Brine Shrimp

[Sang72]

I've been hatching brine shrimp (Artemia) in a San Fransisco Bay Shrimpery setup for a few weeks now, (you put the premixed salt/egg packet into the bottom, add water and put a clear vial of freshwater on top, the shrimp swim to the light through a hole and get 'washed' by the fresh water). It seems to work ok, and my fishies have a feeding frenzy when I dump them in, but the number of live shrimp I got from each packet was dissapointing (maybe a couple hundred spread out over 3-4 days)

So with an expectant swordtail and lots o' fry on the way (hopefully) I decided to try hatching a larger quantity. I bought an iced tea jar for $2 from Ralphs yesterday (where I lost my keys...grrrrr) thinking that I can sluice the shrimp out through the tap about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the jar, the unhatched eggs will settle on the bottom and the shells will float to the top.

So far so good, I added a gallon of water, 8 Tbsp DocWellfish salt, and 4tsp of eggs (guaranteed 95% hatch) stuck an airline with stone through the top of the lid and wrapped with a heating pad set on low. Today, I looked at it and WOW, I'm the happy owner of like 3 bazillion baby brine shrimp. I put a light at the bottom so they would all swim down and skimmed off the floating shells.

Now I cant feed all them to my fishies at once, so.............

1. How long after hatching should I transfer the shrimp? (going into a 1 gallon desktop aquarium)
2. Are they easy to grow to full size? (They're sea monkeys right?)
2. What do I feed shrimp? Will liquifry work? I heard something about yeast and powdered milk.
3. Is it possible to overcrowd shrimp?
4. Are there any dangers to feeding grown, live brine shrimp to my fishies. (I know it should be a supplement to their diet, not a main course, too salty and I will rinse them before I serve them up)

thanx

 

[crazie.eddie]

1. How long after hatching should I transfer the shrimp? (going into a 1 gallon desktop aquarium)

You can transfer them immediately. Since you have a DIY hatchery, you need to rinse the fry in fresh water using a brine shrimp net.

2. Are they easy to grow to full size? (They're sea monkeys right?)

I remember seeing an article before, since I was considering of doing the same. Unfortunately, I cannot find it again. Yes, somewhat easy, but they require some nutritional foods, like green water and I believe spirulina when they are adults.

3. What do I feed shrimp? Will liquifry work? I heard something about yeast and powdered milk.

I'm not sure about liquifry and I think I have heard something about yeast and powedered milk. Also green water.

4. Is it possible to overcrowd shrimp?

I don't think so, since I normally see alot of them.

5. Are there any dangers to feeding grown, live brine shrimp to my fishies. (I know it should be a supplement to their diet, not a main course, too salty and I will rinse them before I serve them up)

no, unless the brine shrimp have diseases.

That's a large hatchery you're setting up. The brine shrimp hatchery that you originally use should be fine enough. Livebearer fry are big enough to eat crushhed flakes and such. I have new guppy fry every month or other month and I found the small hatchery just sufficient to feed the amount of fry I have. The guppy fry I feed to my angelfish. When they guppy fry get older and start showing dimorphism, I separate the males, which I give to friends and feed the young females to the angelfish and african butterfly.
Nope, just make sure you feed the BS

 

[Sang72]

Thanx for the response . I need to rinse the shrimp before putting them in a grow out tank? Is the grow out tank supposed to be fresh, brackish or brine?

 

[handsomeboy]

what is green water?

 

[crazie.eddie]

I need to rinse the shrimp before putting them in a grow out tank? Is the grow out tank supposed to be fresh, brackish or brine?

I can't remember, but I believe they only grow in salt water. You only rinse them prior to feeding them.

Green water is basically algea in the water making it turn green. You can also feed your fry green water. Basically, you put an old piece of lettuce in a jar full of tank water and set it by the window. The water will eventually turn green, after a day or 2. Some say you can use dry, dead grass, but I would not since they may contain chemicals from fertilizers.

 

[Sang72]

Cool, thanx, I'm gonna go strip some leaves off the head of lettuce my roommate left in the fridge forever and stick it in a jar and put it on the patio.