I hate hatching bbs for fry - other options?

[Harry Marsh]

I did it, but I hate it

I had 4 2-litre bottles of these hatchings going on
They smell (the bottles). They're a pain in the ***


I just started using some cyclops, frozen
They're starting to eat those instead of the BBS, which pleases me


In the future, are there other alternatives?

They were previously refusing to eat anything other than BBS.
Am I stuck raising BBS if I want to raise fry in the future?

I was told to try cutting up frozen bloodworms, but that didn't seem to work.

[nc0gnet0]

Just exactly why do you think raising BBS is a PITA? I find it one of the EASIER things in raising fry and only lasts about 6 weeks. Have you tried using hatchaable decaps?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DECAP-HATCHABLE-SHELL-FREE-BRINE-SHRIMP-EGGS-FISH-FOOD-FRY-8oz-Feed-Mandarine-/150663542211?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23143f35c3

You can also supplement with these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHOLE-ARCTIC-COPEPODS-READY-FEED-COPEPOD-FISH-FOOD-4-/160547702146?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2561638582

and these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COPEPODS-FREEZE-DRIED-BEST-fish-larvae-fry-food-4-/160547807055?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2561651f4f

[Harry Marsh]

I had 3 2-liter bottles of these going and 100 fry (4th bottle was decap hatchable and didn't hatch at all)
The 100 fry would eat the hatchings in one feeding, after 24 hours

An hour later I'd have a few more bbs hatched, but one fry could almost eat all of those bbs

....almost impossible to keep up, at that rate

Maybe I'm not doing it correctly. I was using cheap brine shrimp eggs from the local fish store
I tried the decap hatchable i bought from ebay and had VERY poor success (nasty, smelly mess)

I just ordered some from brine shrimp direct - hoping those are nicer

I'll look into your links: thanks for the advice


Update: Your first link was the decaps. I bought that exact link. They were a horrible, smelly mess and not a single shrimp hatched.
I'm trying again....wondering if I got a bad bottle or whatnot

[joanstone]

I think you'll find if you buy better decasulated eggs it will be much easier. I use eggs from "The Seahorse Source". They have a great hatch rate and are very easy to use. They are in a bottle in a liquid suspension that you just keep in the fridge. I hatch them in a couple of containers sitting in my sump with air going into them with rigid tubing and have zillions of BBS ready to go. They hatch in less than 24 hours in the nice warm water.

[Harry Marsh]

Hope so.

Those decaps were a mess. Smelled within a few hours: bad
24 hours later (i was trying to let them go), they smell up the entire house


I'm now trying a second time. I'm thinking I got a bad bottle or something (or it's a crappy brand)

I've got a few BBS this time from one 2-liter bottle that I put 3 or 4 times the recommended amount of eggs, in.

[nc0gnet0]

I can say this with 100% certainty, you screwed something up. I have used many bottles of those same hatchable decaps with absolutely no problems what-so-ever. I always get near 100 % hatch rate. What type of salt are you using and what temperature is your hatchery at? How long are you waiting before you harvest them?

IME There are no better hatchable decaps out there.

Rick

Maybe you had a bad bottle, they don't stink, you do need to keep them refrigerated however.

[Chicago Discus]

The only time they usually smell like that if they are old,cold,to much salt or not enough circulation.......Josie

[Harry Marsh]

Edit: Smelled again and the bottle doesn't stink

I'm guessing I messed up the first batch somehow

I have a second batch started. Some stink, but maybe normal


They're sitting beside 3 other colonies with the same parameters that seem to do well

[nc0gnet0]

What type of salt and what temp? How much salt? I am sure if you contact the seller he would be more than willing to accomodate you if you indeed did get a bad bottle. Are you keeping the decaps in the fridge?

If they smell right out of the bottle chances are they got warm for an extended period.

Rick

[Harry Marsh]

Rock salt, kosher. No temp guage on there.

2 liter bottle cut in half

using just over 1 liter of water, and about 2 teaspoons of that salt

I used a new light for that batch. I'm wondering if it was too close compared to the others
That was the only variance
I'm guessing that would ruin the batch and make it smell, as you mentioned

Salt concentration as you'd recommend?
the kosher rock salt is very course...i figured 2 teaspons rocks was slightly less in powder

[Discus Origins]

I just started using some cyclops, frozen. They're starting to eat those instead of the BBS, which pleases me


Frozen cyclops are a great food after the fry are big enough to take them. Very nutritious, the fry don't have to eat as many BBS to get full and you just take it out of the freezer when you feed the fry. But I don't think you can get away from hatching BBS when they come off the parent slime to get to the stage where they can eat bigger food.

