# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Brine Shrimp--Hatching Your Own



## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Several people have inquired recently about hatching their own brine shrimp; I thought it might be useful to post my latest answer to one of those people so everyone can see it, comment, and add their own variations to it!!

The vials of eggs you can find at your lfs will hatch, you just won't get as high percentage hatches as you will from better quality eggs. The thing I always think about is that those little vials cost a LOT-and you don't get nearly as many eggs that hatch from them, which is why I went to Brine Shrimp Direct (www.brineshrimpdirect.com). Besides, at one or two teaspoons per batch, those little vials go quick! I never use more than ½ a teaspoon of eggs and have more than I can feed. You can dramatically increase your yields, however, with added heat (your light will supply that), and especially with aeration, very important in the hatching process; that way all the eggs stay suspended in solution and are much more likely to hatch. Your water conditions are important also; you'll have a lot better luck with a marine salt solution than just plain table salt. If the ph of your mix is too low, that will also retard hatches. Ideal conditions for the shrimp are temps above 80, a ph of 8 or more and very hard water. Some eggs will still hatch at other values, but you'll get a lot more out of the eggs you have if you can up the ph, hardness and temperature. Here's what I would recommend:

If you don't have a hatchery (I really like the SFBB brand that attaches to a 2 liter soda bottle--cheap and very effective), use any large jar with a wide mouth; Hellman's makes a big size mayonnaise jar (the size larger than the quart size) that's perfect, but anything will do as long as it holds at least a quart and a half of water. This is the recipe I use:

5 cups water (and you don't need dechlorinator, by the way, just use tap water)-on the warm side. If you're not good at judging temperature, check with a thermometer so that the temp is between 80 and 85 degrees.
5 tsps. Instant Ocean (not critical; use 2 tablespoons if you want)
1/8 tsp. SeaChem alkaline buffer, or you can use ½ teaspoon of baking soda instead
½ tsp. Epsom salts (to increase hardness and buffering capacity)

Mix all, and then drop an airstone into the jar; turn on the air pump (any small, cheap air pump will do); aerate water vigorously. Drop at least ½ a teaspoon of eggs into the mix; set your light (a small gooseneck desk lamp is perfect) so that it shines right on the top of the water. Almost any kind of light bulb will keep the temp above 80 degrees.

After 24 hours, enough eggs will have hatched to feed. Turn off the pump, and shine the light on the bottom of the jar. The shrimp are phototropic (attracted to light), and they will gather at the bottom; the egg shells will rise to the top. Let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes; take a piece of air hose to use for a siphon. Stick the air hose down into the bottom of the jar, and suck it to start the siphon; siphon directly into a brine shrimp net (make sure the end of the air hose is below the bottom of the jar or it won't siphon). It won't take more than a couple of seconds to have plenty of shrimp. Rinse the shrimp under cold water, and they're ready to feed; that way you'll have all shrimp and no shells. Unhatched eggs won't hurt the fry if they eat them, but they won't do them any good, either, if the cysts (shells) are still present, because they won't be able to digest them. Some people actually feed the eggs rather than the shrimp, but those are eggs that have had the outer shell removed.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## imported_trilinearmipmap (Feb 11, 2003)

Well my angels laid eggs today on my Mag-Float and I transferred it into a different container so it looks like it's time to start up some brine shrimp.

For those of us whose homes get cold (50 to 60F overnight) it's important to set up some kind of incubator to get the shrimp hatchery at a warm temperature.

I've got an old mini-fridge that doesn't work and I was thinking of just putting a light bulb in the fridge and leaving the light bulb on 24 hours a day for an incubator, I'll see if that works.

Canadian Aquatic Plant Trading Website


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Great topic Vicki. 

If I may elaborate on new setups and BBS.

For newly hatched fry try to use small containers (ex. 2.5gallons). 2.5 gallon tank filled with 50% and planty of java moss is a perfect setup. Yes %50 !!!

Keeping only 50% water will allow fry to have a better chance at finding BBS. You don't want to dump a lot of BBS so fry can actually find it. More uneaten BBS - worse water quality. Once you see some growth, increase your water level and introduce fry to "bigger container". In just a matter of few days fry will be stronger and smarter and will have easier time finding food. Unfortunately keeping less water with so much fry will have negative reaction on water quality. Remember to keep java moss in those tanks and you shouldn't have problems with nitrate, ammonia etc. 

