Automatic Baby Brine Shrimp Dispenser

Neuratox · Feb 29, 2020

I'm curious, I've come across the Brine Shrimp Hatch N' Feeder in my search for an automated version of brine shrimp feeding. This one seems to be okay at best, but would negatively impact water chemistry as the eggs break down to my understanding. I'm not seeing much of a difference between this and putting the eggs straight into the tank (which I know is a no-no). Additionally, from the videos that I've watched, it doesn't look all that efficient while also adding this large ugly piece of plastic in the tank.

Are there any other alternatives, preferably automated? It would be fantastic if something could inject a large amount of baby brine in every day! I'm sure my fish would love that!

If there no other alternatives, is this something that others in the hobby would pay for and use? I'm a bit of a tinkerer which is why I ask.

lapin · Feb 29, 2020

Baby brine are only nutritious for the first day or 2.
Automation:
You will need to keep adding eggs every day or 2. Maybe an auto feeder.
They are attracted to light. If you can first separate the empty and unhatched eggs shells then attract them to a spot with a light you might be able to have something suck them out for a few seconds and move them to your tank.

calvertc425 · Mar 8, 2020

Use a doser and connect it to a home made hatchery

Anna E Lokshin · May 2, 2020

lapin said:
Baby brine are only nutritious for the first day or 2.
Automation:
You will need to keep adding eggs every day or 2. Maybe an auto feeder.
They are attracted to light. If you can first separate the empty and unhatched eggs shells then attract them to a spot with a light you might be able to have something suck them out for a few seconds and move them to your tank.

Not true. If you feed them with microalgae or commercially available enrichment mixed - they will be nutritious. Actually, all professional seahorse breeders use bb this way, and it is them who sell these enrichment powders. seahorsesavvy.com, seahorsesource.com

F i s h y · May 2, 2020

calvertc425 said:
Use a doser and connect it to a home made hatchery

I like this idea. I'd love to see what people come up with.

el aguila · May 3, 2020

I dose phyto and newly hatched brine shrimp to my tank using a wine bottle cooler and dosing pump.

I hatch with 4 of the brine shrimp hatchery dishes that brine shrimp direct sells.

Anna E Lokshin · May 3, 2020

Neuratox said:
I'm curious, I've come across the Brine Shrimp Hatch N' Feeder in my search for an automated version of brine shrimp feeding. This one seems to be okay at best, but would negatively impact water chemistry as the eggs break down to my understanding. I'm not seeing much of a difference between this and putting the eggs straight into the tank (which I know is a no-no). Additionally, from the videos that I've watched, it doesn't look all that efficient while also adding this large ugly piece of plastic in the tank.

Are there any other alternatives, preferably automated? It would be fantastic if something could inject a large amount of baby brine in every day! I'm sure my fish would love that!

If there no other alternatives, is this something that others in the hobby would pay for and use? I'm a bit of a tinkerer which is why I ask.

I just bought a peristaltic dosing pump for $26 from Amazon. Will see how it will work

Anna E Lokshin · May 3, 2020

calvertc425 said:
Use a doser and connect it to a home made hatchery

Great, just bought a dosing pump from Amazon. Thank you!

lapin · May 3, 2020

el aguila said:
I dose phyto and newly hatched brine shrimp to my tank using a wine bottle cooler and dosing pump.

I hatch with 4 of the brine shrimp hatchery dishes that brine shrimp direct sells.

The chiller
Is it electric and what model is it?

Skydvr · May 20, 2020

That hatcher is intended primarily for freshwater tanks. The difference in salinity keeps the saltwater in the hatcher.

You can do something similar with decapsulated brine shrimp eggs, just make sure to get ones that are still viable or decapsulate yourself (some brine eggs, I don't imagine you are in a shell) and do some test hatches to make sure you haven't cooked them. You can run something much smaller, especially in a saltwater tank as you don't have to worry about excessive agitation increasing salinity in the display. Aggressive agitation or exchange through the device would be better in that case as it would ensure better oxygenation and higher hatch rates.

I think it was PJ's Reef, or something like that, who was making in tank hatchers using magnetized eggs. He is more in the nano reef forums and it is geared more towards that market. They aren't bad if you don't need to hatch more than 1/8 teaspoon at a time. The container is about a half dollar in diameter.