# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Brine Shrimp?



## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

I am raising brine shrimp and was wondering how I can get a second batch going in the same water. In other words, is there a way to get out the old discarded eggs without sacrificing some of the first hatched brine shrimp or should I just start fresh again?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Glad to hear that you are raising brine shrimp for your guppies. You are a true hobbyist... devoted to your baby guppies by providing them with livefood.

I have found that I can reuse (many times) the same water that I cultivated the first batch of brine shrimp. 

You do not need to remove the egg shells. I suspect that the egg shells may be good. They probably provide many attachment sites for nitrifying bacteria that will reduce the ammonia levels in your little hatchery.

One thing... Aerate your hatchery gently. There's no need to subject baby brine shrimp to a TORNADO. Feed the baby brine shrimp with a little flour or yeast extract. If the water gets cloudy or smelly, stop adding food; when the water is clear, add a little food.

Good luck!


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Thankyou for your info on brine shrimp. I heard that you can put a small piece of bread for the brine shrimp because of the yeast in the bread. Is that true? Eventually, will they eat bacteria in the water?

Dear GuppiesRfun,

You can add bread or any other kind of food to the water. Bacteria eat the food (organic matter) and start to multiply. Then you probably get protozoa eating the bacteria. The baby brine shrimp can eat the bacteria and/or the protozoa.

There's nothing special that you need to add to kick start the bacteria growth that will keep your baby brine shrimp happy. You can add bread, yeast, flour, fry food, etc. Believe me, bacteria will eat just about anything.









The main thing is to add enough food to encourage moderate bacterial growth. If bacterial growth is too great, it will kill the brine shrimp. Add enough food to have moderate cloudiness without smell. Let the brine shrimp eat the bacteria/protozoa until the water clears before you add more food.

Fish breeders often talk about setting up new bottles every day with fresh saltwater. That makes raising brine shrimp much harder than it needs to be.

Thanks for your questions about raising brine shrimp. The brine shrimp hatchery is just another ecosystem. I've used the same water for months, left the old egg shells in, and kept baby brine shrimp growing for a week or more by carefully adding food to the system.


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

Anybody still talking about brine shrimp? Do I have to raise them in 80 degree water like the directions say? What's the diff between ocean salt and non-iodized salt which I use and is beaucoup cheaper? Will the brine shrimp stay alive and grow if not eaten in a saltwater tank?Would they eat small fish food? Now that it's not 80+ degrees in my house(I live in the desert) I don't want to fool with them if they're not going to hatch in my 66 degree house.Thankyou Ms. Walstad and anybody out there who will listen.-Paula Dec. 30, 2005


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Brine shrimp should easily hatch at room temperature water (about 70F). My eggs, which comes from a stash I've kept in freezer for over 10 years, come from San Fransciso Bay. I can assure you that the water in San Fransciso Bay is not 80F!

However, if you're not convinced or they don't hatch, try floating the brine shrimp bottle in the tank itself. I layered bricks on the tank bottom to keep the bottle from tipping over in the tank.

You can use regular salt to hatch. but if you want to grow them I'd use marine aquarium salts. It will have calcium, magnesium, trace elements, etc. for the growing shrimp.

Yes, I use powdered fry food or yeast powder to get bacteria growing in the shrimp bottle. I'm not sure whether the shrimp actually eat the food itself or the bacteria/protozoa that feed on the food.

Remember to add enough food to get a little cloudiness but not too much. If your shrimp hatch and start eating the bacteria, the cloudiness will go away and the shrimp will start to grow. That way, you can determine how much food they need and won't overfeed.

Use gentle bubbling with an airstone.

I've reused the same brineshrimp water for months (it should get better over time-- more nitrifying bacteria, protozoa, etc). The used egg shells will provide more surface area for these little critters, so there's no need to remove the old shrimp shells. Top off with freshwater as the saltwater starts to evaporate.


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Thanks for all that info on shrimp Diana! I was always under the misconception that the shrimp had to be raised in 80 deg water and that's why I haven't... I'm def. going to try it in my basement and in the house which gets a little colder, somewhere in the high 50s on a cold night...

-ricardo


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Glad to help! And good questions Ms. Guppy!

Most fish breeders I've talked to make hatching and raising brineshrimp awfully cumbersome (clean saltwater each time and starvation conditions for the baby brineshrimp such that they only last a day). I can keep the baby shrimp fat and happy for over a week as I siphon off some each day for baby fish.

Good luck!


