Brine Shrimp hatchery FAIL :(

[Sweetheart]

So I tried a different method to hatch my brine shrimp. I thought it would be a better and easier way of doing it, BUT very few shrimp hatched. This is what I did..
I took a 16 ounce coke bottle and cut the bottom off, then took another 16 ounce coke bottle and cut it about half way, then placed the first bottle in the second for more stabilization. I filled the bottle about 3/4 the way with dechlorinated water. 3/4 of a table spoon with aquarium salt, a pinch of baking soda, and 1/2 tsp of brine shrimp eggs. I put the air stone at the bottom of the bottle and let the bubbles move the eggs and put a lamp over it. I let it set for 24 hours and turned the air pump off to let the eggs set and see if they hatched or not, and they didn't. So I let them set another 24 hours and did the same thing, but there were only a few eggs that were hatched...

Why did i do wrong?? thanks

 

[freddy5]

Is the water warm or cold,I found when I hatch mine if the water is fairly cool not many hatch,but if I keep it in front of a window with sun or by something warm I get a better hatch rate,I also wrap the hatchery in a towel at night to try and keep some heat.

 

[Sweetheart]

Well, it was by my window. The weather where i live is like bipolar and we had a cold front come in one night so it was a bit chilly. It's warming up now. But the water was fairly cool. I just don't know how to heat up the water other than the lamp, if that even gives off heat.. Does the towel help?

 

[FINJOY]

HI, DO NOT DECHLORINATE THE TAP WATER BUT IT SHOULD BE 80 DEGREES, AND MAKE SURE YOUR SALT MESUREMENT IS CORRECT TO THE AMOUNT OF EGGS AND WATER YOUR USING ,ADD A TINY BIT OF BAKING SODA,
TURN ON A LOW WATT LAMP LIGHT TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE IN THE 80 DEGREE MARK, LEAVE LIGHT ON FOR ROUGHLY 24 HOURS AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE... GOOD LUCK

 

[purokogi]

The problem I see most with airstones is that they create tiny bubbles. These bubbles eventually lift the eggs out of the water and they cling to the sides (not hatching). So, I've stopped using air stones altogether. The cap I use for the bottom of the hatchery allows sufficient circulation and make it 100% easier to harvest. Also, with the airline valve it's possible to slow the bubbles down so they still circulate very well, but are not pushing up the eggs because of water tension. Of course, after the eggs become more hydrated they stay in the water column.

For the heat.. I just hung a lamp right over the hatchery and taped a piece of paper around the outside to keep the heat in.

This is my current setup...



I am selling these hatching kits so if you're interested just pm me




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This is a basic guide I use for hatching brine shrimp.

Hatching Brine Shrimp Eggs



Guide



Storing Brine Shrimp Eggs



First of all, you need to start with healthy, properly stored eggs. All brine shrimp eggs need to be stored as follows:



* in a tightly sealed container;

* free from moisture; and

* in a cool environment at or below 50°F. (Refrigeration is ideal for short term storage, i.e., less than three to four weeks; for longer term storage, eggs are best kept at or below freezing.)





We recommend that upon receiving your eggs, dividing them into an amount that will be consumed within three to four weeks and storing this amount in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator; the remainder should be stored, also in a tightly sealed container, in the freezer. Keep in mind that freezing can lower metabolic activity and delay hatch-out. We suggest removing egg from the freezer one day in advance of using it.



__________________________________________________________________________________



Hatching Environment



Follow these guidelines for the best results:



* Salinity:

25 parts per thousand (ppt) salt solution, or approximately 1 and 2/3 tablespoons of salt per quart (or liter) of water. This equates to around 1.018 specific gravity as measured with a hydrometer. Be sure to use marine salt or solar salt.



* pH:

Proper pH is important in hatching brine shrimp. A starting pH of 8.0 or higher is recommended. In areas where the water pH is below 7, Epson salt or magnesium sulfate can be added at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per quart of solution to buffer the hatching solution.



* Temperature:

Optimum water temperature for a 24-hour complete hatch is 80-82°F or 26-28°C. Lowering the temperature would result in a longer hatching time. Do not exceed 30°C.



* Light:

Illumination is necessary to trigger the hatching mechanism within the embryo during the first few hours of incubation. Maintaining a light source during the entire incubation period is recommended to obtain optimum hatch results and to keep the temperature warm.



* Aeration:

Constant aeration is necessary to keep cysts in suspension and to provide sufficient oxygen levels for the cysts to hatch. Strong aeration should not damage or hurt the brine shrimp cysts or nauplii, but may cause eggs to stick to the sides. In this case just swish the container.



* Stocking Density:

1 gram per liter or quart or approximately 1/2 level teaspoon of cysts per quart is recommended. A higher stocking density will result in a lower hatch percentage.



