Non Hatching BBS

[steve b]

Seems my BBS eggs are off!! got 400g of them so instead of throwing them away do you think decapsulating them to feed would work if anything left in the egg shell?

I hate throwing things away.... you should see the contents of my loft.

[brewmaster15]

Seems my BBS eggs are off!! got 400g of them so instead of throwing them away do you think decapsulating them to feed would work if anything left in the egg shell?

I hate throwing things away.... you should see the contents of my loft.

Steve I wouldnt bother. Metabolically the cysts are dead. At best you could probably get some very good plant fertilizer out of them

[steve b]

Thanks....

[steve b]

Got new eggs and have good hatch at 24hrs but even better after 48hrs. 26c

[brewmaster15]

Got new eggs and have good hatch at 24hrs but even better after 48hrs. 26c

Having a window of 24-48 hours isnt typical Steve. That makes it very hard to know how nutritious the bbs are as they use up their yolk sack in the first 12 24 hours and molt. Usually the majority of cysts in a graded can will hatch around the same time under the came conditions.

Are you storing the cysts in the refrigerator or freezer?

[Charlyc11]

Best is to keep the bulk in the freezer and a small working amount in the refrigerator. Keeping in the freezer and opening the can every day degrades the cysts.

[brewmaster15]

Best is to keep the bulk in the freezer and a small working amount in the refrigerator. Keeping in the freezer and opening the can every day degrades the cysts.

Right. But it also puts the cysts in a more metabolically dormant state. Brineshrimpdirect.com recommends long term storage in the freezer, short term in the refrigerator. They recommend letting the cysts stored in the freezer to be put in the refrigerator 1 day in advance of use. Im wondering if Steve has his stored in the freezer which would explain the big hatching window he is seeing.
The other thing that can affect hatching is the age of the cysts and storage conditions.

[steve b]

The eggs I am using are in a fridge, the main bulk of eggs in a fridge at 4c. The supplier said not to store in freezer but at 4c? Iv'e seem both recommended. I harvest at 24hrs with hardly any left swimming in the bottle then again 12/24 later the second harvest.

[brewmaster15]

Theres alot of resellers of brine shrimp cysts out there. Only a few actually specialize in this product. Brineshrimpdirect.com has been doing this a very longtime. I believe that their advice is sound and have followed it for years. Long term storage in the feeezer will extend the life of the cysts. I have unopenned cans I found in my chest freezer that are 6 plus years old and hatch perfectly fine.

Did you buy them in a metal sealed 16 oz can?

[steve b]

No not a can this time, I think they may bulk buy and divide up into saleable lots, came in sealed plastic tub. I will put the spare eggs in the freezer and keep my fingers crossed. Thanks.

[brewmaster15]

Just take out what you need for a few weeks at a time.

As some unsolicitated advice.... Resellers that repackage the product into smaller containers generally lack the facilities to store it properly. Its no guarantee that 16 oz cans will have been stored properly but I have known alot of hobbyists that bought the repackaged product and got very poor hatch rates and shelf life. You really have no idea what the hatch rates actually are with these or how they have been stored.

[steve b]

True, I take it Brineshrimpdirect.com is US based? Just checked it is, very good price on those tins....

[brewmaster15]

Yes ..US based and direct access to the Great Salt Lake Supply system.

[Charlyc11]

Brine shrimp Direct are a very reputable seller and warranty their product 100%. I had bought the decapsulated hatchable BBS and could not get good results so they replaced the product. I still had issues so the refunded the whole thing. Their is a very nice and smart lady that is in customer service that is very knowledgeable.

[brewmaster15]

Brine shrimp Direct are a very reputable seller and warranty their product 100%. I had bought the decapsulated hatchable BBS and could not get good results so they replaced the product. I still had issues so the refunded the whole thing. Their is a very nice and smart lady that is in customer service that is very knowledgeable.

I agree Chuck. They are great to work with.
That lady is most likely Victoria.