A Little Shrimp Goes A Long Way By Deborah & Rodney Ralph

 

The salt water for the hatching is made in advance, 3 level tablespoons of coarse salt to 2.5 litres of hot tap water, which dissolves the salt. This ratio should give the water the specific gravity of 1.022 for best results. Test this if desired but wait until it has cooled. Set up the open tank one third to one half, fill it with water, place the heater in and get the water temperature to 20 to 24 degrees celsius. Set up the airpump nearby and attach the airhose and airstone. The best position for the airstone is for it to sit on the bottom or the bottle, place a piece of thin, stiff wire into the airhose a little longer than the bottle, push it up a little so as not to stop air going into the airstone. Put the bottle top through and place the airstone back onto the airhose. This will make sure the airstone will be where you want it.

 

Pour the cooled salt water mixture into the 2 litre drink container leaving enough space for bubbles (about one half of an inch to an inch from the bottom of the neck). Up to 24 drops of brine-shrimp eggs can safely be added, for however many fry you have. You can use more bottles or larger vessels if desired. If you need more, place the bottle into the heated tank, put the airstone and hose in and screw on the lid. if the hole in the lid is a tight fit against the air hose, this will decrease the action of the airstone and can be remedied by small air-holes made.with a pin in the lid. A vigorous action from the airstone to keep the eggs constantly moving is best. The eggs hatch in 24-48 hours, at 24 degrees celsius they hatch in about 36 hours although some take longer, which works well when feed from one bottle twice a day.

 

A new salt solution is made up weekly though the old would probably last longer but weekly is easier to remember, this also keeps the hatching rate high.

 

To actually get the brine-shrimp to feed to your fry is next. Before feeding time the bottles contents need to settle, so allow 30 minutes to an hour for this. No need to turn the airhose off, just lift the bottle from the tank after removing the lid, air hose etc. and place on a Loam or plastic drip tray. I have found that it is best if the bottle is covered by a spare lid and wrapped up or covered by black cardboard with only a small section of the neck left open to light. This keeps the brine-shrimp from forming a mass at the bottom with unhatched eggs and makes it easier getting them out.

 

A spare 2 litre container, clean handkerchief or piece of material, funnel, cup (containing tank water) and a small container are what is needed for the next step. After the bottle has settled, move it to where a tap is nearby and have all the necessary equipment at hand. Place the wet handkerchief over the open neck of the empty 2 litre container and push the hanky down into the neck with a pen or similar item until it is about 3 to 4 inches down, but still have enough left around the outside to hold. Put the funnel into the hanky covered neck and uncover the brine-shrimp being careful not to stir it up. Slowly pour the brine-shrimp into the funnel and through the hanky until half or however much brine-shrimp you want has been poured out. Remove the funnel and gather the hanky up, gripping it together where it is hanging over the neck. Wash the brine-shrimp inside the hanky with running water working it down to the point of the hanky into a small lump. Then squeeze excess water out of the rest of the hanky and open it carefully with a finger behind the lump of brine-shrimp on the hanky, direct it into the centre ana down into a small clear vial and spread the hanky around the outside leaving the mass of brine-shrimp pushed into the centre. Pour enough tank water to wash the brine-shrinip off the hanky into the vial then remove the hanky making sure that none is left on it. Now you have a vial full of brine-shrimp ready to teed your hungry fry. Just pour the amount needed slowly into the tanks of the waiting fry. The strained salt water is poured back into the bottle and put back into the tank for the 2nd feeding. After which another lot of brine-shrimp eggs are added by drops ready for the next time around.

 

Two bottles are kept going using this method and this gives two feedings of brine-shrimp daily, one bottle alternate days. The most important things for successful brine-shrimp hatching seem to be the constant temperature of 20-24 degrees celsius and the salt mixture with a specific gravity of 1.022 which works out to be 3 level tablespoons of course salt to two and one half litres of Canberra tap water. This method is cheap, easy and gives good results and your young fish will love you for doing this for them.