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Re: Mops

if you can find nylon yarn you can make your own mop.  All you do is find a
small book not to small and you wrap the yarn around the book, 50 times or
so then you pull the book out and cut the one end.  Tie the other end with a
piece of yarn and leave an end on it so you can hang it from the top of your
tank.
----- Original Message -----
From: Wright Huntley <huntley1 at home_com>
To: <killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 1999 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: Mops


>
>
> "Jerry F. Kasey" wrote:
> >
> > During a visit to George Maier's shop in Chicago during 1972 I was able
to
> > acquire several sizes of a mop marketed by the name of "Baby Savers",
they
> > were made of a soft nylon yarn about 2mm in size and a dark green color.
> > These were great for plant spawning Killies. Now I am only able to find
an
> > acrylic type yarn about twice the size as the nylon with a rough
texture,
> > which seems to shrink when I try to boil it plus it seems will fray
leaving
> > threads with the eggs.
>
> There are a lot of "acrylic" yarns out there, and they vary wildly in
> thickness and softness. I like one called "mohair" (after the natural
wool)
> and the fish seem to like it, too. One thing they all seem to have in
common
> is that PMMA has a softening point right around the boiling point of
water.
> Don't boil long and hard if you don't want to destroy the fiber
properties.
>
> I have never seen any reason for more than bringing them to the boiling
> point and cooling immediately (usually in a pyrex measuring cup in the
> microwave). That cleans out any residual surfactants and unabsorbed dye.
> Most don't even tint the water much. A hot metal pan surface can do a
number
> on them, for sure.
>
> > The Question is does any know if "Baby Savers" are still manufactured or
> > where a good nylon yard can be bought?
>
> Can't help there. Nylon yarns are used in the rug industry, but are way
too
> stiff and harsh for most fish-mop use. I haven't seen soft nylon in stores
> for years.
>
> I have found less egg predation in thicker mops, so I have been using the
> acrylic or "Orlon" stuff labelled "Rug Yarn" lately. In acrylic, much of
it
> is quite soft, and it works well. I usually have to go to craft stores to
> find it.
>
> If you want thinner strands, you can dye baby yarns dark, but that's a lot
> of bother, IMHO. I do like their softeness, tho. They come in any color
you
> want as long as it is pale blue, pink or white. ;-)
>
> Wright
>
> --
> Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntleyone at home dot com
>
>          "DEMOCRACY" is two wolves and a lamb voting on lunch.
>      "LIBERTY" is a well-armed lamb denying enforcement of the vote.
>              *** http://www.self-gov.org/index.html ***
>
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