easy way to feed live brine shrimp?

Laakmann · 07/11/2006, 08:23 AM

Could I just put brine shrimp eggs directly in my refugium and have them hatch in there and eventually taken in by the overflow and sent into the tank for the hungry fish and coral?

Its not hard to do it the other way but this seems much easier.

Better yet do any of you think it would be possible to get a self sustaining population going if I made a seperate refugium dedicated to raising brine shrimp?

Any thoughts on this?

Tate · 07/11/2006, 09:32 AM

I'm not sure but I think brine shrimp are a freshwater animal.

sir_dudeguy · 07/11/2006, 09:58 AM

no i dont think they're freshwater, but i do know that wont work...and i knw that getting them to hatch is suposed to be easy (tho i managed to fail spectacularly at it lol), but i think that actually getting them to grow to full size is kinda hard to do, not to mention getting them to breed, and then the new ones to grow full size...
i think that would be really cool to get a seperate fuge for them..try it and let us know how it goes!

fsn77 · 07/11/2006, 10:05 AM

The lfs here sells live brine shrimp for $1 per scoop (which is well over 100 shrimp), so I don't even bother to hatch them myself. I just buy a scoop, put them in a fish bowl with an airstone, feed them Selcon, and then suck out as many as I need to feed the tank with a turkey baster. A scoop lasts over a week and the bulk of them live without a problem.

Laakmann · 07/11/2006, 11:10 AM

thanks alot for the pointers, I have asked all the lfs around here if they have live brine shrimp and they said no so I have been growing my own since, I am going to go ahead with adding eggs to the tank every couple days and see how that works out, I should know if they are hatching or not because I will find little casing where I put the eggs before. If I have a little extra $ left over from the tank Ill try to make an extra fuge for them. The adults should feed off pods from the refugium so keeping them alive shouldnt be a problem, its how many brine shrimp the idea produce that will be the question

rayjay · 07/11/2006, 02:56 PM

First of all, putting cysts in a tank is a NO NO. The cysts can lodge in the digestive tract of some fish, causing anywhere from discomfort to death. Also, the cysts can harbour harmful bacteria that can potentially wipe out your system.
Safe way is to hatch out, discard the hatch water, and grow out in new water.
Check this list of other threads on Brine Shrimp.
LIST OF THREADS MENTIONING BRINE SHRIMP

For my brine shrimp page with pictures and description:
RAISING BRINE SHRIMP TO ADULT

07/11/2006, 08:23 AM	#1
Laakmann Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 332	easy way to feed live brine shrimp? Could I just put brine shrimp eggs directly in my refugium and have them hatch in there and eventually taken in by the overflow and sent into the tank for the hungry fish and coral? Its not hard to do it the other way but this seems much easier. Better yet do any of you think it would be possible to get a self sustaining population going if I made a seperate refugium dedicated to raising brine shrimp? Any thoughts on this? __________________ 90 gallon BB SPS cube Current Tank Info: 90 reef, 125 single oscar tank, 55 QT

07/11/2006, 09:32 AM	#2
Tate Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri Posts: 388	I'm not sure but I think brine shrimp are a freshwater animal. __________________ 100g long FOWLR Current Tank Info: 100g fowlr and NanoCube 6g

07/11/2006, 09:58 AM	#3
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	no i dont think they're freshwater, but i do know that wont work...and i knw that getting them to hatch is suposed to be easy (tho i managed to fail spectacularly at it lol), but i think that actually getting them to grow to full size is kinda hard to do, not to mention getting them to breed, and then the new ones to grow full size... i think that would be really cool to get a seperate fuge for them..try it and let us know how it goes! __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

07/11/2006, 11:10 AM	#5
Laakmann Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 332	thanks alot for the pointers, I have asked all the lfs around here if they have live brine shrimp and they said no so I have been growing my own since, I am going to go ahead with adding eggs to the tank every couple days and see how that works out, I should know if they are hatching or not because I will find little casing where I put the eggs before. If I have a little extra $ left over from the tank Ill try to make an extra fuge for them. The adults should feed off pods from the refugium so keeping them alive shouldnt be a problem, its how many brine shrimp the idea produce that will be the question __________________ 90 gallon BB SPS cube Current Tank Info: 90 reef, 125 single oscar tank, 55 QT

07/11/2006, 02:56 PM	#6
rayjay Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,969	First of all, putting cysts in a tank is a NO NO. The cysts can lodge in the digestive tract of some fish, causing anywhere from discomfort to death. Also, the cysts can harbour harmful bacteria that can potentially wipe out your system. Safe way is to hatch out, discard the hatch water, and grow out in new water. Check this list of other threads on Brine Shrimp. LIST OF THREADS MENTIONING BRINE SHRIMP For my brine shrimp page with pictures and description: RAISING BRINE SHRIMP TO ADULT __________________ Seahorses. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses

07/11/2006, 10:05 AM	#4
fsn77 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: SC Posts: 777	The lfs here sells live brine shrimp for $1 per scoop (which is well over 100 shrimp), so I don't even bother to hatch them myself. I just buy a scoop, put them in a fish bowl with an airstone, feed them Selcon, and then suck out as many as I need to feed the tank with a turkey baster. A scoop lasts over a week and the bulk of them live without a problem.