Method 1
- Start with a skein of dark acrylic yarn. Your fish will not care about the exact color, but a dark yarn will make it easier for you to notice when eggs have been laid.
- The yarn must be able to tolerate a few minutes of boiling, because placing the yarn in boiling water is a great way of killing off malicious microorganisms. Boiling and carefully rinsing the yarn afterwards will also remove any residue dye. In addition to this, a well soaked skein will be more prone to sinking instead of floating.
- Take a hardcover book where the length is roughly the same as the height of the aquarium in which you intend to use your spawning mop.
- Cut off a small strand of yarn and place it across the width of your book, before you start to wind the rest of the yarn around the length of the book.
- When you have winded your yarn around the book about one hundred times, you can cut of the yarn from the remaining skein.
- Take the strand of yarn that you previously placed across the width of the book and tie a knot somewhere in the middle.
- Flip the book and use a scissor to carefully cut the yarn in the middle to create a mop.
- Take another strand of yarn and tie it to the top of the spawning mop.
Spawning mop tips!
If you want your spawning mop to float around in the aquarium, tie it to a piece of cork.
Method 2 (submitted by The Red Severum)
First Step: You need Acrylic Yarn, Scissors and a book.
Second Step: Put the start of the sting inside the book (right behind the cover) and don't forget where you started.
Third Step: Rap around the book a couple times loosely and start to count.
Fourth Step: Same as step three but do it about 90 more times.
Fifth Step: Cut off the string from the book to the yarn, and then cut of a 5" piece. Then bring it the the opposite side of the start of your mop and then tie a knot as tight as possible.
Sixth Step: Take it off the book and hold in your hands from side to side. Cut straight threw it on the opposite end of where you tied your knot.
Seventh step: Tie a knot on the top ( opposite side of the cut end) and go around the top making a ball shape. When you tie the knot, don't tie it to tight because the killies like to lay the eggs in there.
Eighth Step: You are almost down, that is your killie mop.
Ninth Step: Soak your killie mop for about 20mins to let the dye drain out, but it is ok if a little gets in your aquarium
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