening twine as I currently do not have any wool Pretend it is acrylic wool ok? 8) First, wrap the wool around a book. Size depends on how long you want your mop to be (and how deep the tank) Then tie a knot at one end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Cut through the strands at the opposite end to the knot It will look like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 To get both sides to bunch together, tie another knot around all at the top, just below the original knot Tease out the individual strands of wool Here is one I prepared earlier :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Not personal experience - i read somewhere once about a tank being half emptied from someone doing that and saved it in my memory I can see it happening, one of my tanks is hard to reach into so i peg a string onto the top edge to pull it out, and its always wet at the top. I just let mine sit on the bottom, they fluff up quite high and the killies i have seem to like them there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Excellent how-to photos there Caryl! We should all post pics of our spawning mops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Don't get stingy with the amount of wool you use, either, or the length. Scrawny mops are not much use for killies - if that is what you are using them for, they can be used for goldfish as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Yes, note my black mop was a lot thicker than the demonstration green one If you use poly to float it at the top you don't need anything to use to pull it out as you lift it by the poly which is always on the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.