Gut loading brine shrimp

[Lukeluke]

I'm trying to work out a system for brine shrimp. I was using the big blender style hatchery from aquarium coop, but that's just way too many shrimps for the number and size of fish I have. So I picked up the little black dish type hatchery to try instead. Much handier with that little seive that comes with it. But I'm still producing way more than I probably need.

So my thought is, add cysts to little hatchery, feed the first batch 36 hours later. Then move stragglers over the next 24 hours or so to the blender for gut loading. Rinse repeat so I have shrimp to feed every other day and I'm getting the most out of each hatch. I did one water change, but I think I waited too long to change the water again. It turned stinky and all the shrimp were dead after a few days. Maybe I could add a few drops of Prime to avoid ammonia becoming toxic?

Ultimately I'm not sure if they actually ate any of the spirulina I added. How long after hatching will the shrimp start eating? Is there any way to tell if they're eating? I understand they're mostly nutritionally useless once they've consumed their yolk sac. How long does that take? I wasn't heating the blender water, if that affects their life cycle. Room temp is between 71 and 74.

I guess the question is, what is the approximate time line for maturing shrimp? Am I even waiting too long to feed the newly hatched ones? Should I start feeding whatever has hatched after 24 hours? If there is a good post/video on gut loading that answers these questions?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I'm trying to work out a system for brine shrimp. I was using the big blender style hatchery from aquarium coop, but that's just way too many shrimps for the number and size of fish I have. So I picked up the little black dish type hatchery to try instead. Much handier with that little seive that comes with it. But I'm still producing way more than I probably need.

So my thought is, add cysts to little hatchery, feed the first batch 36 hours later. Then move stragglers over the next 24 hours or so to the blender for gut loading. Rinse repeat so I have shrimp to feed every other day and I'm getting the most out of each hatch. I did one water change, but I think I waited too long to change the water again. It turned stinky and all the shrimp were dead after a few days. Maybe I could add a few drops of Prime to avoid ammonia becoming toxic?

Ultimately I'm not sure if they actually ate any of the spirulina I added. How long after hatching will the shrimp start eating? Is there any way to tell if they're eating? I understand they're mostly nutritionally useless once they've consumed their yolk sac. How long does that take? I wasn't heating the blender water, if that affects their life cycle. Room temp is between 71 and 74.

I guess the question is, what is the approximate time line for maturing shrimp? Am I even waiting too long to feed the newly hatched ones? Should I start feeding whatever has hatched after 24 hours? If there is a good post/video on gut loading that answers these questions?

going to defer to others on your main questions, but I found one flat hatchery to be insufficient when trying to keep rotation going. I have a second, but a third likely isn't overkill given the hatch, etc timeframes going on. The flat hatcheries are relatively inexpensive (compared to everything else in this hobby!) but also relatively flimsy - I put my flat hatcheries on scrap plywood so I have support carrying them around to/from sink & all.

Not sure why not adding fewer eggs if you have more than you want hatching overall.

Going to watch this thread to see answers from others to your main questions

 

[Lukeluke]

going to defer to others on your main questions, but I found one flat hatchery to be insufficient when trying to keep rotation going. I have a second, but a third likely isn't overkill given the hatch, etc timeframes going on. The flat hatcheries are relatively inexpensive (compared to everything else in this hobby!) but also relatively flimsy - I put my flat hatcheries on scrap plywood so I have support carrying them around to/from sink & all.

Not sure why not adding fewer eggs if you have more than you want hatching overall.

Going to watch this thread to see answers from others to your main questions

I feel like I'm adding as few as reasonable without counting them out individually. I did just a half of the little scoop thats included on the last batch. I only feed shrimp every other day, so the rotation seems to work out so far. I'm only feeding 4 small fish at this point.

Ultimately it's more just for fun and variety. Heres some babies, here's some gut loaded, worms, frozen, pellets, etc.

 

[Mikedawg]

I also use the flat hatchery and remove hatched naups to a small container where I add phytoplankton about 4-6 hours before feeding to my fish. I used the powdered spirulina a few times, but don't know if the naups ate it - pretty sure they will regularly eat phyto

 

[Lukeluke]

I also use the flat hatchery and remove hatched naups to a small container where I add phytoplankton about 4-6 hours before feeding to my fish. I used the powdered spirulina a few times, but don't know if the naups ate it - pretty sure they will regularly eat phyto

Right away after they hatch? About how long between adding eggs and feeding to the fish?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I hatch enough for 3 or 4 days, I just keep them in a jar on the table and feed some daily, I usually add phtyo after the second day, but they have lived for 4 days without feeding. As far as I know, they dont really eat anything as long as they still have their yolk sacs, and who knows how much benefit there is from "gut loading" anyway. Temperature does affect the hatch time, but not significantly, not much difference between 36~48 hours anyway. I dont think that fish get much nutritional benefit from baby brine shrimp overall anyway, its just something different once in a while.

