Bbs

[rocknurworld2006]

When making up baby brine shrimp in 2litre bottles how do you keep it at the correct temp needed, as you cant exactly put it in the tank as it would go everywhere??

 

[Axleuk]

When making up baby brine shrimp in 2litre bottles how do you keep it at the correct temp needed, as you cant exactly put it in the tank as it would go everywhere??

Could you not put it in the tank but braced to the side?

 

[BigC]

Who says you need to use 2ltr bottles, 500ml bottles will do for what you need.
Regards
BigC

 

[shelaghfishface]

get a hatcher in the tank

 

[BigC]

Or here is a small hang-up style I used in the fish-house

Regards
BigC

 

[rocknurworld2006]

but how do i keep it heated??

 

[BigC]

The fish-house was space heated
Heat from a standard desk lamp stragically placed will kill two birds with one stone.
Regards
BigC

 

[rocknurworld2006]

The fish-house was space heated
Heat from a standard desk lamp stragically placed will kill two birds with one stone.
Regards
BigC

so would i just shine it over the top of it, think that would be enough heat and would it have to be on all the time ofr it?

 

[5teady_2012]

Mate i hatch mine in the garage and its not even hot in there at all, its pretty cold and they hatch within 24 hours and i get a super hatch rate off it.

 

[Biulu]

Or here is a small hang-up style I used in the fish-house

Regards
BigC

Great device, but how did you make sure the egg shells are not mixed with the BBS?

 

[Amerce]

Mate i hatch mine in the garage and its not even hot in there at all, its pretty cold and they hatch within 24 hours and i get a super hatch rate off it.

Ditto I don't have a space heated FH but I find that having them ontop of the discus tank or near some other source of heat (light unit) and provides enough heat and light to hatch them, I only use a 75ml bottle for mine and never had problems having enough BBS to feed everyone and have plenty left over for another feed the next day and I only use 1 and half tsp of bbs to hatch.

I use these and find them really good.BBS incubator

Or here is a small hang-up style I used in the fish-house

Regards
BigC

Great device, but how did you make sure the egg shells are not mixed with the BBS?

When you clamp the airline you stop the air from getting in a disturbing the bbs (remove the airline from the airpump and place it over a container you are going to do the straining from), the bbs settle to the bottom of the bottle and the empty shells rise, then you can syphon off the bbs.

Strain off the salt water and rinse and place in clean water or mature water from a tank, and then you can feed to your fry without problem of contaminating the fry tanks.

Remember the bbs are tiny so you need a bbs strainer, most ordinary nets will not cope with the size of the bbs.

 

[BigC]

but how did you make sure the egg shells are not mixed with the BBS?

The egg shells predomately float to the top and I run off the shrimp from the bottom valve into a cotton hankerchief draped over a jam-jar. I then take a meat/turkey baster and flush the shrimp with some tank water to expel the excess brine. I then swirl the hankie in the fry tank.
Regards
BigC

 

[Biulu]

Thanks very much for the explanation Amerce and BigC!

 

[Tolak]

. I can tell you the procedure I follow every night with my hatchery, and what some other folks do as well.

I'm cheap, I use a 2 liter bottle for hatching in, and built a box with a dimmer to contain the light, and heat. The dimmer adjusts the temperature, you can see the setup here; [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-World-Cichlids/136880/http-www-fishforums-net-index-php-showtopic-136880hl-/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-Worl...opic-136880hl-/[/URL]

You can just as easily use a desk lamp, or other lamp in an enclosed area to keep the temperature at 80F. I imagine a deep drawer from a discarded dressed would work good, a cardboard box would probably be a bad idea due to being more flammable. I've seen people run hatcheries with a 2-liter bottle, and a gooseneck desk lamp on the corner of a table. Anything that provides light 24/7, and a constant temperature of 80F will do.

I used to run my hatchery off of a small air pump; it's hooked into my centralized system now. You do want plenty of aeration; this keeps the artemia cysts suspended in the brine solution.

You can see from the pics in the link how much water I fill with, about 1 1/2 liters. I don't add any dechlorinator, just cold tap water. I add 2 tablespoons of non-iodized salt; I've been using livestock salt, $3 for a 50-pound bag. I told you I was cheap. I also add about 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and since doing a little experimenting, 3 drops of chlorine bleach. I've seen breeders add a drop or two of acriflavin instead of bleach; the idea behind either of these is to keep bacteria levels down. The baking soda increases hardness & pH; some folks will use Epsom salt instead.

So, after adding salt, baking soda, bleach and eggs I give the hatchery a good stir, and ignore it until the next night. The next night I pull the hose out of the hatchery, put the hatchery on the table, and shine a bright light on the bottom, this makes the bbs settle to the bottom. I then get what is left from the previous evening hatch out of the fridge, and get my bbs cup, which is nothing more than a large deep plastic cup with a paper coffee filter rubber banded to the top. I take my turkey baster (every aquarist should have a turkey baster) and take the previous hatch out of the old sour cream container I use to store bbs. I have a 1" square hole cut in the top; this lets a little fresh air in during storage. The stored bbs goes into the filter/cup gizmo, and drains while the hatchery is settling. After about 3 minutes I pour a little fresh water into the filter to rinse. A few minutes later I take the baster, and add some of the fresh bbs from the hatchery to the now empty & rinsed out sour cream container. To get past the shells floating at the top, without mixing them in, rub your nose a couple of times with you finger. Touch the surface of the bbs hatchery. Oil from your skin reduces surface tension, and the shells all go to the edge.