BBS is great for newly hatched fry but in first two days even BBS could be too big for them. Excellent alternative would be Infusoria, single celled animals (protozoa) known as Ciliata, which could be found in established Java Moss or filter sponge.


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## imported_aspen (Feb 20, 2003)

i use 2- plastic 2 litre pop bottles in a 5 gal tank, with a little water in the bottom of the tank, like a bath. i put a small heater in the bath, and maintain 80 deg. i do not cut the tops from the bottles, this means you have no salt residue on everything, which you WILL have with any splashing salt water.

i have a 13 watt cf lamp in a lampholder to provide the light. water is prepared by aerating 1 litre of water for an hour or 2, then adding 1 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp bs eggs. let sit for 24 hours and if the fry are very small feed right away. this means the bbs are at their tiniest size. note: my aerated tapwater is gh 8, kh 4, ph 7.8. if your water is softer than that, then you should harden it up.

i use 2 air pumps, with plastic 1/4" syphons i make out of rigid airline and flexible airline, with no airstone. with the airlines made this way, they also work as plain old syphons. these are also very good for cleaning fry tanks.

i try and prepare only enough bbs for a single day's use. with practice you can get the amount right with your fish. i use 2 bottles so i alternate bottles daily.

i had a hard time getting bs eggs to hatch at the beginning, but after trying everything, new eggs solved all of my problems. buying the bs eggs from the lfs means you are likely not buying the best of freshest eggs. good fresh eggs was key for me.

rick


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by aspen:
> I do not cut the tops from the bottles


Rick,
How did you place heater, air tubing and you take out BBS without cutting the bottle. ?


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

All good info, guys. Re feeding BBS to small fry: an excellent way to get the food into their area is to use a 1 ml. dropper (the ones that come in various SeaChem products work great). Add the BBS to just enough fresh water so it's easy to suck up in a dropper, and then shoot it (gently!) right into the area where the fry are; especially when they're small, they will tend to stay together anyway, and if they're being raised by their parents they'll be fairly close together as well. That way you can get more BBS into the fry's vicinity without using so many and potentially fouling your tank. BBS will live for at least a couple of hours in the tank, which will give the fry a chance to graze on them longer.

One more plug for premium quality eggs: I bought my eggs in quantity from Brine Shrimp Direct over a year and a half ago, when I was raising my last batch of angelfish. I'm now feeding apisto babies, and the hatches are still just as good.

I just looked at my post again, and somehow or other I lost a paragraph when I put it up. What didn't make it into the post was what Rick mentioned--i.e., feed your BBS as soon after hatching as possible,and in any event no more than 24 hours after hatching; you should discard anything left at that time. Even after 12 hours, they may have grown too large for small fry to eat, and they won't be nearly as nutritious; the nutritive value begins to drop almost as soon as they're hatched. I also keep 2 bottles going at 24 hour intervals, so that the babies are always getting BBS within 12 hours of hatching.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## imported_aspen (Feb 20, 2003)

>>'How did you place heater, air tubing and you take out BBS without cutting the bottle. ?'

the heater is in the water in the 5 gal tank. the bottles are also in the water. the airlines go into the bottles from the air pumps. the flexible part comes from the air pump, then joins to the rigid piece that goes into the bottle and extends right to the bottom (x2, 1 for each bottle). the bbs pours out, or is syphoned with the airline assembly, which btw, is also a great syphon for cleaning fry tanks.

>>'an excellent way to get the food into their area is to use a 1 ml. dropper '

or, you can just use one of my home made syphons. it is simply a piece of rigid tube, with a flexible tube slipped over the end. each syphon can be made as long as necessary. they can be made long enough that you can reach the back corner of the tank, and not upset the fish guarding the fry. parents will pay no mind to it. i suck a little bbs up into the tube, get close and blow. my handy home made 1/4" syphon is an great tool for the 'fish nursery'. i think i have 4 or 5 right now.

hth, rick


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## irie_eyes (Jul 12, 2003)

Nice vicki.

Some stuff I did since getting gourami fry.
Use a turkey baster or clear plastic ketchup/mustard bottle (fill yourself, pointed tip) is great for siphoning and feeding.
Brine shrimp net helps if you need it.
I will sometimes siphon and transfer to a low clear plastic container and angle it. A light source at the deep end corner attracts the shrimp in a high density for siphoning.

