Storing live BBS

[kaceyo]

Where do you all keep your BBS after they hatch? I've been keeping them in the fridge in the same saltwater mix I use for hatching. I just assumed it would be best since they come from cold water, but maybe room temp with an airstone would be better?
Thanx,
Kacey

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Once they hatch, I use that culture to feed 2-3 times in the day, then I freeze anythin that's left over. I usually have 2 cultures of BBS goin and so by the time I freeze the first culture, the second culture is ready to feed, so I always have live BBS on hand. The stuff that I freeze, I use for a later date to feed the fry right before I move them from the parents. I then cut back to only having one culture going (less work) and feeding live daily when they are ready and the rest of the time, just tossing in a cube of the frozen stuff. Oh, and when I freeze, I put em into small ice cube trays. :)

-Ryan

[kaceyo]

Hi Ryan,
I only have a few fry and one hatchery tray so I need to keep some alive for at least 24hrs. My hatchery tray will give me live BBS in 24 hrs from time eggs are started so I realy just need to know how best to keep them healthy and nutritious for a day or two. surely some people keep the lil'buggers alive for a few days at a time?

[kodiak]

I store them in the fridge for 2-3 days in the same water that they were hatched in. No airstone or anything and they do fine.

[BGTW]

All you gotta do is collect the freshly hatched nauplii. Take some of the water you used to hatch them. Pour the water in a shallow dish. Plop the nauplii in them. Store them in the fridge (not the freezer). They can keep for upto 3 days.

Bob

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

I store them in the fridge for 2-3 days in the same water that they were hatched in. No airstone or anything and they do fine.

Only problem with storing them in the hatching water is that the hatching water isnt exactly clean...ever stick your nose over the culture while the air is on? There is bacteria in the culture and as the BBS age, they begin to feed off of the bacteria and when you feed them to the fry, you run a higher chance of getting bacterial blooms. Even if you use fresh BBS and harvest them when they hatch, there is still bacteria that is coating them. Ever wonder why most people rinse the BBS? to get rid of that bacteria. Now if you want to store them in the fridge for a few days, make up a new solution of the brine water and store them in that for a while. That way they are atleast in clean water...heck, they even last longer in clean/new water.

-Ryan