Brineshrimp

[Alan]

What brand of B/S are you talking about Tankman??

I very much doubt if the family deep freezer is run at -17oC or lower.

No evidence that I have read suggests anything like this.

They can actually survive searing desert temps and repopulate a lake when it rains enough to fill it or form waterbodies.

The ones at Lake Grasmere would definitely not get to that temp.

The tins I have recommend to store in temps 10oC or lower.

Recommending refrigeration not freezing.

PJ's eggs would be beyond saving if they haven't been stored at cool conditions before her purchase,

as are a lot of eggs when bought in the smalll containers from you know where, wouldn't be stored that way,

resulting in ppl having so much probs with such an easy live food.

Alan 104

[Tanksman]

Aquatic Lifeline Inc - from salt lake city - Thats what it says on the tin and I have noticed a major drop in hatch rate of a small bottle (from the main tin) after a week in the refrigerator. I'd be surprised if the freezer is not at or close to minus 17.C. Thats only zero fareignheit (sp). It's probably more of a mositure protection measure tho. Like you say they can survive the desert but if they get damp or wet - kiss em goodbye or hatchem. And with the fridge going from perhaps 16 -18 with door opened often to 7 or below again - chances are high for condensation to develop in the tin. Working fine for me anyway.

[PENEJANE]

The eggs I got were on a shelf above the freezer for all the frozen foods. The shop isn't well heated and its right by the door.

Going to see if someone will go half with me in a tin of Alans (I think its him haha) eggs but that is if he will half it for me then send it as I don't have containers suitable for that amount or to hold things of such tiny size.

[misnoma]

One of the glad "disposable" food containers would work just fine

[Alan]

You can download it into bottles with a good lid on it

No sweat.

yes it is me with eggs for sale

Alan 104

[PENEJANE]

cool buzz. We are now stuck though. As we don't know wether running a 60w bulb 24 hrs a day will use more or less power than a 100w heater which switches off once at temp.

Husband has got some stuff sorted for a hatchery box but don't know wether to go ahead with it or to get a small tank with a heater in it.

[Alan]

If the box is well insulated, a smaller heat souce can be used, ie, a lower wattage bulb.

You can also get thermostats that will turn it off and on at the required temp., and it doesn't have to be immersed inwater either.

It is just connected to one of the wires going to the bulb.

I use ones from the LFS.

It is the same as a heater, but without the heater-coil.

Bit hard to find, but I'm sure if you ask, they CAN get them in for you.

Alan 104

[PENEJANE]

Well my husband has been a busy man today and made me a hatch box for my brineshrimp eggs.

The pictures are crap (as usual with my camera) of what he has made for me.

[caserole]

thats the one PENEJANE, good luck with it.

oh oh, don't forget to let us know how well it works.

[PENEJANE]

well I don't know how well this first lot is going to go considering I had a 60wt bulb in there and probably boiled the eggs! haha anyone got toast!

But replaced it with a 5wt fluro energy saver bulb and the temp is between 26-30*C so heres hoping Maybe I should get my husband to make these up and sell them on trademe ! haha could make a killing

I shall let you all know how it goes over the next day or so as I think I fried this lot haha

[Alan]

Incorporate a thermostat into the lead going to the light PJ.

Saves power and keeps it at the correct heat.

Good box for storing killie eggs in too for incubating, prior to hatching.

Alan 104

[PENEJANE]

I don't have any killie fish to have eggs to incubate lol and no my husband will not buy that as a good excuse to get another tank! haha Lets hope that this works tho eggs are way to expensive to waste! lol

[Alan]

Get into killies and you'll definitely be getting more than one tank.

I can promise you that.

KKK

Alan 104

[PENEJANE]

LMFAO I know absolutly nothing about killies so I think I will stick to my guppies. At least I know a few things about them now

Husband is slowly accecpting the possibility of more tanks (mini fish room) but that won't come in untill we are settled into our own home

[PENEJANE]

ok how the hell do I go about harvesting these shrimps? I have got an over sized dropper and it seems that I am just making one huge mess out of it. I didn't have a very high hatch rate as I guess my eggs are stuffed from sitting on the store shelf for who knows how long.

I have uped the light from an 8wt energy saver to a 15wt. The heat output is the same (20-22*C) is this still to cold for them? It is inclosed inside a hatch box. Would I be better with a low watt normal bulb? Tried a 60wt bulb but it damn near fried (if not did) the eggs as the water was VERY warm lol.

So yeah once again how do I go about getting these things out with out getting to many eggs into my tank at the same time?

cheers

[caserole]

HI PeneJane,

what I do to harvest my bbs is to have a light either level or below the bottom of the bottle.

if the air is removed (turned off) the bbs will settle to the bottom and you can put an air tube down to them and syphon them out into a hanky or better still have your air coming in to the upside down bottle from the cap, then turn off the air, bbs will settle and use the air line to syphon.

I drill a 10mm hole in the cap and get a bung ( with hole in the middle ) from a hydroponices shop - push air line through middle if bung - all ready to go.

I'm shipping some fish to Inver's next week and can pop in 1 already made up for you that you'll be able to copy , makes harvesting a breeze

p.s it is best to hatch b/s between 25C and 28C, think you need to bump it up 2-4C , at 25C they will tank around 24 hours to hatch, 28C MUCH LESS.

[PENEJANE]

cheers thanks for that. I guess this being my first time it will be a lot of trial and error to get what works best for me.

[PENEJANE]

ok this is the last straw!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: Apart from these stupid brine shrimp is there anything else that I can give my guppy fry to help them grow faster so then I can sell/trade them?