* Hatching Cone:

Flat-bottom hatching vessels should be avoided. Cone or "V" bottomed containers are best to insure that the cysts remain in suspension during hatching. I find that soda bottles work best and are very cheap. Be sure to thoroughly wash the hatching cone with a light chlorine solution, rinse, and allow to air-dry between uses. Avoid soap. Soap will leave a slight residue which will foam from aeration during hatching and leave cysts stranded above the water level.



* Incubation Period:

Generally, the optimum incubation time is 24 hours. Egg which has been properly stored for more than 2-3 months may require additional incubation time — up to 30-36 hours. Oftentimes, eggs will hatch in as few as 18 hours. If a smaller size nauplii (Instar I) is desired, a harvest time of 18 hours is recommended.





Helpful Hint:



Brine shrimp egg is sometimes very buoyant. In order to maximize the hatching percentage, it is sometimes helpful to swirl the water inside the hatching container with your finger once or twice at intervals in the first 4 to 6 hours of incubation in order to knock down eggs that have been stranded on the side of the container above the water-line. After about 6 hours, the eggs are usually well-hydrated and will stay in the water column.

Hatching Procedure



The following steps will achieve optimum brine shrimp hatch rates.



1. Set Up:

Place hatching cone or similarly shaped vessel in well-lit area. Cone should be semi-translucent for ease of harvesting and light transmission.



2. Add Water:

Fill cone with water and adjust salinity to 25 ppt (parts per thousand). Optimum hatching temperature is 82°F (28°C).



3. Add Cysts:

Add cysts at the rate of 1 gram per liter.



4. Aerate:

Provide adequate aeration to keep cysts in suspension.



5. Hatch:

Depending upon water temperature, cysts should hatch in approximately 18-36 hours.



6. Harvest:

After hatching brine shrimp, turn off or remove aeration and wait several minutes for the shells and and baby brine shrimp (or nauplii) to separate. Newly hatched nauplii will settle to the bottom of the cone or move towards a light source; the shells will float to the surface. Once separated, the nauplii can be siphoned from the bottom with a length of air tubing or gently drained through the bottom of the cone through a valve, if so equipped.



7. Rinse:

The warm incubation temperatures and metabolites from the hatching medium create ideal conditions for a bacteria bloom. Rinsing of the baby brine shrimp in a fine mesh net or sieve using clean fresh or salt water is important before feeding them to your fish.



8. Clean Equipment:

Tanks and brine shrimp hatching equipment should be cleaned and disinfected routinely.

 

[jetajockey]

I hatch brine shrimp every day, and I use probably the simplest method ever.

I take a 2L bottle, like a coke bottle, and fill it about 3/4 with tank water. I add ~1/8 tsp of brine shrimp eggs and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. I stick an airline down into the bottle near the bottom and crank the air up. Wait about 24 hours and harvest. I keep the bottle next to my fry tanks so it keeps the temp in the upper 70s.

I stopped using salt all together in the past few weeks, it's unnecessary and can complicate things.

 

[captmicha]

I agree with Jetajockey but I cut the bottle in half and stick the top in the bottom so the cap is at the bottom so I can stick the airline tube in it. The bottom half of the bottle is just supporting the soda bottle top.

To see what I'm talking about, scroll down to the second picture on this site: http://www.aquaria.4t.com/photo2.html

The only thing I do different in my design is I stick the airline tube down the inside of the bottle. I don't see the point of making more work for myself by having to drill a hole in the cap and making sure it's water tight.

You don't want to use an airstone because the fine air bubbles can get under their shells and kill them by messing up their bouncy. Just a plain airline is enough.

 

[knifegill]

I just use daphnia instead, since they are freshwater. Great growth rates with daphnia, too. Easier to maintain a culture.

 

[dbosman]

Almost everyone fails at brine shrimp at first. Once you get the hang of it you'll try to remember what you did wrong the first time, but won't. So, don't worry, just keep at it.
One consideration, an inexpensive salt hydrometer will help.

An option is to ask your LFS if you can bring in your salt and known water quantity and have them test it with what should be a quality hydrometer. Measure in your salt in half or quarter teaspoons until you hit the salinity recommenced by your shrimp egg seller.


http://www.google.com/search?q=salt...5I4frgQet99yKBg&ved=0CF0QrQQ&biw=1024&bih=625

 

[captmicha]

I've always heard that daphnia are hard. I wasn't successful at keeping them. Don't you have to have an air pump for them? i wasn't successful with fairy shrimp either... Fresh brine shrimp eggs seem to be easy. And I'm reading that if you use baking soda instead of other kinds of salt, you get better hatch rates.