Reef Discussion
their lifespan will vary according to their environment. Under favourable conditions they will reporduce asexually (produce live offspring that will grow and thus you can have a sustainable population). Under unfavourable conditions (e.g. lack of food and crowding) their lifespand can be quite short. To increase their shelf life, keep them cool (around 10 degrees C).
If you can, create an outside culture with 2/3 sea water to 1/3 fresh water. Into this add some live phytoplankton (which will live and multiply). Add your excess brinshrimp and put it in an area that is well lit. A self sustaining population will ensure. Wnsure that the container has a large surface area and you can add an airstone for increased airflow. When stressed the brinshrimp will be orange/red. When happy, thewill go green/clear. By culturing them with the phyto plankton they will "gut-load" and will become nutritionally complete. THis will bring you fish into breeding condition very quickly.
If you need a phytoplankton culture, PM me.
Cheers, Chris.
If you can, create an outside culture with 2/3 sea water to 1/3 fresh water. Into this add some live phytoplankton (which will live and multiply). Add your excess brinshrimp and put it in an area that is well lit. A self sustaining population will ensure. Wnsure that the container has a large surface area and you can add an airstone for increased airflow. When stressed the brinshrimp will be orange/red. When happy, thewill go green/clear. By culturing them with the phyto plankton they will "gut-load" and will become nutritionally complete. THis will bring you fish into breeding condition very quickly.
If you need a phytoplankton culture, PM me.
Cheers, Chris.
never tried this but I read somewhere that if you can get hold of the film holders from camera film like we all used to have then you make small little holes at the top and some around the sides near the top. Put some brine shrimp eggs inside. Then you put the lid on. Place the whole thing in your display tank-the theory then is that the eggs will then hatch out and the BBS will be attracted to the light coming from the holes and will swim out. You also then remove the whole film canister so that you are then not left with egg casings in your tank. have always threatened to do this but never got round to it.
In addition to dr_schells response this is a good article which explains things in a bit more detail http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~davidr/discus/articles/artemia.html
:)
:)
I hatch 1.000's of brineshrimp in order to feed the various fish/shrimp fry. I decapsulate the eggs prior to storage so when I want to hatch them, they hatch in 6-8 hours. Decapusulation removes the hard cuticle that surrounds the egg, which if no removed presents a danger to fish, etc through injestion/compaction. To decapsulate this is what I do:
Hydrated eggs (ie eggs that have not been put into the hyper-saline solution) must be hatched within 3 days otherwise they loose their viability.
NOTE: Brineshrimp require light to hatch. The eggs produce an enzyme that is essential to hatching when exposed to light. A halogen bulb or direct sun will yield sufficient light.
- I rehydrate the ensysted brinshrimp eggs (what you buy as brineshrimp eggs) for 70mins in fresh water;
- I then make a mix of 1 part household bleach to 2 parts fresh water;
- I then drain the soaking eggs and put them into the mix above;
- stir the eggs in their water/bleach solution continiously for 5 - 10 minutes. The eggs will go from grey to bright orange.
- When eggs are bright orange, rinse in fresh water immediately to wash off all the water/bleach solutioin.
- Use a dechlorinator product to nutruilise any chlorine remaining in the mix.
- Eggs an be hatched immediately and will hatch within 6-8 hours.
Hydrated eggs (ie eggs that have not been put into the hyper-saline solution) must be hatched within 3 days otherwise they loose their viability.
NOTE: Brineshrimp require light to hatch. The eggs produce an enzyme that is essential to hatching when exposed to light. A halogen bulb or direct sun will yield sufficient light.
Members online
No members online now.