# How to hatch live brine?



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi! 
Ok so I checked around and none of the lfs near me have live brine shrimp, so my question is about hatching live brine at home- i dont know anything about it at all so maybe someone can tell me whats required and the pros/cons etc. So i can decide if its something id like to try... Its just a treat for my guppies so im sure it would be easier to buy them already hatched lol but if I have to travel real far to get them( i dont drive) it might b better to make them here at home? 
Unless I can find someone close by that can spare some lol 
let me know all about how to hatch these brine shrimps please!
*GuppyLove*


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

Hatching baby brine shrimp is a lot of hassle, and raising the hatchlings is quite difficult. You can find instructions on the web.

You'll be much further ahead to buy frozen adult brine shrimp for your guppies. Most aquarium or pet stores have them. Bring along something to keep them frozen. You can buy other frozen foods such as bloodworms (a kind of mosquito larva) as well.

You can feed your guppies finely chopped seafood sold for human consumption, too. Shrimp, clams and mussels are good. Chop or shred them while frozen, thaw them in a little water, then rinse and drain before feeding. It's easy to over feed this, so be careful. I think it's because when you're chopping food up in the kitchen, you're thinking on a different scale than when you're looking at your fish!


----------



## destructo (Aug 12, 2009)

It is quite easy to do. First get yourself brine shrimp eggs, and the following equipment.

2 - 1 liter pop bottles
1 - air line tubing
1 - air pump
1 - aquarium salt.

Cut the bottom off of one bottles and the top of the other so that the one with the bottom cut out fits snug with the one that has the top off.

Fill the bottle up 75% with water (add some conditioner) and teaspoon or 2 of salt to the water. 

Once the salt is dissolved into the water add a teaspoon of the brine shrimp eggs into the water.

Now place the tubing into the water down to the very bottom and turn on the air pump. 

Wait 24 -48 hours, turn off the air pump and wait 10 mins, you will notice that the egg shells are floating at the top while the baby brine shrimp have all collected at the bottom.

I use a straw to collect the shrimp at the bottom, by placing my finger over the one end, and placing the straw into the bottom, then letting go. 

You may want to get a brine shrimp net to rinse off the collected brine shrimp, before feeding them to your guppies.


----------



## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

Hey Destructo,

have you ever tried growing them to a larger size? If so, what was required? 

Thanks
Wil


----------



## destructo (Aug 12, 2009)

Tbird said:


> Hey Destructo,
> 
> have you ever tried growing them to a larger size? If so, what was required?
> 
> ...


I haven't yet, but maybe one day. I have freezed them in a ice cube try though to save them for later. I do also have freezed dried brine shimp that I feed more often, as I haven't had the time/too lazy to hatch live ones.


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

I use a 1 litre mason jar with 2 holes drilled in the lid. One hole is for the air line the other is to release pressure. I add half a litre of straight tap water and half a teaspoon of eggs and 1 tablespoon of salt. Stick the airline through one hole almost to the bottom of the jar then wait at least 48 hours. After the 48 hours I disconnect the air pump and wait about 5 minutes for everything to settle. Then I siphon the bbs out using the airline into a brine shrimp net. Make sure to rinse the salt off the bbs before feeding. Any leftovers I have I freeze in a sandwich bag for the next day. I only use the baby brine shrimp so I've never raised them past hatching.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

Apparently baby brine shrimp are easy, that's what I just set up in less than 5 minutes yesterday. 


the only thing is I think you need to use aquarium salt. The video I saw on youtube the guy used regular table salt.. 

can anyone vouch for this?


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

BettaBeats said:


> Apparently baby brine shrimp are easy, that's what I just set up in less than 5 minutes yesterday.
> 
> the only thing is I think you need to use aquarium salt. The video I saw on youtube the guy used regular table salt..
> 
> can anyone vouch for this?


You can use any kind of salt, including rock salt. Table salt has a few harmless additives to keep it from caking in damp weather which makes the water a little cloudy, but otherwise, it works fine.

IMHO, while fish (especially fry) really like live baby brine shrimp, they're a lot more hassle and far more expensive than microworms, which are of comparable food value. Commercial hatcheries prefer brine shrimp because they pay for labor and BBS production can be semi-automated. But for a hobbyist, microworms (and related spp of nematode) are a better alternative.

Of course, hatching BBS can be fun, which can be an important factor in its favor!


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I have a few things to tweak before I will get high yields, but my emerald dwarfs really liked the snack last night.
I used to have a tonne of copepods but my guys like to eat them too.


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Have to agree with bae about the microworms, being easier to raise, and definitely cheaper. However, I can't vouch for them being as nutritionally good as BBS even though they are very good. If you have a large spawn of fry you are trying to raise, I would go with the BBS. It is easier to hatch large quantities when you need them.
As far as BBS go, several things can help raise the hatch rate. The right salinity is fairly high and it seems to help to have it high rather than low. A temp of around 80F gives a good hatch rate and in less than 24 hours. A light on the hatching vessel also seems to help in my experience, although I don't know why. It is recommended but until recently I never bothered. For maximum benefit, BBS need to be fed to your fish as soon after hatching as possible.


----------



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Doesn't seem that hard  I might try it out... I dont have any fry so its just mainly for a treat for My male guppies and fun for Me to feed them  
thanks for all the responses and good instructions!! 
*GuppyLove*


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I'm getting hatches, but I'm having a difficult time collecting enough baby brine shrimp. I see why an upside-down pop bottle works better than a flat glass. is it safe to get table salt into the aquarium?


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

GuppyLove said:


> Hi!
> Ok so I checked around and none of the lfs near me have live brine shrimp, so my question is about hatching live brine at home- i dont know anything about it at all so maybe someone can tell me whats required and the pros/cons etc. So i can decide if its something id like to try... Its just a treat for my guppies so im sure it would be easier to buy them already hatched lol but if I have to travel real far to get them( i dont drive) it might b better to make them here at home?
> Unless I can find someone close by that can spare some lol
> let me know all about how to hatch these brine shrimps please!
> *GuppyLove*


You dont want BBS for your guppies. You're much better off getting frozen daphnia from a high end brand or feeding them chopped mysis shrimp. The amount of waste produced feeding BBS to fish that size makes it kind of pointless IMO. You also totally don't need to bother.

0.5mm NLS pellets, some high spirulina flake, the occasional frozen bloodworm, and you're fine.


----------



## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

The fish hobby has came along way in the last little while and fish food has as well. You don't have to go to all the trouble, mess, money and time cultivating live food. There are new products out there that are great substitutes. Instead of catching why not use decapsulated brine shrimp eggs?

I also use Microworms but can be a little stinky, but easy to keep.

I am getting some White worms soon and I will be trying to condition some fish to breed ( fingers crossed )

But they also have dried stuff thats great like golden peril 

I have never tried this but the food is to be said to stay suspended in the water for a longer period of time.
Ba's has Blackworms and that would be a good live food

Here is a good website with feeding information for guppies

You should feed a variety of foods to your guppies you can even try cucumber,zucchini or shucked peas

Guppies do like algae as well


----------

