Brine Shrimp

[LowCel]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could tell me how (in detail) to make a brine shrimp hatchery. I bought one from PetSmart that doesn't work at all!

Thank you,
Bruce

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Well I can't accually remember, There a bit of a pain so I don't bother with them, I just buy the frozen stuff. I've got something some where, I'll try and find it unless the rest of the gang can tell you.

 

[nd9979]

Those hatcheries can be a real pain. If at all possible use the frozen brine shrimp. My puffer fish loves that.

But if you want to hatch your own, the best thing i've heard to use is a coke bottle. The little plastic ones, not the bit 2 liter ones.

But anyway, fill it with water, and only about a teasponful of the shrimp eggs. Stand it upside down on its cap, and wait for the eggs to hatch.

After they hatch turn the bottle rightside up, and take off the cap. Then get your brine shrimp net and stand over a sink. Then slowly poor the bottle out in the net, and the net will catch the shrimp and the water will pour through.

This has worked the best for me. Just make sure you don't put in to many eggs because a lot of them won't hatch, and when you go to pour them into your net, you'll get a lot of eggs and they will make your tank dirty.

 

[Rivulus]

I guess I'm just old-fashioned. I start with a liter or so of water and add 3 heaping Tablespoons of MARINE salt. I then dissolve the salt in the water and pour it into a bottle. I scoop brine shrimp eggs into this mix and drop in an airstone. After 24 hours they start hatching and I harvest and feed. Excess newly hatched brine shrimp are mixed with fresh water and then frozen into ice cubes for later use. Hatching usually takes place for three days, at which time I have about 2 weeks worth of feedings in ice cubes. I then throw away the used water, clean everything out, and wait until I'm down to a couple of days supply before doing it again.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Rivulus, Have you tried using cooking salt instead of the right marine salt, thats cooking salt not table salt. I've had success with it, and it's a lot cheeper.

Who much air do you also put through the air stone?

 

[Rivulus]

I use marine salt instead of cooking salt because I've found that the mix of minerals in marine salt give me excellent hatches. I keep a fair amount of marine salt around, since I have some brackish fish, so it's available. I run a small (like a whisper 1) air pump full blast straight through the airstone into the mix.

One thing I didn't mention.....

I let the eggs sit in the water for at least 15 minutes before adding the airstone. This is to let them absorb water and start to sink. Other wise, many of them wind up on the sides of the bottle. Also, I take down the bottle and invert it a few times thre to four times a day to keep all the eggs in suspension.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

I was thinging of setting up a hatchery, so...

Has anyone used SanFrancisco Bay Brand eggs??

There a bit dearer but I was wonder if they really do have a higher hatch rate

 

[NewEngland11]

I just went to the lps and bought a box type thing called a shrimpery. Its made by Sanfransico Bay Brand. I followed the instructions and which are really easy, pretty much just add water and prepackaged mix. Wait 18hours and you have plenty of brine shrimp. My fish went nuts when I put the shrimp in, they acted like I hadn't fed them in a week. I would definatly recommend this for anyone.