BBS Question

[sharkweek178]

I use these tray hatcheries. As a matter of fact, I have a couple of batches going right now.


The design is ingenious. You put the eggs in the outer ring. Then after they hatch, the bbs work their way past the rings to the center where the light is. That's what separates the bbs from the shells. There's a handy little collection cup right in the center. I just lift that out, let it drain then dip it right into the tank. The only drawback is that it doesn't have as large a yield as other kinds of hatcheries. But for what I need, it's perfect.

 

[Back in the fold]

This might be a difficult question to answer but an approximation will suffice. I’m harvesting brine shrimp from a 2 liter brine solution that started with a teaspoon of eggs. The eggs are premium grade from Brine Shrimp Direct. My yield seems excellent but I don’t know the gold standard. I seem to have enough to give a decent serving to 7 tanks with approximately 70 fish in total, none larger than 3 inches. Do you think I’m under feeding?

No , you are not under feeding . If you feel it’s a decent serving and you notice the fish eating and plumping up then that’s all that matters . Every species of fish is a bit different . My Nothobranchius and Endler’s get big bellies when they’re full of BBS . They look like little balls with fins . My Fundulopanchax gardneri don’t get that big round belly but they eat a lot . I know because I watch . Instead they get a dull orange color to their sides but the stomach stays flat . I overfeed and I know this because I see the fry stop eating while plenty of live BBS are still hopping around in there . Ramshorn snails eat the leftovers and thrive on it . Don’t just feed your fish and walk away . Watch them to see what’s going on . Your own personal observations will answer your question .