I'd like to be able to serve my gang (all 125 or so of them) some fresh brine shrimp. I'm assuming the gf will be able to find those little suckers in the pool. I believe one can buy the eggs and hatch them out. Would someone familiar with the subject suggest a reliable source and what a fair price would be? Many thanks.
Oliver
PS Speaking of the gang, feeding them is an interesting challenge. While about 40 to 50 of them are large enough to swallow the staple food varieties that come in mini-and midi-ball shape, the rest of the gang can't swallow the smallest of the mini-balls, although they keep pushing them around in a vain attempt. I've been grinding up the mini-balls in a spice grinder so as to fracture the balls into small pieces and powder, a size the smallest can handle. Of course the big guys don't understand the ground-up stuff isn't for them, so they barrel on through the small guys, sucking up everything they can get. There are lots of collisions, like a football free-for-all. Distributing the food so most get a fair share is no 5-minute job. You have to tempt a group to one area while dropping food for little guys in another. Of course there are some wise guys who refuse to get faked out, but most do fall for the ruse.
Full Version: Brine Shrimp Egg Source?
newly hatched baby brine shrimp are really little things. If you wish to raise the shrimp to a larger size, you have to feed them. Otherwise, the sooner after hatching you feed, the more nutrition you get.
I buy my eggs from here:
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/
They have many different varieties if eggs available - you can order what you want. Since I use baby brine shrimp to feed my newly hatched fry, I buy the SanFrancisco variety of eggs - they are the smallest - and they are TINY!
To hatch the eggs, you can order a fancy hatchery that cost a pretty penny, or you can make them from soda pop bottles. They are easy to make - and quite cheap. Depending on how handy you are, you can plumb the airline in through the bottom (the cap of the bottle for it is upside down) or simply run a hose with a little airstone on it down into the cap/bottome.
Cut off the bottom of the plastic pop bottle and turn it upside down. I support mine in pieces of pvd pipe - about a 4 inch high 4 inch round piece that the bottle sits in.
The most important things about hatching shrimp are:
1. Heat. The heat of a single 40 watt light bulb from 4-8 inches away will keep the bottle wamr enough to hatch nicely - about 80ish.
2. Light. To hatch, the eggs need light. The light bulb that keeps the hatchery warm will also provide the light.
3. Salt. 2 TBS large grained salt per quart of water is perfect for my hatching. 1 quart fits in the pop bottle well.
4. Air. An airstone running gently in the bottom of the bottle will gently swirl the eggs through the water, allowing them all to hatch nicely.
For the amoount of fish I feed, I hatch approximately 3/4 tsp eggs per bottle, started about 6 hours apart. It takes 18 hours to hatch them. This allows me to feed every 6 hours or so. I use a baster to suck the shrimp out and squirt them into a colondar lined with a coffee filter. Theyare then rinsed gently in fresh water and dropped into the fry tanks - where they are usually eaten within approximately 10 seconds.
I buy my eggs from here:
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/
They have many different varieties if eggs available - you can order what you want. Since I use baby brine shrimp to feed my newly hatched fry, I buy the SanFrancisco variety of eggs - they are the smallest - and they are TINY!
To hatch the eggs, you can order a fancy hatchery that cost a pretty penny, or you can make them from soda pop bottles. They are easy to make - and quite cheap. Depending on how handy you are, you can plumb the airline in through the bottom (the cap of the bottle for it is upside down) or simply run a hose with a little airstone on it down into the cap/bottome.
Cut off the bottom of the plastic pop bottle and turn it upside down. I support mine in pieces of pvd pipe - about a 4 inch high 4 inch round piece that the bottle sits in.
The most important things about hatching shrimp are:
1. Heat. The heat of a single 40 watt light bulb from 4-8 inches away will keep the bottle wamr enough to hatch nicely - about 80ish.
2. Light. To hatch, the eggs need light. The light bulb that keeps the hatchery warm will also provide the light.
3. Salt. 2 TBS large grained salt per quart of water is perfect for my hatching. 1 quart fits in the pop bottle well.
4. Air. An airstone running gently in the bottom of the bottle will gently swirl the eggs through the water, allowing them all to hatch nicely.
For the amoount of fish I feed, I hatch approximately 3/4 tsp eggs per bottle, started about 6 hours apart. It takes 18 hours to hatch them. This allows me to feed every 6 hours or so. I use a baster to suck the shrimp out and squirt them into a colondar lined with a coffee filter. Theyare then rinsed gently in fresh water and dropped into the fry tanks - where they are usually eaten within approximately 10 seconds.
