![[Easy DIY] Make a Medaka Egg-Laying Mop with Everyday Materials! A Collection of Handmade Ideas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/p5aHdsg59lk/maxresdefault.webp)
[Easy DIY] Make a Medaka Egg-Laying Mop with Everyday Materials! A Collection of Handmade Ideas
Thinking about making your medaka’s breeding season and home setup more comfortable? Did you know you can actually handcraft a spawning mop using simple, everyday materials to help them lay eggs safely? Creating a healthy environment where your beloved medaka can lay eggs with confidence is one of the key things to consider when keeping them.
In this article, we’ll show you how to make a medaka spawning bed that even beginners can try with ease.
Why not gift your medaka a wonderful environment with the unique creativity and ideas that only handmade gear can offer?
[Easy DIY] Medaka Egg-Laying Mops Made from Everyday Materials! Handmade Idea Collection (1–10)
Acrylic yarn spawning bed
Medaka tend to eat their eggs if they lay them on aquatic plants, so we make spawning mops to collect and isolate the eggs after they’re laid.
While commercial spawning mops are available, acrylic yarn is a simple, household alternative.
Choose a darker color to mimic plants.
Wrap the yarn many times around your hand (or another object) to make long strands, then secure one end with a cable tie.
After securing, the base will flare out; tie that base with another cable tie to finish.
Fix the mop in place with wire, and once the eggs are laid, retrieve the mop to collect them.
Sponge Korotama ball-shaped spawning bed
We’ll use the material from a hard scrubbing-brush type of spawning mop to make a Korotama—ball-shaped spawning bed.
Cut the hard brush material into thin strips and, at the end, tightly fasten the center with a zip tie.
Once fastened, spread it out into a ball shape to finish.
You can also make it by leaving just the center uncut and fastening the zip tie around the part you left—either method works, so use whichever you prefer.
Sapphire-type medaka sometimes won’t lay eggs on regular spawning mops, so this is a recommended option for such varieties.
An egg-laying bed made with a draining filter
Here’s a spawning bed made from a soft, egg-catching material: a strainer filter.
Cut the filter with scissors.
You can also tear it by hand, so use whichever is easier for you.
It’s easier to cut when you spread the filter out flat.
Medaka will lay their eggs on the fluttery strands.
If the mesh is too fine, the eggs may not catch well, so a stretchy type is recommended.
Give it a try!
hemp twine
Here’s how to make a spawning mop for medaka fish using jute twine.
Cut the twine into short lengths and bundle them together.
Once bundled, tease the strands apart so the fibers become as soft and spread out as possible.
If you start loosening them and then continue while the twine is submerged in water, it goes smoothly.
Since it’s a natural material, I have a feeling the medaka will like it.
Jute twine is handy for tying up things like newspapers, can even be used as yarn for knitting, and you can find it at 100-yen shops—so give it a try!
Spawning bed made with a sponge
Here’s how to make an egg-laying bed using a sponge.
First, prepare a dishwashing sponge and separate the hard and soft parts with a utility knife.
Cut the soft sponge in half, and make slits in the hard part.
Roll up the hard part with the slits, then insert it into the slits in the soft sponge.
Next, peel back the cut sections of the hard sponge.
Doing this will make it even easier for medaka (Japanese rice fish) to attach their eggs.
Give it a try!
Spawning bed made of a pool cue and a scrubbing board
Here’s an easy-to-make spawning bed using familiar materials: a pool noodle and scrub brushes.
Slice the pool noodle into rings with a utility knife.
Cut the scrub brush into strips, bundle several together, and insert them into the noodle ring—done! The key is to insert a tight bundle of strips so there are no gaps.
Using pool noodles in various colors will make your tank more vibrant.
Have fun making it while looking forward to spawning!
A spawning bed made by combining sponges
https://www.tiktok.com/@kota_sakana/video/7353577945476156679You can make a combined hiding place and spawning substrate for medaka using 100-yen shop materials.
Buy a kitchen sponge and a thin hard sponge.
Cut the kitchen sponge in half.
Slice the thin hard sponge into narrow strips and bundle them together with a rubber band.
Then make a slit in the halved kitchen sponge and insert the bundled strips into it.
If you put it straight into the aquarium, the kitchen sponge’s buoyancy will keep it from sinking.
Hopefully the fish will hide in the shade of the kitchen sponge and lay their eggs there.
Hybrid-type spawning bed
https://www.tiktok.com/@matsura_medaka/video/7529102171388906759Depending on the variety, medaka prefer either tunnel-shaped or octopus-leg-shaped spawning mops.
So this spawning mop is a hybrid type: tunnel shapes and octopus-leg shapes alternate.
Fold the spawning material in half, and make cuts starting from the looped end.
Then, at the looped section below the cuts, separate every other loop.
Spread the parts you didn’t separate to form tunnel shapes, and you’re done.
Hope you get lots of eggs!
mattress-type spawning bed
https://www.tiktok.com/@senafin0/video/7148596280103554305Let me introduce a mattress-style spawning bed.
Prepare a hard sponge scrubber and a mesh draining stocking.
Cut the hard scrubber into four pieces and cover each with the draining stocking.
Cut and cover several pieces together, and you’re done.
Try floating them in the aquarium.
Because they’re flat, it’s easy to check for attached eggs, and they also help prevent the parent medaka from eating them.
Once eggs are attached, move the piece to a separate container and observe until they hatch.
It’s easy to make, so give it a try!
Korotama Ball Made with Tulle Fabric
Here’s how to make a Korotama Ball using tulle fabric.
This item is popular as a spawning bed for medaka (Japanese rice fish).
Cut the tulle fabric in half, then divide it into three equal sections.
Roll each piece to match the desired width as you adjust the rolling width.
Use a zip tie to secure the center firmly so it forms the shape of the number 8.
Cut the tips of the “8” with scissors.
While loosening the bundled sections, spread out the fabric to fluff it up.
By adding a weight or a floating ring, you can customize it to either sink to the bottom of the tank or float on the surface.