Breeding Traps & Nets

Breeding traps and nets help and advice

A fish-friendly maternity ward and nursery

Breeding traps and nets are specially designed aquarium shelters that are ideal for fish reproduction. If your fish are livebearers, these traps are key to protecting and managing offspring. Our range includes JBL and Marina products as well as our own range.

What are breeding traps and nets?

Breeding traps and nets are designed to give pregnant fish shelter away from the rest of the tank as they birth their young. The bottom of the pregnancy tank has holes leading to a second chamber, where newly born fish will naturally take shelter. This allows you to separate the newborns and give them any specific care they need before introducing them to the rest of your tank - some newborn fish (also known as fry) are particularly vulnerable to predation from other fish.

Why should I buy breeding traps and nets?

If you're planning on breeding fish, breeding traps and nets are the only way to ensure the safety of pregnant and newly born fish. Breading nets are pretty inexpensive and most can be used to also protect injured fish or even segregate particularly violent fish from the rest of the tank.

What are the main types of breeding traps and nets?

We stock two types of breeding traps and nets at Swell, livebearer traps and spawn shelters. Livebearer traps are the traps we've previously described that are used for fish that carry their young through a pregnancy, they are critical for the safety of both the pregnant fish and the young. Spawn shelters are small shelters made of grippy and natural material that spawning fish can use to spawn in and hide their eggs.

What should I look for?

Once you know whether you're looking for a spawn shelter or a livebearer trap it's really a case of getting into your specific needs. Spawn shelters are all quite similar so you can just pick up the one that stands out to you. Livebearer traps vary, some are solid plastic while others are just mesh netting and some can even hold two different pregnant fish and their young at the same time - the key is to find the right trap for your fish offering the right amount of protection, whether that's a net or solid plastic.