Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => DIY => Topic started by: Dan K on August 19, 2012, 10:24:56 AM
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I just made an egg tumbler and it seems to be doing the job based on all the tutorials and plans I've looked through.
I never really thought I'd get into the tumbling but my favorite vics keep breeding within 3 weeks of releasing the previous batch and I don't want to wear her out! I even put her in her own tank with a bunch of juvies after the last release to fatten her up and sure enough, three weeks later she drops her tube to lay more eggs without the male around. I put her back in the breeding tank and they spawned within a day or so.
That was a week ago and today I built the tumbler and stripped her so she can go back to eating.
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Do you have any pictures of your new egg tumbler in action?
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Sorry my wife is gone to OR with the camera for a few days. I'll have to take some pics on Wednesday night when she gets back.
It's very simple.....made from lift tubes you would use on an undergravel filter system that I had laying around. I used one of the top pieces that has a small hole for the airline and a grate for bubbles to pass through on both the top and bottom of my unit to allow for circulation and prevent anything like the plecos in my fry tank from getting in. I used two 5 inch tubes joined together with a connector piece and the bottom (egg compartment) section has netting from an old broken breeding net on the top and bottom of it. The top piece is my actual lift tube with the airline in it and it draws water up through the grate at the very bottom of the egg compartment. I used some suction cups laying around to hold it to the side of the tank. It fits nicely in my 10 gallon. I suppose I could have shortened the lift tube a bit and turned up the airflow to get the same lift effect and have a smaller unit.
I need to run out and get a turkey baster or something similar to get the eggs into it more easily! I resorted to putting a small funnel in the top and turning the net with eggs in it up-side-down over it and pouring glasses of tank water through it to get the eggs in this time. Way too complicated!
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I had to make one modification........the breeding net material was too small of a mesh and trapped small debris quite quickly, reducing the flow of water over the eggs. I cut pieces from an old catching net to replace it and found it takes far less air in the lift tube to tumble the eggs now too.
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Cool, can't wait to see some pics.
I'm working on figuring out how to reproduce mine. I need to find some rigid tubing at Lowe's or HD. Then I should be in business...
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OK here are the pics..........
Close up of bottom half
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h462/malawimix1/099.jpg)
Complete unit
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h462/malawimix1/098.jpg)
Another pic of complete unit
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h462/malawimix1/100.jpg)
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That's pretty slick! I'm glad to see some pictures - much easier than reading text and picturing it myself.
I saved some uplift tubes from a UGF I never used specifically to make a couple of these. I was short the connectors and trying to figure out how to add something to separate sections when only given a single tube. I caved and instead cut them up to make uplift tubes to add to some used hydro sponges I got when I moved to a linear air pump.
Well done. :)
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That's pretty cool, thanks for sharing.
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ok new guy question, what is the reason for this, if the fry are in a separate tank.
Nice work by the way
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This is if the parents usually eat the eggs or let them fungus you pull the eggs and put them in this. Then they hatch into fry.
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I did it mainly to give my females a break from holding. Some of them spawn just a few weeks after releasing the previous batch and I didn't want to wear them out.
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(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh25/roadhog1700/IMG_20121128_122035.jpg)
A quick pic of my Egg tumbler... Made it yesterday, and using it today.
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Nice. I gotta fabricate some. I've found some of the necessary material...just gotta figure it out and get some uplift tubes...
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iam going to start making this tumbler very soon .and will have special price foe mca members
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Looks like this tumbler will be large enough for frontosa fry, correct?
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Yes sir
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Yes sir
Sounds good. Please let us know when they're ready and the price. I need one or two for starters.
Mike Z.
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Will do.