Give your smallest fish somewhere to disappear. AquaNest spawning mops turn an open part of the aquarium into a dense curtain of soft strands. The many separate strands create small spaces where fry can retreat from larger fish, adding cover without waiting for plants to grow.
For hobbyists who want to keep adults and young in the same aquarium, that cover is a practical part of a colony-breeding setup.
Around 200 strands. Plenty of places to tuck away.
Each AquaNest mop has approximately 200 soft strands. Group several mops into dense cover for livebearer fry; keep small routes between the strands rather than compressing them into a tight bundle. This creates layers of cover and breaks up the open view across the tank.
The included suction cup lets you position that cover where your fry gather. Choose floating strands near the surface or a non-floating mop placed lower in the tank. You can move the arrangement as your fish grow, while keeping the same color theme throughout your aquarium.
Can the adults stay in the tank?
They can in a suitable colony-breeding setup: the adults and young share the aquarium, and dense cover gives small fish places to retreat. This approach can save the space and equipment needed for a separate grow-out tank. It is particularly relevant when you want a colony to develop rather than collect every individual fry.
A mop is cover, not a sealed barrier. Results depend on the species, tankmates and layout; adults may still eat young. If your priority is raising the greatest number of fry, separating them gives more control. Read more about cover and colony breeding.
Set up a useful hiding area
- Place cover where the fry use it. Observe your fish and use the suction cup to position the strands at a useful depth.
- Keep the strands accessible. Leave small routes between the strands and room around the mop for gentle circulation.
- Create more than one retreat. If the layout allows, distribute cover rather than leaving one isolated hiding place across a large open tank.
- Keep food and maintenance in the plan. Fry still need appropriately sized food, clean water and protected filter intakes. Check for tiny fish before lifting or cleaning a mop.
For livebearers and egg-layers
Guppies, endlers, platies and mollies give birth to live young; the mop provides cover rather than an egg-laying site. For mop-spawning egg-layers, it may also act as a removable spawning surface. Learn more in our egg-collection guide.
Choose your color. Build your cover.
Match Green Forest to a green aquarium palette, or browse the other AquaNest colors for a brighter setup. Select floating or non-floating on the product page and choose the quantity that fits your available space.
Choose Green Forest See every color
Washable, reusable mops, flexible placement and a guest checkout that keeps ordering simple. See our shipping and returns information before you buy.