Amateur Brine Shrimp Hatching

[Omega31]

Hi, I'm doing a science fair for my high school, and i need to hatch brine shrimp for studying. I have ordered the cysts in a tube as well as powdered food, and have read in other sources that a lot of aquarium owners have grown brine shrimp in half gallon soda bottles. I have followed the instructions on the packaging my egg tube came in, which is to add 4 level tablespoons or rock salt to 1 gallon of water, with 2 level teaspoons of eggs, placing the bottle in a lighted area between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and to aerate to keep eggs in suspension. It stated that they should be hatched after 24 hours. Since i'm using half gallon soda bottles, i reduced every amount by half. I have tried to hatch the eggs TWICE, following all instructions, even building a clear plastic enclosure and heat lamp for heat and buying an air pump and air stone for aeration. None of the eggs showed any signs of hatching even after 2 days of waiting. what am i doing wrong? is reducing the amounts by half the problem? I have thoroughly checked everything with thermometers and precise measurements and have found nothing i'm doing wrong to my knowledge. Thanks for your help.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Did you use your dechlor on the water?

Eggs can go bad. Normally they are sold in bulk price based on the expected hatch rate. For examle at kensfish:

These eggs are all from the GSL. These GSL cysts are over-wintered, washed, dried, and tested under strict guidelines before categorizing into the different hatch rate categories. All cans are 454 grams. They are stamped on the bottom of the can. All eggs must be stored at 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit.
80% $45.99
90% $54.95

Small amounts are often allowed to age in stores to the point they no longer hatch.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi Omega - were you ever able to get them to hatch?
 
I just received a vial of eggs in the mail yesterday, and last night I set up my own hatchery for the first time ever.  My intention is to hatch only a small batch of eggs each time to feed to my two aquariums.  My liter bottle is bubbling away today, and when I get home from work tonight I will check to see if I got any. 
 
I attempted a slightly more exacting temperature scheme - in that I had an unused aquarium heater.  So I filled a small cooler with water, put the heater and a thermometer in that, and then sat the liter bottle in the cooler so that it is surrounded by the heated water.  I then inserted an air tube to bubble the water.  
 
The water inside the bottle has:
1. dechlornator
2. a pinch of arm and hammer baking soda to buffer the pH level (since mine tends to crash from 7.2 down to 6.0 after 24 hours)
3. table salt (I used ionized, although I know it's recommended to use de-ionized)
4. a very small number of eggs (probably less than half a teaspoon)
 
I will report back tonight if I had any success.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Wow - major success! After 24 hours I took out the air line, let the water settle for about 20 minutes, and I had thousands of tiny shrimp swimming around in the bottom. Worked perfectly. My rasboras, tetras, glofish, and endlers went nuts eating the live shrimp as soon as I squirted them in the tank with a syringe. My betta, however, totally ignored the little twitching specs of shrimp.

I have so many shrimp still in the salt water bottle that I added a bit of active yeast, hoping they might eat it and stay alive until tomorrow so that I can feed the fish with them again. It's been 10 minutes since my fish ate, and they are all still actively swimming around looking for more. So I guess they liked it.

 

[Mamashack]

Thanks for posting that Gvilleguy. I'm just about to get a betta and have some BS eggs to try to hatch and didn't know how I was going to control the heat side of it - now I do! lol

 

[betta fish]

I find brineshrimp eggs incredibly easy to hatch provided they are from a reputable vendor, I'm not exact on the water or salt and don't dechlor the water or use a heater lol as long as you put the rough amounts all should be well in 24 hours time the chlorine should have evaporated from the water in anycase, warmer water may make them hatch quicker but it's not needed imo as long as the water isn't frozen cold room temp water should be fine the main thing is make sure you have an airstone in there that keeps the eggs in suspension after 24-48 hours your eggs should have hatched turn the airstone off and wait for things to settle they will be attracted to light source so they will swarm to the lightest side of the bottle 

 they are tiny so you need to look hard, I don't tend to feed mine either as they are best fed as soon as hatched as they still have their yolks so are more nutritious, Sera do good packs of brineshrimp in the yellow and red packs there's a great seller on ebay too whose eggs hatch alot of shrimp!

