Specifications

What ISTA publish for the IF-736 Breeding Box, size L:

Size in the range L
Separation base movable, so fry drop through and out of reach of the mother
Cover included, to stop fish jumping in or out
Mounting hangs in the tank

ISTA make four: IF-735 in S, IF-736 in M, IF-736L in L and IF-737 in XL. This listing is the L.

ISTA publish no dimensions for any of them. Their size column holds the letters S, M, L and XL and nothing else, in both the 2024 and the 2022 catalogue — we checked the older edition specifically for this. That is a real gap for a box that has to hang inside your particular tank, so ask us and we will measure the one in stock before you order.

What ISTA do not publish for this model:

• External and internal dimensions
• Volume in litres
• Material and wall thickness
• Whether an air connection is fitted

Those rows are simply not on ISTA’s specification sheet or in their catalogue, and we would rather leave them blank than print a number we cannot source. If one of them decides your purchase, ask us and we will measure the stock item before you order.

Setup & Use

Two modes, and the separation base is the switch. With the base in, it is a birthing box: the mother stays in the upper section and the fry fall through into the lower one, where she cannot get at them. With the base taken out, it is a single-compartment refuge — ISTA name baby fish, small fish, bettas, injured fish and new arrivals as the uses.

Hang it where the water moves past it. A box in dead water is a box of stale water, and the volume is small enough that it goes wrong quickly. Somewhere in the filter’s return flow, but not directly in the blast of it.

Fit the cover, and mean it. ISTA include it to stop fish jumping in as well as out. A tank fish that jumps into a breeding box lands on the fry.

Use it as a hospital box with care. Isolating an injured or bullied fish in the main tank is kind — it keeps the fish in familiar water at the right temperature and lets it recover in sight of the others. Medicating in it is not: dose goes into the whole tank, and a small box shares its water with everything.

Acclimating new arrivals is the third real use. The box floats the new fish at tank temperature, in tank water, visible to the residents but out of reach of them, for as long as it takes tempers to settle.

Feed lightly and siphon the base. Uneaten food in a small compartment fouls fast. A turkey baster clears it in seconds.

Do not leave an adult in it for days. A breeding box is a temporary measure. Prolonged confinement in a small bare box is a stressor in its own right.

What’s in the Box

• Breeding box body, size L
• Movable separation base
• Cover

ISTA publish no itemised scope of delivery for this product; the list above is assembled from their own product page and catalogue entry. If something is short in the carton, tell us inside the 7-day return window and we will sort it out.

No air pump, air line or medication is part of it.

Returns & Replacement

Returns are accepted within 7 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. Manufacturer-sealed items cannot be returned once the seal is broken, and sale-priced items are not refundable.

If your item arrives defective or damaged, message us on WhatsApp with your order number — or email us, if you would rather — and we will replace it. Approved replacements are delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Transit damage is covered by insurance on every shipment. If tracking shows delivered but nothing reached you, tell us within 72 hours, which is the reporting window Indian couriers allow. Damage caused during installation or use is not covered; replacement spares for such cases are chargeable.

Full terms are on our Cancellation & Returns page.