Brine Shrimp - Question

Hi

Im new to the forum(1st post) and not exactly sure if this topic is talkable..
Iv been feeding my frys some baby brine shrimps that I normally hatch from eggs.
Never have I really though about getting them to be adults, I went around to a few
LFS today just to browse for new stuff. What I saw in one of the ponds with koi's
where bags of adult shrimps. - I normally dont walk in these sections of the LFS

This got me thinking, the brine shrimp I hatched earlyer this week was still like 60%
untouched and most of them died.
I generally get a very good hatch rate (even without using a light during the 24 hour time
thats required to hatch them).
I know people say feed them Yeast but how do i exactly keep them alive?? say to 4 weeks?
theres still thousands in the container that I keep them in but yeah, just thought about getting
them to adults now.

Any advice will help.

 

I want to join BBQ with this question, as it seems a terrible waste to let the BBS just die. I know and read that the BS loose their nutritional value as they grow, but surely they are still better alive as food than frozen BS?

 

Have a look at this thread compliments of MASA. This is supposedly a viable way of raising BS. You can feed them yeast. Brine pond

 

I used to keep em in a "Molly Tub" - those 80 litre rope handled plastic "bucket" you buy.... Salt to a specific gravity of 1.020 .... Fed them a small pinch of Anchor yeast 3 times a week,some liquidised spinach and lettuce once a week.... Grew into big fat BS.... Easily done...

 

Indoors or outdoors? What about winter? Water parameters and water changes? Filters,pumps and aeration?

 

Was outdoors under an awning in PE years ago - in winter the numbers dwindled,bounced back in summer..... Never really waterchanged - just filled up evaporation loss for the 2 years or so I had this running.... Airstone provided some circulation... that's it. As for water parameters - was 20 years ago,not even my brain remembers stuff like that any more...

 

Thanks for the replies folks, It never got to my attention about the air pump running.
I stopped my air pump after they hatched, should I just supply them with some air?
the BBS is still very small would air stones not get them stuck or kill them?
and I added some yeast for them last night but when i fed my fry with some shrimps,
few hours ago. I saw they sinking to the bottom and looked alot has died (did not happen before)
Current water temp is +30 degree "just dame too hot in PTA atm"

 

Check out this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KeGIF7oY7E

It looks very easy.

 

@Reedfish
most of the LFS do sell frozen ones yes(R27-R30). but rarely I see live ones, which i saw today.
didnt even bother asking about the price, cos I was a little upset from last week from this LFS.
I wanted to buy a L046 pleco @R1400 but the guy helping me was not much of a help, and I
left him my number to basically ask his boss "maybe dad" to call me back about it as I wanted to buy it.
anyways these were brine shrimps.
I feed my fishes frozen brine shrimp and a bloodworm everyday
and the frys-egg yolk, Tetra min baby and baby brine shrimp.

 

@jpvd007

I saw that vid about 3 times since november till now, and thx for the advice

 

Just read the chapter on BS in this book. All questions answered.

 

Hi @TomK

what book? cos ur image is not showing.

Thanks in advance

 

Strange, it is showing on my side.

Here is the image link again.

Culturing Live Foods by Michael R. Hellweg.

 

Hi guys,

I also tried this but failed horribly
What i came away with was to make sure that you have the algae ready before growing the BBS.

Here's a link to a really good setup.
http://www.petshrimp.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?t=2409

 

Hi @morfien.

Tell us what you did. I am sure it will help, even if it is showing us what not to try.

 

No Problems.

1) use rock salt for your salt. its cheap and does the trick.
2) use boiling water to melt the salt and run it through a coffee filter to get rid of all the crap that's in it.
My water was crystal clear after this. (This was the second time round. First time couldn't even see though to the other side of a 20cm wide tank)

some sites suggested that you use normal baking flour to feed them.... bad idea. It doesn't get eaten and then your left with microscopic pieces of rotting flour in your tank. (again that was the first time) I think this is the same with the yeast. I see this as a short term solution.

If i did it again i would get a nice bright white light (any cheap thing as long as its bright) get a culture of marine algae going. Place the tank in direct sun light to help that culture on its way. Finally hatch the shrimp in a net that will contain the egg shells (The shells get everywhere and are a night mare to get rid of).

Hope that helps.

 

@TomK were did you find this book was it locally and how much was it? I found it on Amazon.com and it is just over R320. Also what else dose it cover in the book and is it worth buying ?

 

Intresting, I will meet up with Azurekoi to get some advice and test the theory..
we just need to come to an time arrangment but holding thumbs for the shrimps

 

@jpvd007, yes, it is on Amazon and the local (Kalahari.net) company as well. Pretty much came to the same price at both when I bought, so I ordered locally. Takes about the same time, as Kalahari do not have in stock and seems like they are ordering from Amazon.

Is it worth it is a question that each one will answer differently. At the time I got it, I was disappointed. Reason being I was a total novice and did not understand what they talked about, nor where to get the stuff. So I threw it one side. I dug it out only now again and found tremendous value from the chapter on BBS. There is lots of chapters covering all sorts of live food. So in time I think the book is going to become invaluable to me.

Ok, to share what I found with my experimenting thus far. I will not quote from the book, as it is probably against the law, so I will just mention my own findings.

I mix my RO water (yes, everything is RO in this house. Tap water is unbearable, stink and tastes bad from the algae in the Vaal river) , 1 liter with 6 tsp of table salt, 1 tsp of 'Koeksoda' (Bicarbonate of Soda) and 1 tsp of Epsom Salts. That gives me a specific gravity of 1020. One can go a bit more on the salt, as I think the ideal is 1022. OK, I know this is not new to anyone, but my first batch (BBS) where I used salt only was not nearly as successful as the one with the other two ingredients. The Bicarbonate of Soda ensure you have a pH of 8.1 or higher and the Epsom Salt I have no idea what it is about.

As far as growing them (BBS) to adulthood is concerned, it is also discussed in the same chapter, but I will have to experiment first before commenting. That might take a long time. In the meantime I look for tips and tricks on this thread.

Oh yeah, the adults is not nutritious, but you can 'enrich' them. Being live is the key, as fish love that.

@Rory Question to the moderators. To what extend and how can one share the knowledge you gain from a book?