Problems Hatching Baby Brine Shrimp

[studmaster]

Hello all,

I'm hoping someone here that has hatched Baby Brine Shrimp can help.

One of my mollies had some fry. I'm trying to hatch some baby brine shrimp, and they look like they hatch, and I see a lot of little pink things in the water but they aren't moving. Some are moving, but I would say only maybe 8%.

I'm putting 1.5 tbsp salt (non-iodized course salt) per litre water, and making sure there is a heat source to keep the temp at around 80ish. Also I have a lamp right there to give them a light source. I tried an air pump, but actually got less of a hatch rate with that(might have been on too strong). My PH is about 8.2.

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Tolak]

Add some baking soda to increase the pH & hardness. I use 1 1/2 tsp per gallon.

They need the air to keep them suspended. Unless it is bubbling so much that you are splashing water out of the container it should be fine. Mine looks like a boiling pot of water.

 

[bunjiweb]

May sound like a silly question but does the brine-shrimp mix you are using already contain the salt mixed in, meaning you don't need to add any extra? This is what many packs come like these days.

Ben

 

[studmaster]

May sound like a silly question but does the brine-shrimp mix you are using already contain the salt mixed in, meaning you don't need to add any extra? This is what many packs come like these days.

Ben

No, it's just eggs from San Fransico brand. Just in a little jar.

 

[studmaster]

Okay, I tried again, this time I reduced the salt by half...still no luck. I tried the upside down bottle with strong air method and then the shallow tupperware container method that I used to have a lot of luck with. Has anyone ever gotten a "bad batch" from the store? It was the San Fransisco Bay brand in the small bottle. I get about 5% hatch rate, but never anything more than that.

The last time I used PH Up to increase the PH of my water to about 8.2, but that didn't help much either.

 

[Tolak]

How much of what type of salt are you using per what quantity of water? It may be a bad batch as well, if it's a smaller quantity purchased from your lfs.

 

[studmaster]

Yeah, it's a small quantity purchased from LFS. This is what I got locally.

http/www.acornnaturalists.com/store/xq/a...qx/product1.htm

I have tried putting 3/4 tbps, 1tbps and 2tbsp per litre of water, all without much luck.

 

[kimmers318]

My daughter has hatched them from a kit for a science project, but I find it easier when I have platy fry to use the frozen baby brine shrimp. They gobble it right up and grew just fine.

 

[BigC]

http/www.brineshrimpdirect.com/res_hatching.html
I hope this was of some help to you......and yes I've had bad batches in the past.
Regards
BigC

 

[studmaster]

http/www.brineshrimpdirect.com/res_hatching.html
I hope this was of some help to you......and yes I've had bad batches in the past.
Regards
BigC

Thanks, I have read that page already along with many others. I think that I might have a bad batch. I'm going to pick up some known good cysts from a hatching pro here in my city, so at that point I'll be able to figure out if it's the cysts or something I'm doing wrong.