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

Dear Ms. Walstad,

My brain is fried since Christmas time. But I'm still happy. Can't keep me down. I am GRATEFUL to know that San Francisco Bay Brineshrimp Eggs can be hatched in quite cold water, only takes longer than 80 degrees-duh! I used to hatch eggs in the Apps Hills of Ky. in the family basement in winter- duh! again. Glad to hear the eggs can be frozen too. I have a fixed income. I'm glad to get it clear that I can continue to use non-iodized table salt (fixed income again) I am cheap, I admit it-Hallelujah!-Yay!-Hope I get this message to you before you get that emergency I.M. message I sent to whomever when I forgot my address and password since I've been on vacation from the computer for six weeks. I've missed you terribly!-your brine shrimp budddy-PAULA-interesting quote Mr. Ricaro V. from Yann Marte.


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

Hello,
MR. Moderator, Ricardo V.

I noticed you're from NY and it's got to be colder than KY. by far! This is a PICNIC in AZ. Only the summer is a DRAG. I don't have my brine shrimp going now. I've been gone. And my fish and plants and pets and kid and Christmas have overtaken my life, etc. BUT, I'm still HAPPY . Now everything looks hopeful. The fish and plants look better, even there might be hope for that poor Amazon Swordplant. I might have time to break out the B.S. eggs as I found baby guppies.
Your quote was quite impressive. Not to get myself kicked out of the club or anything but evil is on the outside too! ----me (personal experience). You may I. M. me anytime!-PAULA--YUMA,AZ


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

> Originally posted by Ricardo V.:
> Thanks for all that info on shrimp Diana! I was always under the misconception that the shrimp had to be raised in 80 deg water and that's why I haven't... I'm def. going to try it in my basement and in the house which gets a little colder, somewhere in the high 50s on a cold night...like your red star on black background too!
> 
> -ricardo


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

Hi Ms. Walstad, Sorry to bother you. Found a way to Login without the kid genius around! It's a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Your's Devoutedly.Paula


> Originally posted by Diana Walstad:
> Glad to help! And good questions Ms. Guppy!
> 
> Most fish breeders I've talked to make hatching and raising brineshrimp awfully cumbersome (clean saltwater each time and starvation conditions for the baby brineshrimp such that they only last a day). I can keep the baby shrimp fat and happy for over a week as I siphon off some each day for baby fish.
> ...


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Hey Paula-

Thanks for the compiments on the signature and the avatar.... I tried sending you a private message, but for some reason, it won't let me









-ricardo


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

Hello, Ricardo, I'm the infamous, highly regarded, highly reco--.. well, no, I'm just the daughter with an unhealthy obsession with computers and I'm looking into the problem right now. I don't know what kind of private messenger you're using, and my mother doesn't know either, so I'll just go through and open up any.. messenger.. thing she's trying to use. 

Toodles, Cassy


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

reply #2 (i think) was trying to email you. am trying to get back to that place. oh, well. Luckily, my teenager genius got thru. I JUST got finished finding the PERFECT lightweight pot that fits in my 10 ga. guppy tank (no goldfish to disturb the POOR DESTROYED Amazon swordplant I potted) I am watching Conspiracy Theory while doing some other stuff. GREAT EXCITING MOVIE. The pot has holes in the bottom. I put lots of gravel in bottom. used backyard sandy soil, put plant in with two inch tuber (spelling?)and placed small amount of gravel over so dirt wouldn't seep out. Looks good. put it in middle of tank away from Aqua clear filter. guppies and one old male betta look find (and small Java fern and myrophyllium etc........-Paula


> Originally posted by Ricardo V.:
> Hey Paula-
> 
> Thanks for the compiments on the signature and the avatar.... I tried sending you a private message, but for some reason, it won't let me
> ...


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

hi. tried to send you myhi email add ress but it was plastered on the site. don,t want that much exposure. it might be against rules and i got a kid and pets to protect-ha! there pops up the message sign again which shows my ignorance once again. but i'm happy









> Originally posted by Ricardo V.:
> Hey Paula-
> 
> Thanks for the compiments on the signature and the avatar.... I tried sending you a private message, but for some reason, it won't let me
> ...


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## GuppiesRfun (Apr 26, 2005)

did you see my message down below in response to your message? about the privat message? I don't know how to send a private message or would. so tried to send you my e-address which got plasterd over the brine shrimp forum and didn't get taken down until my impatient princess teen came home and helped her loyal subject mommie dearest take it off-guppies


> Originally posted by Ricardo V.:
> Hey Paula-
> 
> Thanks for the compiments on the signature and the avatar.... I tried sending you a private message, but for some reason, it won't let me
> ...


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