I was wondering if anyone had a link to good info on growing out brine. I have been hatching them lately just as an experiment, but would also like to try growing a few out.

My biggest question is what do they eat after the egg sack is depleted? Obviously some kind of microscopic life, but what over teh counter product is good for raising them?

yeast from what ive been told.

i have heard that since they are not very picky filter feeders. They eat micro algae....i guess puting the container in sunlight to promote algea growth could be enough??? maybe powdered spirulina, plankton???
atleast this is what i have heard....good luck!

also wheat flour

you do realize they have 0 nutritional value after about 24 hours correct? or is this just for **** and giggles

you do realize they have 0 nutritional value after about 24 hours correct? or is this just for sh*ts and giggles



i have heard 8 hrs max

you do realize they have 0 nutritional value after about 24 hours correct? or is this just for sh*ts and giggles


This is a misconception, and mostly applies to using them for freshwater feeding. Look into gut loading and enriching. It depends on how you feed them to your fish and when.

I leave the light on about 12 hours per and sprinkle a little bit of flour from the cabinet. They seem to be happy.

Rit, how far do you grow them out? What do you feed them to?

I got some to adult size but wasn't really trying to. Mainly raising the hatchling for the baby seahorses and fish. This was a while back when I had the seahorses. Oh, I did put some skimmage into the brine shrimp tank as well. Not sure if that what you supposed to do but all the brine shrimps seem to did well at the time. I'm not raising any more brine shrimp though. I'm doing just the 75gallon planted refugium and 120 sump with lots of liverock to feed my corals and fish. Don't know how that's going yet. I'm only been doing for about 3 months.

Thanks rit. The skimmate idea seems great, but I wouldnt know for sure.

Okay, use a sponge filter and a bubble wound in the tank. They will eat DTs or some other type of phyto. They are that simple. Make sure you separate the shells from the brine to keep them alive. Also they have a lot of nutrition if feed live. The DTs basicly gut loads them. They only need food once a week.

I add some home grown Phyto to the tank (10G with airstone and sponge filter) and then add Selcon twice a week to the tank (and I also dump the remains of the vitamins I soak my frozen food in when I think of it).

Bob

Thanks guys for the info.

Hey, what conditions are optimal for hatching? My eggs packaging says SG of 1.015 and temp of 80-95 degrees, and 24 hours of aeration.

I just used tank water (SG 1.027 and 79 degrees) and I have a low hatch rate after 24 hours.

I use old tank water (1.025) and between 75-80 and usually get a pretty good hatch rate in about 24 - 30 hours unless I decapsulate them first.
Bob

Thanks. Do you keep them churning with the airstone the entire time?

Yes, high aeration.

Thanks. Yesterdays batch hatched ZERO nauplii (after 32 hours), my record low. Not sure what went wrong, but trying again.

hmmm.. bad batch of eggs? I never had zero hatch, that's pretty strange.
Z

Possibly, although I have hatched some of these same eggs before. Maybe a contaminant.

I have better luck hatching them in the heat sterilized saltwater at 1.015 that I use for my phytoplankton, than I do using old tank water. After hatching they do fine in old tank water, but for hatching I think sterilized water is best.

As far as feeding them. I use Instant Algae Nannochloropsis as a staple and then enriched with Selco and live Isochrysis for a few hours prior to feeding them to the fish.

Though have successfully grown them to adult using only yeast before. But you have to remember that the most nutritious part of brine shrimp is the current contents in their gut at the time of feeding. Yeast is not nutritious at all (for the fish) so yeast fed BS will require more enriching than phytoplancton fed BS.

I have better luck hatching them in the heat sterilized saltwater at 1.015 that I use for my phytoplankton, than I do using old tank water. After hatching they do fine in old tank water, but for hatching I think sterilized water is best.

As far as feeding them. I use Instant Algae Nannochloropsis as a staple and then enriched with Selco and live Isochrysis for a few hours prior to feeding them to the fish.

Though have successfully grown them to adult using only yeast before. But you have to remember that the most nutritious part of brine shrimp is the current contents in their gut at the time of feeding. Yeast is not nutritious at all (for the fish) so yeast fed BS will require more enriching than phytoplancton fed BS.

Just curious, but are you using already decapsulated eggs or decapsulating yourself?
Bob

Thanks a lot for that. Where do you usually get your Instant Algae Nannochloropsis and Isochrysis

Thanks a lot for that. Where do you usually get your Instant Algae Nannochloropsis and Isochrysis

The instant algae I got from the manufacturer. Reed Mariculture. http://reed-mariculture.com/ It is quite expensive. $70 But it lasts a LONG TIME. It has a stated shelf life of 2 years when frozen, and is probably fine to use for a lot longer than that. But even then, it will go bad before you use it all.

The Isochrysis, I grow myself. If you want a start I can give you some.

Just curious, but are you using already decapsulated eggs or decapsulating yourself?
Bob

If I am hatching them specifically to grow them to adults I do not bother to decapsulate. If I am going to feed them as babies, to larvae then I decapsulate them with bleach.

Any one buying and using the already decapsulated eggs? I need to order more eggs and was thinking of giving them a try to save the hassel of having to bleach them myself.

LMK bob if you buy some. I may trysome, but I by no means need a large quantity.

i'll ping you when I get some

A guy near me feeds them some sort of protein from gnc. Also powdered spirulina from ebay for feeding is cheap.

. Also powdered spirulina from ebay for feeding is cheap.

That's a good idea! I'll need to look in to that too.
BZ