I just lost my last lot of bbs all over the F'N floor and will now have to explain myself to my husband why the kitchen carpet is wet. It sounds and seems so easy to do these things but so far I have had nothing but bad luck with the whole setup and feel as if its a waste of money and time.

I have taken the airstone out of the cap and the way that the box is set up the light sits halfway to top of the container so sucking them out from the bottom won't work for me.

I have heard that when the fish eat the eggs that get into the tank that they are likely to get swim bladder disease/disorder (what ever it is lol), is this true?

Can anyone suggest an easier way? I am hoping, now that I have taken the airstone out, I can just disconnect it from the air pump and let the water out through the tube and into a container hanging lower with a cloth over it if need be but I am sure I will still get some eggs that are unhatched into the tank.

Cheers for any suggestions.

[Bluetom]

i just feed mine crushed flake really small, also they like a bit of java moss, has something starting with I on it, thats all i've gathered.

[Pegasus]

Never known such a drama over hatching a few brineshrimp.

To hatch BS you need:

Water at the correct salinity.. (already covered)

1/2 a teaspoon of Baking Soda.. (some don't use it.. but I do)

Heat... (approx 28C)

A Coke bottle or suitable container.. (already covered)

An air supply (already covered)

A supply of reliable eggs.. (suspect)

12 to 48hrs

Mix 2.1/2 tablesoons of Sea Salt (Supermarket).. in two ltrs of water.

Add the Baking Soda.

Set the air running to thoroughly mix.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of BS eggs.

Suspend in tank or in a warm place.

Harvest when hatched.

HARVESTING.

Stop the air and allow to settle for ten mins.

Place a light near the base of the container.

The shrimps are easy to see and form a pinky brown mass.

Get a suitable container with a hanky or very fine mesh over the top.

Disconnect the air line from the pump and lower below the level of the bottle.

Allow the shrimps to flow into the sieve through gravity.

Feed to the fish.

Some suggest rinsing.. but I never do.

A few shells won't harm.

If you can't see the live shrimp after forty eight hours using the above... then dump the BS eggs and get some decent ones fromk one of the members.

Alternative food for fry.. Microworms.

BTW:

The shrimp will quickly die without air if you leave them in the coke bottle.

[PENEJANE]

Thanks for that Pegasus. I shall try that method this time for harvesting. I tried a coffee filter bag and it broke on me and in the fright of that giving way I then lost the container on the floor. I guess I might want to invest in a small torch that I can sit in the bottom of the hatchery to make the shrimp go towards the bottom. I have also noticed that most of my shrimp are white/cream in colour. Not the pink/orange that you mention. The way that my husband has made this hatchery box is that it has a piece of wood inside that is actually holding the bottles up. Its got two holes for a normal round coke bottle to sit into about 1/3 up from the base. Really good for my husband to do it. I was hoping to have two bottle set up 12 hrs apart or something like that.

I shall let yous know how things go over the next 3-4 days.

cheers for all your help

[Ira]

Hatching them isn't a problem, it's harvesting them, I have a hell of a time seperating the eggs and the BBS. Usually I just give up settle for getting a lot of eggs too.

[Tanksman]

:-? Oh its a hard road sometimes this experience curve, Don't worry PJ you won't spill it on the floor again. LOL but I know the feeling. And mine was in my room so at least yours was in the kitchen

I use a hatcher to harvest the little beggars now - The hatcher is great for harvesting the shrimp with very few shells and eggs mixed in which helps keep the fry tank clean.

However the hatcher is not good for hatching them so you need both I reckon. You need the conical container to keep the salty brine shrimp mix well airated / circulating during hatching. I use an inverted coke bottle floating in a tall tank and air tubing pegged to hold the air tube bubbling from the bottom of the coke bottle - no stone just hose -i use the tank lid to stop them being able to fall over.

When this has been 18 hours or more I tip it out of the coke bottle into a San fransisco bay hatchery - your LFS should have them - about $25. The hatchery is a darkened cube with a fresh water collection bottle that sits on top. The shrimp come up to the light coming in through the collection vial and after 5 to ten minutes you have heaps in the vial ready to simply tip into the fry tank - or if you get heaps into the adult tank as well. Simple as - then the salt brine mix is tipped back from the hatchery into the coke bottle under airation for another 6 - 12 hours - after 40 hours or so I tip it and start over. You can easily use two coke bottles - 1 a day so you tip one out every day and make one fresh one. I can have too many now its great.

The harvester looks like this.

http://photobucket.com/albums/a31/Tanksman/Fish/?action=view&current=fish_food_sf_bay_brand_shrimpery.jpg

[PENEJANE]

Thanks for that Tanksman. I have never seen that thing at my LFS. The only thing they have for brine shrimp is a weighted rubber bottom thing with a cap in the middle that you screw your upside down coke bottle into. Thats it, apart from eggs and salt.

Would there be any difference with using tonic salt and nomal table rock salt?

There really isn't anyway I can put a light down low with out unscrewing the front of the unit and I don't want to do that as I am scared that it might fall apart on me!! But I have removed the airstone from the cap of the bottle and just got hose going into it so I will let you know how things go this time.

cheers all

[Tanksman]

Keep an eye on Trademe - The San Fran Bay hatchery's come up for sale on there occasionally - It is the easiest way of harvesting them without syphoning salt water through a hanky - and that must be good - The collection vial is fresh water so they can be tipped straight in.

As long as the salt doesn't have iodine in it it should be fine. You should be able to get rock salt or sea salt at the supermarket. Just don't use iodised salt and it should be fine.