# Decapsulating Brine Shrimp Eggs?



## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

How do I do it?


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Another question - Can decapsulated brine shrimp eggs be hatched?


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

If you want to feed them as eggs, it's much much cheaper to buy them already decapsulated than to buy viable eggs and do it yourself.

If you take good eggs and decapsulate them correctly, they can then be hatched immediately. The big advantage is that there are no 'shells' to interfere with collecting the hatchlings or for the fry to clog their guts with if they inadvertently eat them.

Decapsulating involves soaking the eggs in a bleach solution until the shells are destroyed but the egg (actually a cyst) isn't damaged. Needless to say, this has to be done carefully. It's a finicky job for small quantities, and is really more suitable to large hatcheries.

I hope this helps.


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## dp12345 (Sep 12, 2010)

i agree with bae you might as well buy decapsulated eggs and feed directly to your fish fry. I did it myself and it's time consuming.
I u intend to do it yourself before you decapsulate the eggs with the beach solution you have to rehydrate the brime eggs for at least 2 hours.

Just soak the eggs not more than *5 mins*. in the beach solution.

google "decapsulating brime eggs" for additional information.

dp


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

there are advantages to decapsulating cysts. You get a hatch with no shells and virtually bacteria free and no hydra. The unhatched cysts can be eaten so there is no waste. If you want to feed decasulated cysts, it is cheaper to buy them, as mentioned. My experience with feeding live BBS and the unhatched cysts is that the fish will take the live shrimp before the cysts, which is to be expected. however, there always seemed to be uneaten cysts left.


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## zenafish (Feb 20, 2007)

You can also decap a batch, and put the unused in a saturated brine solution in the fridge. It'll last 1+ week.

Timing and temperature are key. Everyone does it more or less the same way overall but yet very differently in the details.

For instance, I decap mine in 2 teaspoon portions in a 6oz disposable cupful of bleach, 3 minutes. I find this cause the less heat generation but still achieve what I need to do in a very short time.

More careful (and patient) people decap in more dilute solution for longer periods of time. But I have a tendency to forget so this method is not for me.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Where can I buy decapsulated eggs in Mississauga?


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

http://www.johnsfishfood.com/SPECIALTYFOODS.html has them, and makes regular trips to the GTA.


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## zenafish (Feb 20, 2007)

BillD said:


> http://www.johnsfishfood.com/SPECIALTYFOODS.html has them, and makes regular trips to the GTA.


His are non-hatchable. You're supposed to feed them as eggs.

If you're thinking saltwater, corals/filter feeders will eat them. Most fish won't. Seahorses won't. For freshwater, corys eat them. My cardinals do too. But my betta fry won't.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

When I decapsulate them, do I have to remove the shells or do they just dissolve?


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## Altumnut (May 12, 2010)

dp12345 said:


> i agree with bae you might as well buy decapsulated eggs and feed directly to your fish fry. I did it myself and it's time consuming.
> I u intend to do it yourself before you decapsulate the eggs with the beach solution you have to rehydrate the brime eggs for at least 2 hours.
> 
> Just soak the eggs not more than *5 mins*. in the beach solution.
> ...


As mentioned, the bleach solution will disolve shells.

...Ralph


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## acropora1981 (Aug 21, 2010)

its not too hard. Soak eggs in freshwater for about an hour. Put in bleach for about 5 mins, until they turn orange. Then rinse them under the tap, dechlornate with SM Prime, and store in hypersaline solution in the fridge.

you will need a good seive; I use a rotifer seive so I dont lose any eggs. Brine shrimp nets are not fine enough.


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