Brine Shrimp???

[Marvelous]

Ok so I think Im going to stop buying frozen brine shrimp and start to hatch my own. I dont really know how the hatchers work but I have some questions if anyone knows.

1. I have heard that you shouldnt waste your time with any eggs unless they say 90% hatch on them, is this true or good advice?

2. How long do the eggs last before they expire? I notice that they sell them in very small or large quanities. Bang for your buck says buy large, but I really dont have a large operation and I dont want to buy the big one if the eggs are going to go bad ya know.

3. How do you actually hatch them? Do you just screw the 2 liter bottle on, fill halfway with water, hook up air pump and pour eggs in?

4. Does it matter how strong the air pump is?

5. How long does it take before they hatch?

6. Do you have to feed them immeditally after they hatch or can you feed them and grow them up for the larger fish? (I would assume you could) Do you pour them into a seperate bowl if your going to feed them?

7. How long can you leave them in the air bubbling hatcher?

8. Is it a good idea to feed brine shrimp to your fish everyday? Would it be bad if brine shrimp was the only thing in their diet?

9. Is their anything else I should know?

lol sorry for all the questions

Thanks
Marv

 

[sumpnfishy]

I've been hatching brine shrimp for my Angelfish fry for about 5 months now. I've finally settled with 2 2 liter pop bottles in a small tank with a heater (I think the heater increases the hatch rate). I cut the bottom off the bottles, drill a hole in the side of the cap and insert a air line connector.

As for raising them to the size for regular fish, I don't think it's worth the trouble. I use frozen for my adult fish and they love them. I don't think adult fish are usually picky about treats.

1. 90% is best bet.
2. I keep my eggs refrigerated but don't know how long they last. I've heard six months or longer.
3. Using the setup described above, I put the amount of eggs I need at the time in (depends on fry at the moment), add brine water using water softener salt (it's cheap and I have a softener), and about 18 to 24 hours have lots of shrimp. With 2 bottles, I have one hatching eggs and one with shrimp in it all the time.
4. Not really. I set the air higher at first and then put it real low when the shrimp are swimming around. I try to use them within 12 hours after that.
5. 18 - 24 hours.
6. I've heard you can feed the shrimp but I don't have a reason as I use them as I hatch them.
7. Most of mine die within 12 - 20 hours after hatching. Not sure if it's the way I do it or not, so I just plan my batches and use them within a day. I've heard you can freeze them and use them later too.
8. Not sure on that. I feed my breeding Angles frozen shrimp once a week or so and they seem to be healthy. I think a mixed diet is a more natural way to go.
9. You can never learn to much...

Hope this helps...

 

[Marvelous]

response

Yes, thank you very much for your help.

Thanks
Marv