The joys of brine shrimp

[Paul B]

Yes I know what everyone thinks of adult brine shrimp and they are probably correct but they do help sometimes to get a fish to eat until it could be weaned onto something else but I am talking about new born shrimp.
There are so many fish out there that we could easily keep if we could provide them a healthy available diet. New born shrimp are the best thing you could give these fish and sometimes the only available food they will eat. Brine eggs are cheap and available all over the country either from a store or on line. As long as they are dry, they last for years.
My reef is full of over 20 small gobies, bleenies and pipefish most of these fish live on nothing else and I would not be able to keep them if I diden't hatch shrimp every day.
You can buy a hatchery or build one for free.
All you need is some sort of black container. I use an old filter box but I also have one I built out of black acrylic. A clear box could also be used but one half would have to be painted black on the outside.
Just put a black divider with a 3/8" hole in the center across the container dividing it into two equal parts.
Fill it with salt water and add some eggs to one side. The next day cover that half and put the thing in the light. The shrimp will swim to the other side in about 15 minutes and you could suck them out. All the eggs will stay on the other side. Simple, I have been doing it for many years.

 

[NYreefNoob]

i grow them as well paul every couple of weeks, have a order of large brine coming from dr fosters and going to try and raise them more and maybe to reproduce and gut feed them, think my fish will love this seeing there going to be larger, plus the seahorse will have a field day

 

[georgelc86]

Nice advice Paul, my batch will be ready later today. For me this would be titled the joys of trial and errors. I am using the soda bottle hatchery but having a hard time with egg seperation.

 

[Paul B]

Georgelc, I think I am past trial and error. I have made all the errors.
These eggs have been for sale since the fiftees when they were called "sea Monkeys" I used to hatch them then.
Luckily for us, they immediately swim to the light and they can be seperated from the eggs. I get a hatch every day from one hatchery which supplies my 100 gallon reef and a smaller local tank of pipefish and baby butterflies. I really get too many shrimp but even the larger fish eat them although I don't know how they find them. I have a large 13 year old fire clown that feasts on them all day along with a bunch of 4" gobies. It doesen't seem worth the effort but I have always supplimented with these as well as live black worms. My fish think they are in an all day buffet.
I put the tank in front of the TV so they can watch Jenny Craig. Some of them are a little on the chunky side.

Some fish you can't keep without hatching shrimp
These baby butterflies we collected last week don't eat hamburger.

 

[Paul B]

 

[georgelc86]

Sorry Paul, I meant the trial and error was for me. Not you. I am very well aware of the SeaMonkeys title. I remember when a store called TS&S was open over at White Plains Ave and Bruckner and they used to sell a seamonkey kit, the tank was kinda cool because at random spots on the arcylic there would be a magnified and you would see the shrimp when they swam by those designated areas.

 

[crox99]

When I used to breed FW fish I always hatched brine shrimp and I use to feed the brine a green powder (plankton?) to make them more nutritious.

 

[Cibo]

Paul would love to see a pic of what you use to hatch them,,,,

 

[Killerdrgn]

Just a quick question here. My friend is a teacher and is considering setting up a tank of just brine shrimp. Would they be at all interesting to look at? And what would she need to keep them going (reproducing, hatching, etc)?

 

[mray]

I think a change in salinity must occur to trigger mating. That may or may not be difficult but it can be tiresome. I think a FW tank with glass shrimp might be more interesting.

 

[noodleman]

or get some triops

 

[Paul B]

 

[reefman]

nice diy paul. does it need any aeration or anything? doesnt the water need to b a certain temp or something?
i might try it myself.

 

[Paul B]

I throw an airstone in there while they hatch and the temp is room temp.