Maybe bad batch on the eggs.

[nc0gnet0]

not enough salt, temperature should be 80-82 and you need to add air. I prefer canning salt myself.

[Harry Marsh]

I figure temperature is close (by finger)

How much more salt?

[nc0gnet0]

1 liter requirers nearly 2 TABLEspoons. I use 2 liter bottles with the bottom cut out, inverted, and fill 2/3 full and use exactly two table spoons. In each bottle/hatchery you need to add an airline, you will find that the hard tubing works much better for this. I have three two liter bottles inverted and placed into a 20 gallon aquarium that is half full of water and kept at 82 degrees. One for morning, one for noonish and one for night feedings. If you spend a little time and make a nice hatchery you will find that hatching BBS is really really easy.

Rick

[Harry Marsh]

Very nice idea regarding the aquarium, to keep them the proper temp
That could certainly help

thank you for the proper salt mixture - i'll add a bit more on the next try

[b0red04]

What about using golden pearls in the 5-50 micron size?

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[Harry Marsh]

What about using golden pearls in the 5-50 micron size?

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Haven't tried those. I actually went to our best local fish store today, no luck
I was looking for those

I might try those in the next 'go round'
I'd love to find a way out of BBS

[JamesP]

I use live brine until the fry are big enough to eat Decapsilate brine egss. I get them from Brine Shrimp Direct. They are not meant to be hatched. I soak them for a few minutes and then feed them by squirting them into the tank with a baster. The babies love them and feed in midwater and then mow the bottom once it settles. Just keep the jar them come in in the fridge. Very easy and great nutrition from waht I read actually more so than actually hatch brine.

[jimg]

I have the same problem with hatching brine shrimp, sometimes the whole jar will hatch and sometimes barley anything with the same water parameters. I even bought the 95% hatch rate and they were actually worse. the best ones I get decent hatch rates is jehmco's 90%.
I use temp 77+- salinty at 1.023-.027 put a dash of baking soda in.
I do get most of the jars hatching though but some just don't do it.

Now for some questions... any one ever raise the brine shrimp to adult?
I have been trying for 3 weeks now and they last a few days then dead. I have a cycled in tank air filter in a 5 gal tank tried 80 deg all the way to 72 deg with no difference. after the first day or two I feed with powdered shrimp food Al gave me and tried powdered spirulina and even wiped algae from a plant tank and put that in there. I tried hatching in a separate tank then siphon them into the exact same water parameters and tried hatching them in the tank directly....no luck
I have always managed to figure things out one way or the other but brine shrimp got me!!!

[Sean Buehrle]

I've been hatching brine eggs for 30 years and never had problems.

This is how I do it and it never fails.

Cut a 2 liter pop bottle about in half.

Leave the cap on and put the cap end of the bottle in the bottom part of the bottle you cut off so it will stand up.

Use 4 cups tap water, do not dechlorinate.

1 tablespoon of aquarium salt

1 teaspoon of eggs

Use an airline from a airpump to circulate water, put hose all the way down into the cap so no eggs sit there.

Keep the water around 75-80

They will start hatching in about 12 hours, and most will be hatched in 24.

Start another batch as soon as the first one starts hatching.

When you get done with the first start over, new water new salt, otherwise the water gets rank and you'll kill em.

I hatched 300 grams of eggs in a row with no problems, none.

An easy way to regulate heat is to put the bottles in a bucket or small fish tank and heat the water in the bucket.

Easy peasy :)

[joanstone]

I'm glad you brought that up. I have been trying to raise brine shrimp as well with little success. I've got mine in a bucket with air and a type of algae (nanno.... something or other that I had for keeping rotifers). They definitely aren't thriving. It's frustrating.

[jimg]

Easy peasy not for me!!!

[jimg]

I'm glad you brought that up. I have been trying to raise brine shrimp as well with little success. I've got mine in a bucket with air and a type of algae (nanno.... something or other that I had for keeping rotifers). They definitely aren't thriving. It's frustrating. it is! I tried everything, adding calcium,different salinity,temps, baking soda,a touch of chlorine etc etc.
The one batch of 95% eggs I just think I got a bad batch, they were from brine shrimp direct and I have never heard anything but good about them.