 

[Mikedawg]

Right away after they hatch? About how long between adding eggs and feeding to the fish?

I enrich the naups about 4 - 6 hours after they have hatched to give them time to digest some of their yolk sack and then they begin feeding on the phyto, hopefully.

And, yeah, probably not much nutrition for fish or inverts but does add variety.

At public aquarium where I volunteer they are enriched about 24 hours after hatching, but I have read in more than one source that they have absorbed much of their yolk sack after above mentioned 4 - 6 hours. Too small for me to see any significant change in body, lol.

 

[Isopod80]

I've been growing brine shrimp in a half gallon jar for years. What I like to do is decapsulate the eggs first then add a little live Nannochloropsis phytoplankton to the egg water. I place the jar under a grow light and by the time the cysts hatch and begin to feed, they have a steady supply of food. The phyto also helps to filter the waste. If I neglect a jar for to long they will grow to adults and begin breeding. Here's a jar I have now that I've neglected for about 3 weeks.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Phytoplankton can be used to gutload the brine as well as PNS products! @Kenneth Wingerter

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

Phytoplankton can be used to gutload the brine as well as PNS products!

Yes, and they are best used in tandem. PNS bacteria are valuable in their high digestibility as well as their rich protein and B vitamin content. Phyto on the other hand is especially rich in lipids and essential fatty acids. Both contribute various color-enhancing and antioxidant carotenoid pigments. So, they compliment each other.

Used live, PNS bacteria confer the added benefit of consuming organic wastes and inhibiting pathogens such as Vibrio whilst phyto helps to oxygenate the culture vessel; both assimilate ammonia.

This works well with brine shrimp and rotifers--presumably also with copepods.

https://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/downloadfile.php?id=228&file=Y0dSbUx6QXhOVE01TnpZd01ERXpOVFU0TURFeU56WXVjR1Jt&dldname=Potential%20Use%20of%20the%20PhototrophicBacterium,%20Rhodopseudomonas%20palustris,%20as%20an%20Aquaculture%20Feed.pdf

http://directory.umm.ac.id/Data%20Elmu/jurnal/A/Aquacultural%20Engineering/Vol23.Issue4.Oct2000/1153.pdf

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

Gutloading Live Microcrustaceans

In the sense that very, very few animals specialize to eat only one thing, all animals are omnivores, and prefer live foods. For example, when herbivores

www.algaebarn.com

 

[JakeH]

I'm trying to work out a system for brine shrimp. I was using the big blender style hatchery from aquarium coop, but that's just way too many shrimps for the number and size of fish I have. So I picked up the little black dish type hatchery to try instead. Much handier with that little seive that comes with it. But I'm still producing way more than I probably need.

So my thought is, add cysts to little hatchery, feed the first batch 36 hours later. Then move stragglers over the next 24 hours or so to the blender for gut loading. Rinse repeat so I have shrimp to feed every other day and I'm getting the most out of each hatch. I did one water change, but I think I waited too long to change the water again. It turned stinky and all the shrimp were dead after a few days. Maybe I could add a few drops of Prime to avoid ammonia becoming toxic?

Ultimately I'm not sure if they actually ate any of the spirulina I added. How long after hatching will the shrimp start eating? Is there any way to tell if they're eating? I understand they're mostly nutritionally useless once they've consumed their yolk sac. How long does that take? I wasn't heating the blender water, if that affects their life cycle. Room temp is between 71 and 74.

I guess the question is, what is the approximate time line for maturing shrimp? Am I even waiting too long to feed the newly hatched ones? Should I start feeding whatever has hatched after 24 hours? If there is a good post/video on gut loading that answers these questions?

The Ziss hatchery is super convenient. I picked one up after Cory and Dean’s multi video hard sell. Very easy to hatch out a ton of bbs.

I’ve tried to maintain a culture of live brine twice and have had mixed results.

This video should answer a few of your questions about raising the bbs to adults: Mark’s Aquatics How to Raise Brine Shrimp to Adults

If you opt to just stick with the bbs and are only concerned with your yield you can look at refrigerating the surplus and feed over the next few days while you hatch your next batch. There is an article on the brine shrimp direct site that might prove helpful for you. Store Live Baby Brine Shrimp

 

[Lukeluke]

The Ziss hatchery is super convenient. I picked one up after Cory and Dean’s multi video hard sell. Very easy to hatch out a ton of bbs.

I’ve tried to maintain a culture of live brine twice and have had mixed results.

This video should answer a few of your questions about raising the bbs to adults: Mark’s Aquatics How to Raise Brine Shrimp to Adults

If you opt to just stick with the bbs and are only concerned with your yield you can look at refrigerating the surplus and feed over the next few days while you hatch your next batch. There is an article on the brine shrimp direct site that might prove helpful for you. Store Live Baby Brine Shrimp

Thanks! I'll take a look at those. I switched to the smaller hatchery. Seemed to make more sense given the quantity of fish I'm keeping at this point. Might have to try raising a batch to adults.