Aeration for Brine Shrimp Hatchery

[jewett]

I am in the process of building/setting up a BBS hatchery and know I need aeration, but do I use an air stone on the end of the airline, or just leave it wide open? Does it depend on the strength of the pump? And how strong a flow do I want coming from the air line - like do I want a "rapid boil" or just a "low simmer"?
Thank you!
Heather

 

[Ed]

It depends on what you are using as a hatching container.. for example an inverted two liter soda bottle, it doesn't matter whether you use an air stone or not but you want the water circulation sufficient to keep the eggs from settling below the end of the hose or air stone. This may require you to fiddle with the out put volume a little.
Some types of brine shrimp eggs float and with those you don't need to really turn the water volume over...

Ed

 

[jewett]

Thanks Ed, I am in fact using inverted 2 liter soda bottles. I have yet to receive the BBS eggs in the mail but I think I will fiddle around with the output before they arrive.
As a side, I think its kinda funny - I live about 40 minutes from the Great Salt Lake, and just ordered a GSL Artemia strain, from a company in California... What a world...
Heather

 

[taapua]

Airstones tend to build up with minerals quickly, so I would avoid them. I use a piece of open-ended rigid airline tubing and even that can build up with mineral deposits that requires occasional cleaning.

 

[gfsward]

I've actually found that you don't even need to aerate them at all. If that helps. I just put them in with the salt water solution and they just hatch
I hope that helps