# DIY breeding box suggestions?



## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Okay... so I have been losing a lot of shrimp lately
I have 2 beautiful females left, and I want to get em preggers, and I wan't to make sure as many of the offspring make it.

I have an aquaclear 50 HOB filter, I could use it as a breeder box, perhaps.. 
How would I make sure the water stays oxygenated?
And how would I do it as cheaply as possible.

If that is lame, or if anyone has a better idea PLEASE lemme know


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforums/showthread.php?47801-Marina-breeding-box


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

$10-$15 you can buy an air powered one that circulated water from your tank in and out of the box and they work great. I think you need to work out why your shrimp are dying though and when they are ready to mate, believe, a male will find them. lol.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

GeToChKn said:


> $10-$15 you can buy an air powered one that circulated water from your tank in and out of the box and they work great. I think you need to work out why your shrimp are dying though and when they are ready to mate, believe, a male will find them. lol.


They are in a tank with fish too so isolation is fairly important right now given how low the numbers are. 


As to figuring out why they are dying, believe me I have tried to figure it out.

And I have no money to spend right now.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

Search DIY aquaclear fuge then. 

The nano-reef guys have been converting these for a while now to use as a fuge. You could do similar but use a much finer mesh.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

eklikewhoa said:


> Search DIY aquaclear fuge then.
> 
> The nano-reef guys have been converting these for a while now to use as a fuge. You could do similar but use a much finer mesh.


AWESOME
that is exactly what I was looking for!


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

An aquaclear filter doesn't have the floor space a breeder box does. You can try but flow is going to be strong in a filter. Most people who do the fuge thing cut fins off the impeller or use a smaller model impeller in it.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

Cutting the impeller or drilling the tube and redirecting the flow is two ways you could solve that problem. 

The AC50 is about the same size or usable size of the medium sized marina breeder box.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

I was going to convert my AC110 into a breeder. Still might one day when I get some really, really nice OEBT or decide to add some BTOE to my herd and I want to make sure I get the right shrimp breed to each other. I have built AC's into SW fuges before. Pretty easy.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

+1 on the $5-$10 Marina/Hagen boxes. 

I adore mine and use a modified Hagen Mini Elite filter as a pump to create a bit more (and quieter) flow.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

I was able to adjust mine some to not be so loud when driven by the air pump and some coarse sponge inside the output helped with the gargling noise.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Done. 

It is sort of overflow style. So hopefully it will, keep the shrimp away from the impeller. 
The AC50 has adjustable flow so I'll test it to see how it is at its weakest. 

Water from the chamber with the pump will overflow into the main chamber, and then there is a mesh that has been siliconed so that the wholes are smaller. 


LOL, pardon the crappy silicone job.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

Hard to tell from the pics but mesh looks to still be too large.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

eklikewhoa said:


> Hard to tell from the pics but mesh looks to still be too large.



The upper ones aren't siliconed yet. 

I left them for now because I don't know what the flow will be like yet.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

get one of these they are AWSOME!!!! i just got one and love it and belive me when i get the money im going to get more and all you need is an air pump

http://www.kensfish.com/product3709.html


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep - it's a great little box with lots of uses. Often keep mine running with lava rock and sometimes filter floss when not in use.

A note on the air pump... If anyone ends up buying a breeder box and doesn't have a spare pump, the Mini Elite filter is about $7-$8 online.


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

+1 on the store bought breeding box. When not in use for breeding you get a mini sump ;-) I connect an air tube from a hole on the spary bar so it's very quiet and very efficient. I really like it.


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Chlorophile said:


> They are in a tank with fish too so isolation is fairly important right now given how low the numbers are.
> 
> 
> As to figuring out why they are dying, believe me I have tried to figure it out.
> ...


Perhaps the fish are the ones killing and stressing the shrimp to death.....


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