Hatching Brine Shirmp

[Silencedogood]

I set up a brine shrimp hatchery bottle and was just wondering how to heat up the water. The bottle is a plastic ginger ale bottle. I have an airline attached to it, ph is 8.2, and it has salt and light. Just wondering if heat is necessary and if it is, how should I heat the water without melting the plastic? Thanks!

 

[Colin_T]

The eggs hatch faster in warm water and you get a more even hatch rate. I have mine sitting on top of a tank but I also live in a warm climate. A few people I know put the container in an aquarium with a heater set on 28C. The eggs hatch in about 24 hours at 28C. They use plastic bulldog clips or big clamps form the hardware store, to hold the container in place in the aquarium.

You don't need a light on them to get the eggs to hatch.

After the brown eggs hatch you will see little orange things in the water. The orange things are the baby brineshrimp called nauplii. When you see lots of orange, remove the airstone from the hatching container and put a light on one side of the container. The nauplii are attracted to light and will gather near it. Wait a couple of minutes for the eggs to settle and the shrimp to gather in a group, then use an eye dropper (pipette) to suck the baby shrimp out and squirt them into the tank with the fish.

After you have fed the fish, put the airstone back in the hatching container and repeat the process when you need to feed the fish again.

I use a plastic plant sprayer with freshwater to wash the eggs off the side of the container during the hatching process.

Start a new batch of eggs every day or two so there are always plenty of nauplii for the fish.

 

[Back in the fold]

Also, you can buy a premium grade of brine shrimp eggs. The little San Francisco Bay brand packets you buy in pet shops is a low hatch rate. The Killifish people sell 90 percent hatch rate eggs. Check around.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I use San Francisco Bay and have no problems. They come in a bottle. I use a desk lamp with a 60 or 70 watt bulb bent over it to heat mine. They show how to make a hatchery online and pics of the desk lamp. Lamp was less than $10 at Walmart. Good luck!

 

[Silencedogood]

Thank you all! I used the artemia cysts from amazon. Do they need constant aeration?

 

[Colin_T]

Thank you all! I used the artemia cysts from amazon. Do they need constant aeration?

yes

 

[Silencedogood]

Some of the brine shrimp hatched; I tried using a flashlight and a dropper to get them but that didn't work to well. Can I use a fish net or will the shrimp fall through that? Are there any other ways to get them?

 

[FishGuest5123]

I use a coffee filter and a turkey baster. Just suck the shrimp out and squeeze them into coffee filter. Let drain and feed to fish. Works perfect! A regular fish net won’t work but you can buy baby shrimp nets. I never did.

 

[Silencedogood]

Thanks, don't know why I didn't think of that before lol

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks, don't know why I didn't think of that before lol

Believe me, I didn’t think of it right away either. Took a few trial and misses. Lol!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Oh, it helps to place the coffee filter in a strainer to support it.

 

[Silencedogood]

Thanks again

 

[Colin_T]

Take the airstone out of the hatching container and put the container next to a bright light. If most of the eggs have hatched, the baby shrimp will quickly gather in a big orange clump. Then you simply put the eye dropper into the middle or the orange clump and suck them up. Then squirt them into the tank with the fish.

If some of the eggs have hatched, but not all of them, you get a few small orange babies and it is hard to separate them from the eggs. Leave them to bubble away for another 12 hours and see if more have hatched.

There is no need to use special nets or filters. Just let the eggs hatch and then use an eye dropper.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I put my light at the bottom if the bottle and they move down to it. Then just suck them up. Same concept, I guess. An eye dropper won’t feed my crew though. Lol

 

[Colin_T]

An eye dropper won’t feed my crew though

Turkey baster