'Gut load' BBS?

[yim11]

I was hoping to know more about 'gut loading' BBS, or find out what others give their BBS to increase the nutritional value. It seems a ultra-fine spirulina power might work, and/or maybe the Better than Brine or Hikari First Bites powder food?

Thanks,
-jim

[William Palumbo]

I use vitamin(VITA-CHEM) enriched FRESHwater to rinse and let soak in, the newly hatched BBS. Supposedly, when the BBS are exposed to freshwater, the bodies act as sponges to absorb the fresh water(VITA-CHEM) This is the quickest way. The other ways seem like more work as you have to wait for certain intervals between hatching...then moving the BBS to other containers containing the food, leaving them in there for a certain amount of time to feed, as they only start to eat after a certain amount of time from hatching. A bit too involving for me, as I go thru a lot of it...Bill

[brewmaster15]

Hi Jim,
The best way to max out the nutrition of the BBS is to feed ones that hatched out freshly...prior to their first molt, called an instar...Its during this time that these BBS have a nutritious yolk sack they live off. This first stage of dev lasts about 12 hours...so BBS really need to be hatched out daily for maximum nutrition.

As Bill indicated they don't start filter feeding until after the first molt so trying to bump up the nutrition thru gut feeding prior to that is a waste of time.... They may however be able to absorb vitamens and minerals to a degree.

http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Imp...-Feed-c82.html

hth,
al

[yim11]

Thanks Bill and Al.

Sounds like a vitamin soak may be the easiest way to go.

[CliffsDiscus]

Try some Selcon.

Cliff

[mmorris]

When I have fry I hatch out the bbs twice a day. I've got it down to a system so it literally only takes me maybe two minutes each time.