brine shrimp eggs (artemia cysts)

[silkieboy]

Hey guys, this question goes to all the fish gurus out here in Australia.
I just want to know how you culture brine shrimp eggs?
1) Do they need a salt environment?
2) What do you feed them?
etc etc.

If someone can reply with their knowledge on this topic, it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Johnny :D

[Ben]

Hi Johnny

Hatching and growing these guys is very easy, I do it at summer time here in Melbourne as it saves on heating the brine shrimp tank.

Brine shrimp need to hatch in salt water, if possible buy a cheap hydrometer as you will be able to accurately measure the salt density of the water.
A density of 1.022 to 1.028 is the best range to hatch and grow them.

An upside down 2 litre coke bottle works well with an air stone at the very bottom.
The water will need to be warm 25.c works well as if it is too cool the brine shrimp will take much longer to hatch and the hatch rate will be much lower.

Add a 1/8 of a teaspoon of brine shrimp eggs to the bubbling salt water and in roughly 24 hours they will hatch. If possible try and place the hatching vessel near a window shelf as you will get a better hatch rate if there is sunlight shining onto the hatching unit.

After they hatch you can either feed them to you baby fish or if you want to grow them i would make up a salt water solution of 1.022 and 1/2 fill a standard 2 foot tank.
Add the baby brine shrimp to the growing tank with an air stone. In 48 hours from hatching you can start feeding them.
I have successfully used spiralina powder to grow brine shrimp.

Buy the powder from your health food shop and empty 1 capsule in 1/4 cup of boiling hot water; stir well till it is dissolved and bright green.
You can keep this mixture in the fridge for 3 days.

Feed about 2 tablespoon of this liquid twice per day but do not over feed as if the water goes foul they will die very quickly.

Keep an eye out on the salt density maintaining at 1.022.

After 4 days of feeding like this add 1/4 tank of fresh made salt water. As the Tank was 1/2 full this makes it a lot easier than siphoning out water, repeat in 4 days Time.

Depending on temperature in aprox 16 days time you will have adult brine shrimp! I have grown them to adult size and watch them breed like fly's in the grow up tank!

A fine mesh brine shrimp net works well for netting these guys for feeding.

Oh, one more thing with the salt, for best result use marine salt from your LFS as normal table salt will not work due to a lack of essential minerals.

HTH,


Ben