Ok, dumb dumb question...

[tishygirl]

How can I tell when these little brown things hatch? I am trying to hatch some baby brine shrimp, but they are just teensy weensy little brown floaty things LOL... How can I tell when they hatch???

 

[smooth_bourbon]

there are no dumb questions. Tho i have no experience I just scanned the web and found they look very different when they hatch. http/www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/Drewes...ocs/Artemph.jpg

seem to stop looking like a egg and more like a prehistoric creature. Good luck with your shrimp

 

[tishygirl]

LOL, I'm going to need a magnifying glass

thanks for the pics!

 

[tishygirl]

LOL, its starting to smell REALLY bad, its been about 30hrs, and I can't seem to tell if there is any change. ahhhh!!

 

[BigC]

There are many different contraptions floating around to hatch brineshrimp in, but all I use is a 1ltr lemonade bottle with the neck cut off, I fill this to about 2/3 full of tap water and add one tablespoon of Cooking Salt (not Table Salt). This needs to be held at a temperature of around 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH of around 8.0 (If your tap water is below 7.5 then add a very tiny amount of Bicarbonate of Soda to the mix). 5ml of brineshrimp eggs are then added to the saline mix and an air stone is inserted to keep the eggs in suspension. A light source needs to be left on 24/7 to activate the hatching mechanism, I use an 11w energy saver type which gives of the equivalent light of a 60w normal bulb. If all the above criteria are adhered to then the eggs should hatch in 24 - 36 hours. To feed the nauplii I suck up enough for one feed using a glass eyedropper and strain this through a cotton handkerchief over a jam-jar. I flush the brineshrimp with fresh water, again via an eyedropper to remove some of the saline solution. Then I dip the handkerchief into the fry tank.
Regards
BigC

 

[tishygirl]

I just put them into a little fishbowl I had laying around, and added the airstone..... my problem is that I cant tell if my eggs are hatching or not, its just a swarm of little speckles in the bowl.

 

[BigC]

The eggs are brownish in colour and when they hatch the shrimp are orange. Shut off the airflow and place a light source near your bowl and the shrimp will congregate at the light source.

 

[tishygirl]

HAHA! Ok, the light trick worked, yay! the little baby brine shrimp are a hit.. gave some to my fry, and put a few into the main tank as well ... gosh they were HARD to see LOL... but sure enough, stick a light at the bottom of the bowl and you can tell the difference, thanks guys, I appreciate the help

 

[tishygirl]

How long can these little guys survive in the fishbowl I hatched them in? do I need to keep the airstone going for them to survive?? Had tons hatch, but the fish cant eat this many in one sitting.