A few more questions, if you please....
........I realize egg size (and yields) may vary, but I think a feeding of 300 to 400 brine shrimp would be a tasty snack for the gang. Is it practical to work in those quantities?
Thanks for yur help.
oliver
QUOTE(daryl @ Jul 4 2008, 11:55 AM) 
newly hatched baby brine shrimp are really little things. If you wish to raise the shrimp to a larger size, you have to feed them. Otherwise, the sooner after hatching you feed, the more nutrition you get.
..........What to I feed the baby shrimp?
I buy my eggs from here:
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/
They have many different varieties if eggs available - you can order what you want. Since I use baby brine shrimp to feed my newly hatched fry, I buy the SanFrancisco variety of eggs - they are the smallest - and they are TINY!
.........What would be the biggest, as they shrimp would be for the entire gang.
To hatch the eggs, you can order a fancy hatchery that cost a pretty penny, or you can make them from soda pop bottles. They are easy to make - and quite cheap. Depending on how handy you are, you can plumb the airline in through the bottom (the cap of the bottle for it is upside down) or simply run a hose with a little airstone on it down into the cap/bottome.
Cut off the bottom of the plastic pop bottle and turn it upside down. I support mine in pieces of pvd pipe - about a 4 inch high 4 inch round piece that the bottle sits in.
.........OK.. sounds easy enough construction-wise
The most important things about hatching shrimp are:
1. Heat. The heat of a single 40 watt light bulb from 4-8 inches away will keep the bottle wamr enough to hatch nicely - about 80ish.
2. Light. To hatch, the eggs need light. The light bulb that keeps the hatchery warm will also provide the light.
3. Salt. 2 TBS large grained salt per quart of water is perfect for my hatching. 1 quart fits in the pop bottle well.
4. Air. An airstone running gently in the bottom of the bottle will gently swirl the eggs through the water, allowing them all to hatch nicely.
......OK, clear enough
For the amoount of fish I feed, I hatch approximately 3/4 tsp eggs per bottle, started about 6 hours apart. It takes 18 hours to hatch them. This allows me to feed every 6 hours or so. I use a baster to suck the shrimp out and squirt them into a colondar lined with a coffee filter. Theyare then rinsed gently in fresh water and dropped into the fry tanks - where they are usually eaten within approximately 10 seconds.
..........What to I feed the baby shrimp?
I buy my eggs from here:
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/
They have many different varieties if eggs available - you can order what you want. Since I use baby brine shrimp to feed my newly hatched fry, I buy the SanFrancisco variety of eggs - they are the smallest - and they are TINY!
.........What would be the biggest, as they shrimp would be for the entire gang.
To hatch the eggs, you can order a fancy hatchery that cost a pretty penny, or you can make them from soda pop bottles. They are easy to make - and quite cheap. Depending on how handy you are, you can plumb the airline in through the bottom (the cap of the bottle for it is upside down) or simply run a hose with a little airstone on it down into the cap/bottome.
Cut off the bottom of the plastic pop bottle and turn it upside down. I support mine in pieces of pvd pipe - about a 4 inch high 4 inch round piece that the bottle sits in.
.........OK.. sounds easy enough construction-wise
The most important things about hatching shrimp are:
1. Heat. The heat of a single 40 watt light bulb from 4-8 inches away will keep the bottle wamr enough to hatch nicely - about 80ish.
2. Light. To hatch, the eggs need light. The light bulb that keeps the hatchery warm will also provide the light.
3. Salt. 2 TBS large grained salt per quart of water is perfect for my hatching. 1 quart fits in the pop bottle well.
4. Air. An airstone running gently in the bottom of the bottle will gently swirl the eggs through the water, allowing them all to hatch nicely.
......OK, clear enough
For the amoount of fish I feed, I hatch approximately 3/4 tsp eggs per bottle, started about 6 hours apart. It takes 18 hours to hatch them. This allows me to feed every 6 hours or so. I use a baster to suck the shrimp out and squirt them into a colondar lined with a coffee filter. Theyare then rinsed gently in fresh water and dropped into the fry tanks - where they are usually eaten within approximately 10 seconds.
........I realize egg size (and yields) may vary, but I think a feeding of 300 to 400 brine shrimp would be a tasty snack for the gang. Is it practical to work in those quantities?
Thanks for yur help.
oliver
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