hatching brine shrimp

**squirt_12** · 09-24-2007, 09:25 PM

ok...so well i am going to hatch some brine shrimp. I have everything that i need. the container thing to hatch them in (500ml)[a small one .lol.] eggs, aquarium salt, and ariation.(sp?)
Ok well my questions are these.
1) How do you keep the water in the hatcher warm??
2) If i want to grow the brine shrimp up some what do i feed them??
3) How long do you have to have the light on for the eggs to hatch??

Thanks,
Curtis

**Dave66** · 09-24-2007, 09:58 PM

1. room temp is fine
2. green water. They are filter feeders. They need hypersaline water (40 ppm) to survive.
3. Light only when harvesting. They swim toward light.

Dave

**squirt_12** · 09-24-2007, 10:02 PM

ok Dave...thanks that makes it ALOT easier than i thought. So i pretty well put them into a container with airiation (sp?) and let them be for 2 days and then put a light by them and harvest them EASY. lol.

Thanks so much Dave.

**squirt_12** · 09-24-2007, 11:57 PM

ok...now i know that my batch wont be done for atleast 2 days but...since i don't have a brine shrimp net...can i just use a couple (or one) coffee filter to get the shrimp??? will that work?

**CAF** · 09-25-2007, 12:57 AM

One thing with BBS (Baby Brine Shrimp) is you need to feed them to your fish quickly before they lose their nutritional value. Adult Brine have close to no nutritional value, so growing them out, unless you are into Sea Monkeys, is kinda beside the point. Personally I found hatching out BBS to be a pain so I went to Walter worms. They are close to the same size and are easier IMO to deal with. Some people are also concerned about the shells of BBS eggs sticking in fry and killing them. I do not claim that, nor do I say it is not possible, just soemthing else to consider. Good luck.

**CAF** · 09-25-2007, 12:59 AM

Yes a coffee filter will work. You can also get a hatcher that goes directly into the tank you will be feeding. I believe it is from Lees.

**squirt_12** · 09-25-2007, 02:15 AM

ok thanks soo much but yeah this is the first time that i have tried hatching them so i hope that it all works out as planned. lol.

**Dave66** · 09-25-2007, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by CAF

One thing with BBS (Baby Brine Shrimp) is you need to feed them to your fish quickly before they lose their nutritional value. Adult Brine have close to no nutritional value, so growing them out, unless you are into Sea Monkeys, is kinda beside the point. Personally I found hatching out BBS to be a pain so I went to Walter worms. They are close to the same size and are easier IMO to deal with. Some people are also concerned about the shells of BBS eggs sticking in fry and killing them. I do not claim that, nor do I say it is not possible, just soemthing else to consider. Good luck.

Actually, adults can be gut loaded 24 hours before feeding to increase nutritional value. Its what I've done for years.

Dave

**CAF** · 09-25-2007, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Dave66

Actually, adults can be gut loaded 24 hours before feeding to increase nutritional value. Its what I've done for years.

Dave

True, it all depends on what you are feeding... I gut load my Worms as well, however I really think the worms are easier to deal with. However that is just my opinion and quite a few people feel the opposite. ::Shrugs:: up to you which is better for you.

**Dave66** · 09-25-2007, 07:00 PM

I feed them enriched algae staple, HUFAs a day before feeding.
What worms do you culture? I do white, Grindals, small redworms and California blacks.

Dave