 

[Mamashack]

Ah ok thanks, betta fish! I'll try without the heater first then.  

 

[RCA]

I believe there are also ways to have a hatchery within the tank itself i.e. floating/attached to the side - if you Google it you will probably find more info.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Tom Hatch N Feeder
http/www.amazon.co.uk/Hatch-Feeder-Brine-Shrimp-Hatchery/dp/B0006JM0E4/ref=sr_1_41?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1366528343&sr=1-41&keywords=TOM+%28TOMINAGA%2FOSCAR%29
 

 
I have two of them. They need an air pump. In the states they cost $16.95 in the UK they cost £40.13.

 

[Mamashack]

Just checked and that's £40.13 + £28.16 shipping! That's extortionate pricing!
Somehow I think I'll be making my own.

 

[Gvilleguy]

I have hatched two batches so far without any trouble. The biggest challenge I have is with getting the little swimmers out of the salty water into fresh water so that I'm not dumping salt water into my tank. I tried pouring the hatch container through a coffee filter with mixed results. Sometimes the filter clogs and leaves water standing in the filter. But I then dunk the filter into a container of tank water, which gets most of the shrimp into 'fresh' water, at least. Then I shine a light on one side of the container. They are attracted to the light and I siphon them out with a syringe and shoot them into the aquarium.
 
I just got two young apistogramma cockatoos, so I will be doing more shrimp this week.

 

[Livewire88]

I have hatched two batches so far without any trouble. The biggest challenge I have is with getting the little swimmers out of the salty water into fresh water so that I'm not dumping salt water into my tank. I tried pouring the hatch container through a coffee filter with mixed results. Sometimes the filter clogs and leaves water standing in the filter. But I then dunk the filter into a container of tank water, which gets most of the shrimp into 'fresh' water, at least. Then I shine a light on one side of the container. They are attracted to the light and I siphon them out with a syringe and shoot them into the aquarium.
 
I just got two young apistogramma cockatoos, so I will be doing more shrimp this week.

 
 
If you invest in a Brine Shrimp Net it will make separating the babies from the salt water easy 

 

[RCA]

Try this Mamashack
 
Tom (Tominaga/Oscar) - Hatch'N Feeder Brine Shrimp Corral £20.78, plus free shipping over £20! 
 
They look good as the brine shrimp swim directly into the tank.  Thanks for the heads up TTA, what tanks do you run your two in?  Any tips for using these?
 
There is some good stuff here to re: Brine Shrimp  I have used them for IAL and sponge filters and found them very good quality.
 
Let us know if you get one, I am considering it.

 

[Mamashack]

Thanks RCA and TTA
It certainly looks like a good piece of kit and the price is more reasonable. Will have to wait until my pocket has recovered from all the recent expenses.
Can anyone recommend an adjustable air pump? The one I have blasts air out at 3L/min so probably a bit too powerful for this set-up

 

[RCA]

I am interested in TTA's experience with this bit of kit because if you look on Amazon.com there are mixed reviews.  I always find Amazon a good source not only for the review itself but to pick up tips and learn.  I learnt more about how to use my camera on Amazon via the reviews than I did in the manual!
 
I picked up a new pump a few weeks ago and it is absolutely silent, surprisingly quieter on the highest setting!  It is in the bedroom so therefore needs to be quiet.  I had never come across them before but apparently they have been on the market a long time.  I got the guy in the store to plug it in prior to purchase.  It is called a "Newair NW2" by Aquarium Systems.  Mine is the NW 2 and it powers a bubble wall in a UFO 350.  Fully adjustable, I paid £13.89 for mine.  Prior to this I was considering a Fluval or a Tetra Air Pump, as I understand they have a different mechanism inside so are generally the more quieter of pumps.  I would definitely get another Newair though, been very impressed.