Hatching Brine shrimp/Quick question

[SalteeDogg]

I just bought some brine shrimp eggs and it says to add 1 quart of water to 1 teaspoon of eggs and after an hour to add 2 table spoons of rock salt I was wondering if rock salt is the same salt as regular salt mix??? I know this may be a stupid question but im new to this so please help..Thanks

[Reefrookie]

I always used regular old table salt to hatch them when I had my freshwater angelfish room. I would not use the salt mix. Do you have a air stone hook up to gently tumble the eggs?

[Bifferwine]

I've used aquarium salt to hatch brine shrimp before.

[SalteeDogg]

What about the eggs that fizz up about an inch out of the water? I have like a million eggs that have fizzed up and dried up on the sides? Do you keep puttin them back in?

[Piggy]

I use saltwater to hatch my brine. Never had a problem.

[fatman]

The best method is to use marine salt mixed up to normal specs or a little higher in salinity 30-35 ppt (1.022 - 1.026). pH of 8 to 9 is fine. They only live for about five hours in fresh water. Use as much air as it takes to keep the water well aerated, and to keep the cysts (eggs) in suspension. Air stones are optional. Lighting requirements are not great, a simple 12 watt twist buld preferably in a daylight spectrum is best. A bottom drain on the hatching container works best as it makes it easiest to seperate the hatched cysts, brine shrimp and unhatched shrimp cysts easier. With the air turned off, the empty cysts will be on top, there will then be an open space and then the freshly hatched shrimp, then another open space and then the unhatched cysts which will be settled to the bottom. A "V" bottom or round bottonm, in that order, are the preferred shape of hatching containers. They usually begin hatching within 18 to 24 hours and are through hatching within 36 to 48 hours.

[Piggy]

Dang cat! I will try this for the second time.

This is how I made my hatchery.

1. I took a three liter bottle cut off the bottom. Then punch out three hole around the rim. Tie a piece of sting to each hole. Group all strings together to make a loop. This is what it will hang by.

2. Take the cap drill a hole in it. The size of tubing. Length of tubing is up to you but should be long enough to go to a pump. Push tubing through cap. Then screw cap on bottle. Take a piece of putty and put it where the tube goes through the cap. I do this so it doesn't leak.

3. Hang it. Hook tubing up to air pump be sure above water level unless you add a check valve. Fill with saltwater. Drop in eggs. Turn pump on. Wait a few days and you'll have brine shrimp.

I made two of these so I can keep them longer. I feed them a mixture of peas and sweet potatoes baby food. All I can say is it work for me.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by Piggy

Dang cat!
I feed them a mixture of peas and sweet potatoes baby food.

Now that made me laugh!

Typical foods are dried micralgae, live phytoplankton, bottled phytoplankton, yeast, micronized rice bran, whey, wheat flour, soybean powder, fish meal, egg yolk, and homogenized liver. Peas and sweet potatoes, oh my! We're off to see the wizard. The wonderful wizard of Oz.

Thanks Piggy!

[Piggy]

All I can say is it works for me.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by Piggy

All I can say is it works for me.

It is still funny. What ever made you think to try baby food? I would like to see the expression on the faces of some one from some place like Florida Aqua Farms if you told them what you feed your brine shrimp.