Question: Can I hatch brine shrimp without air pump?

[KardeAxol]

My axolotl had babies. the first batch I simply fed frozen bloodworms as I didn't have live food for the hatchlings. Some of them ate successfully and some didn't, but in the end they all died. I'm on my second batch now and will order some brine shrimp eggs and I looked how to set it up with the bottles, and you need a tube and an airpump. The only thing is I don't have an airpump and probably can't afford one. Can I still hatch them without an air pump?

Also what is the easiest live food to cultur to feed my hatchlings? I also need to do it asap or they'll starve

 

[GlowingFauxPas]

How expensive do you think the pumps are? They're around 8 dollars where I am.

 

[auntiejude]

BBS usually only hatch in moving water, so I doubt you'd have much luck without a pump. But air pumps are dirt cheap - you only need the smallest one available, and they cost about £5.
Newly hatched daphnia have also been used to feed hatchlings, but you really need an established culture to produce tiny babies.
Microfauna found in green water are usually OK for baby axies too, but you have to be really careful about larger carnivourous insect larvae.
There is a whole section on microfoods on axolotl.org - go look up the pages about raising babies on there.

 

[KardeAxol]

Thanks for your replies. I found a pump Hidom Silent Aquarium Air Pump Fish Tank Quiet Single/Twin Valve Tropical Marine | eBay is this a good one? it ranges from 1.8 to 6 litres. I'm assuming I'd get the smallest one or is it not the right one? I have an airline tube already