Extra bbs

[freddie1990]

Hi all just wondering if anyone has ever tried to keep the left overs of the bbs i seem to have lots left after feeding not mixed with the baby axies but in the bbs hatcher ive heard that they can be kept in the fridge for the following day is this true any advise would be great thanks guys, also how long would you leave the bbs in with the baby axies before i cleaned it out thanks

 

[Bluemoonjo]

I haven't tried it but I've read that you can put them the fridge (back in salt water) and they might live another day or so, at least long enough for another feeding (rinse, rinse).
I've been wondering if they could be frozen and fed when they'll eat dead food. I hate waste.

 

[LoriML]

Just wondering if you tried and had any luck with this. I fed for the first time today and wasted so much! And I only used a fraction of the shrimp solution too.

 

[Bette]

I've kept extra BBS in some of their brine water sitting at room temp for 24 hours no problem.
As far as cleaning up after larvae: Using a turkey baster, I carefully remove fecal matter and dead BBS after about 6 hours. I add fresh water, wait about 15 minutes to let everybody relax, and feed again.

 

[LoriML]

Thanks for the info Bette! I noticed that I managed to grab some unhatched eggs that fell to the bottom of the hatchery and didn't want to hurt them of they ate them, so about 30 min after first feeding I decided to change the water. I was also nervous to suck them up in the turkey baster, so I drained their bowl into another through a net and then placed the babies into the bowl of fresh water instead. Which also scared me, they're so tiny and fragile! The water change thing I need to work on I think.
So you feed them twice a day? Thanks so much!

 

[Bette]

You can change the water that way too. Sometimes they get mored stressed using that method (especially when very young), but it works. And yes, I usually feed them twice a day.

 

[LSuzuki]

If you have any fish tanks, small fish go crazy for leftover bbs.

 

[keiko]

The bbs won't be as nutritious the next day, but it's still better than nothing. And keeping them in a fridge slows their metabolism so they are a bit more nutritious still. I kept some as a back up in the fridge when my babies were tiny and then just rinsed them like always before giving to the axies. They can also be frozen (rinse well and freeze in a block of fresh water), but babie axies won't eat dead food until they get a little bigger. Fish will like them though.

 

[freddie1990]

Thanks for the advise, i tried placing the left over bbs in the same water they hatched in and in the fridge over night about half of them died and the other half weren't moving all that mush so keeping to new ones everyday, baby axies are about 3-half weeks old and all have front legs but still transparent, any advise on what i should think about to start feeding them also anyone had colours like this they have a yellowy green tinge with black patches as not sure what they might look like when there bigger mother is a golden and farther is black

 

[rachel1]

Those three are wild types. The one on the far left with just a head showing could be melanoid, I can't tell for sure. I would start transitioning to live chopped blackworms or bloodworms, whichever you can get in your area. Daphnia are also a good transitional food, and I have heard that they do well on grindal or white worms as well.