How to Make Your Own Fish Training Hoop & Stand

Swimming through a hoop is a great beginner trick to teach your fish once they learn how to touch and follow a target stick. Once your fish learns to swim through a hoop, it’s really easy to introduce them to tunnels and to add more variety; you can also teach them to go through hoops or tunnels tilted upwards (like a chimney.)

How to Make a Hoop and Stand For Fish Training (Video Tutorial)

Materials Needed For This Project

  • 1 Straw
  • Sheet of craft foam material
  • Twist tie
  • Hot glue gun and hot glue
  • Fine tip marker
  • Circular stencil(s) to trace around
  • Scissors

Step 1

Trace a circle onto the foam sheet, then draw a slightly smaller circle inside the first one. The inside circle should be big enough for your fish to fit through easily.

Step 2

Cut out the outside circle, as well as the round piece in the middle, so you end up with a hoop shape.

Step 3

Cut several holes along the length of the straw.

Step 4

Draw and cut out another circle from the foam sheet for the base.

Step 5

Glue one end of the straw onto the circular foam piece that was just cut out. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

Attaching the Hoop to the Stand

To attach the hoop to the stand, wrap a twist tie around the hoop a couple of times, then pull the other end of the twist tie through two of the holes in the straw. Wrap the excess end of the twist tie around the straw to keep it out of the way.

When you’re ready to use it, put it in the tank and cover the base with some gravel. For tips on teaching your fish to swim through the hoop, check out the Hoops and Tunnels tutorial page.

You can set the hoop at any level (closer to the surface or at the bottom near the gravel in the tank) by attaching the twist tie to different holes on the straw.

Finished Hoop and Stand