Successful Hatching of Brine Shrimps

Been always passively picking up information from all over and never really contributing. But I've been so happy at doing this that I thought I'd share this.... hatching brine shrimps! 

I picked up most of the information online, so credit must be given to them. Here are the first few things you need: 

1. plastic bottle - I like the Coke bottle as the neck is more sharply tapered to allow the shrimps and (unhatched) eggs to fall. But a mineral water bottle would also do. 

  

2. An air pump with single outlet will do. Use a metal air control valve if you can as it last longer than a plastic one.

Brine Shrimp Eggs

Chopstick and rubber band

Scissors

Syringe - this was for printer ink refill

  

Baking soda (not baking powder!)

Setting up: 

a. Remove label from bottle (so you can see the brine shrimps later). Cut plastic bottle about 1/3 from the bottom. Invert plastic bottle top into bottom to create a stable base. I find that taping the two portions together makes it more stable. 

b. Fill bottle with water halfway. Stir in half teaspoon of brine shrimp eggs, 1 tablespoon of salt and some baking soda [I use the back end of the spoon :)]. 1/2 teaspoon of brine shrimp was enough to feed my brood of 30 discus fry. Some days I make 1 teaspoon and the extra is given to other fish (guppies and platies). 

c. Tie the chopstick to air hose with rubber band. Some people use air stone but I find a lot of unhatched eggs using one. 

d. Connect air pump, air control valve and air hose. Set the air control valve at just enough to generate air circulating but not so much to splatter water and eggs all over. 

e. I set my brine shrimp hatchery bottles near the window for light. 

f. I use 2 bottle to alternate the days each batch is ready, so pretty much each batch has 48 hours to hatch. 

f. Voila! Lots and lots of brine shrimp! 

Finished! Now time to wait

Removing brine shrimps: 

i. take out air hose and let the bottle sit for 10 minutes or so. 

ii. I was told brine shrimp will fall to the bottom (i.e. neck of bottle), but I find using a torch light shining at the bottom helps get more brine shrimp there. 

iii. use a syringe to suck up the yellow/ pink mass near the bottom (not all the way bottom as you will suck up unhatched eggs or shells) 

My discus fry love them to death and will gorge till their bellies are swollen.... hehehe! Good luck to you! 

Fry feeding on brine shrimp

Brine shrimp on wall of aquarium