Breeding brine shrimp

[jason]

hi just a quick thing to see how many people have hatched brine shrimp from eggs well i have hatched them but the water is starting to smell not bad but it has a smell to it is this right. another thing do i have to change the water for some cleaner water ? and do i leave the air flow going ?

 

[jennifer]

You do need to keep the air flow going... just a slow stream of bubbles, not a torrent. Baby brine shrimp (bbs) are most nutritious in the first day or two after they hatch. After about 3 days after hatching they start to die off, no matter what you do. If the water starts to smell, it's probably time to throw them away and start a new batch.

The ideal is to keep two hatcheries going... start a new batch of eggs every 2 days, alternating between the two hatcheries. This way you have a steady supply of freshly hatched bbs.

 

[jason]

ok that sounds good but dont i need to grow them they are so small right now ?

 

[jennifer]

Are these for feeding axolotl hatchlings, or adults? The usual use for bbs is to feed hatchlings. If they are for adults, then yes, you need to grow them. That's not easy, but here are some instructions:
http://www.sfbb.com/growingoutofbbs.html

In most cases, people who use adult brine shrimp buy them from a huge vat at a pet shop.

(Message edited by jennewt on June 27, 2006)

 

[jason]

yes i thought everyone used them to feed there adults, mine are about 4 and a half months old .