I also saw a "shrimp hatchery", which was very interesting.
It is basically a black plastic box. Eggs, salt, and water go into the box and covered with a lid. The top of the lid has a countersunk/recessed hole, which goes below the saltwater.
An empty clear plastic container with a 1 mm hole in it's lid is filled with freshwater. The container is then inverted into the recess, so the lid down.
The light attracts the shrimp from the black box, and up into the container. The freshwater never mixes, since freshwater is lighter than the saltwater.
Rather interesting but seemed more like seamonkey stuff.


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

I know that hatchery; it's a clever idea, and it works fine if you're not feeding too many fry, but you can't hatch too many at once.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## imported_aspen (Feb 20, 2003)

i used the 'black box' shrimp hatchery before i knew what i was doing. it is impossible to properly light the eggs, which is a major factor on hatch rate. my hatch rate was pretty low.

rick


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## imported_Svennovitch (Feb 1, 2003)

Vicki (and others),

two months ago, i wanted to order the eggs from Brine Shrimp Direct. But unfortunately it was too hot to ship them to me (without costing too much - two days shipping overseas is expensive !!).

But now summer is almost over and since I will give it a try to raise my apistos, I am again thinking about ordering them soon. Now my question is, what is the big difference between the three qualities you can get at BSD? Is it only hatching rates? Or is there something more? Did you try them all (or anyone else)?

I just wanted to know before I ordered it.

Sven


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Sven, I got the premium eggs; haven't tried the other grades. I think the only difference is the hatch rates they guarantee-but don't ask me how they sort them! I got the 16 oz. Package over 18 months ago; I raised 150 angelfish babies on them, have used them for various fry since then, and they are still hatching out at excellent rates, even though I haven't done anything special to store them, and I'd say I still have a year's supply left, anyway. When you consider what you pay for a small vial of them at the fish store, they are definitely worth the money. I noticed the other day they've actually reduced their prices a fair amount from what I paid-apparently the egg supply has improved considerably from last year.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## irie_eyes (Jul 12, 2003)

I was having trouble with one of the store bought vial.
I couldn't much to hatch from them so I thought it was just the eggs.
First I did it with no light, and I did not bad.
Second time with the light it was too hot and cooked them.
So this time I just said whatevers, gonna order them online, and dumped the half vial in.
This time I got it right with the temp, and today got a lot of BBS.
Unfortunately, the fry are kinda trained to know to come to the surface when I'm near for food and all the BBS went to the bottom of the tank.
I used a light to try and get them to swim to the top but didn't happen.
They are stuck to some scum at the bottom and the sides, probably from planaria?
Any advise (besides keep the tank clean...)
Don't grow that much next time? Little at a time? Airation on?
If I stick with BBS, will they learn to eat them?


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Keep the tank clean.










If your BBS all went to the bottom of the tank, I doubt they were alive when you put them in the water. BBS will ALWAYS swim toward the light, and should have swum right up to your fry at the surface. No kidding--if you haven't already done so, a water change to get all the food out of there is in order, and clean the gunk up at the same time. Take another look at the instructions for hatching above; for good hatches, you need good eggs, some sort of brine mix, a light (which also provides warmth) and aeration. If you aerate the mix, the light will not overheat the water. In nature, brine shrimp hatch on highly salty shorelines--i.e., where the waves break. You can see why light and aeration are both important to your hatch rates.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## irie_eyes (Jul 12, 2003)

Nah, their alive.
the bottom of the tank was just moving and squirming.
At least the smaller guys were able to get to them.
But yea, some slime they get caught in.
Time to clean tank.
I found a huge bug in my tank.
Same as the last one.
I don't think it's dragonfly.
I think hitched ride on some plants. I should double check next time.


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## Jason Hight (Oct 15, 2003)

this method seems to be getting some good results..never tried it and have n oreason to yet, but I stumbled on it the other day...

http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11297


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## Josh Simonson (Feb 4, 2004)

I hatch them on my windowsill, then move the container to the garage, where it's much cooler. That way they grow slowly and can be fed over a couple days.


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## Ted Bell (Feb 7, 2005)

I use the amazing Sea Monkeys set.


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