[Sean Buehrle]

If you guys can't hatch eggs the way I described, then your eggs are no good.

It's chlorinated water,salt ,and eggs . . add air

The last eggs I got were from Artemia USA and they were good eggs. Cheap too, a hundred grams for 11 bucks shipped.

[jimg]

mine will hatch most of the time in jars but I would say 70% hatch rate max.
But like i say I will some batches every so often that will do almost nothing , same eggs same water. So when I have fry I make 2 or 3 jugs to be sure.
I can live with that, growing them I need to figure!

[Chicago Discus]

I have been using brine shrimp direct And using their premium grade eggs. I use two of there large hatchery cones with a desk lamp 1.018 salinity and an air hose from the top down to the bottom, they come with valves on the bottom which makes it really easy to separate the shell from the shrimp. I start an am and a pm and they are always ready when I need them. They are a little more expensive but I have tryed other eggs and I get better result from them.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=brine%20shrimp%20direct&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brineshrimpdirect.com%2F&ei=akwKT4uLBoro0QGw8bmrAg&usg=AFQjCNHqZKp-BwTrZiV5ewxRCGErr0njpg

[joanstone]

I have no problem hatching tons and tons of eggs. The decaps in a solution that I get from Seahorse Source hatch enormous quantities. It's the growing out that's the hard part. BBS quickly lose their nutritional value so I've been enriching them/growing them out and i'm not sure how successful I'm being. Since I've started using the nanno liquid and a big bucket, it's a little better.

[LizStreithorst]

Touching wood as I type...I have never failed at hatching brine shrimp cysts. I do nothing special. I use no extra heat or light. I put them on the counter top and basicly do what Sean said. I use the cheap 70% hatch rate cysts. Everything has been rosey for me. They hatch like gangbusters.

[nc0gnet0]

Why the baking soda? BBS prefers water above 8.0 PH. I have found RO waste water to be the best hatching medium for BBS. No chlorine needed for decaps, but it does help hatch rates with the shelled variety. I haven't had a bad batch of BBS in quite awhile now.

[Corona]

An option to hatching baby brine shrimp may be to look for the Hikari frozen baby brine shrimp in your LFS:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8890&cmpid=03csegb&ref=3312&subref=AA&CAWELAID=525409054

[nc0gnet0]

I don't trust the frozen variety at all, better off feeding non-hatching decaps IMHO. This is the design I copied:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?52324-Best-way-to-hatch-baby-brine-shrimp/page3 post 31

Works flawlessly!

[damba]

Try powered callunus shrimp excellent for young and high protein. I use it for all my young cichlids.

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[Aquanero]

I've been using Hakari First Bites with good results for the past few years and then move on to Daphnia, Hakari Micro Pellets and then NLS .05mm Baby fish Formula. I don't like hatching BBS either, it's not nessisary anymore.

[jimg]

I am not worried at all about the bbs, I would like to know who has raised them to adult?

[Sean Buehrle]

I am not worried at all about the bbs, I would like to know who has raised them to adult?

I haven't done it but do know a person here n my city that raises them to sell to the pet stores.

I've been to his house and he has jars of water sitting in his windows that grows some sort of green water.

That's what he feeds them. I'll text him and ask how he does it.

[jimg]

I haven't done it but do know a person here n my city that raises them to sell to the pet stores.

I've been to his house and he has jars of water sitting in his windows that grows some sort of green water.

That's what he feeds them. I'll text him and ask how he does it. That would be nice ..thanks

[TURQ64]

I used to raise them to adult...Feed 'em algae (geen water mentioned above) and they do fine. I have one jar now, I'm just feeding them spiro flake that's almost powder.

[brady]

I use Angels plus premium and I would say I get At least a 95% hatch.
Method
1 gal. pickle jar, add 1gal 80F water ,1 tsp to 1 tbls eggs, depending on need heater and air line and let them HYDRATE in fresh water for an hour or so. Add 4 tbls kosier salt[Mortons] and 1 tsp epsom salts, and 20 to 24 hours later. Voila.
Jay

[CrazyAngels]

I am not worried at all about the bbs, I would like to know who has raised them to adult?
Benn ther, tried it for over a year and finally got it. The only way i found that would work is making a solution of water and bakers yeast. I add a couple of teaspoons into a small bottle and then a few ounces of RO drinking water. shake the bottle ans allow it to mix. then add some liquid into the grow out tank until the water becomes murky. Do not feed again until the brine shrimp have eaten the solution and this will be evident cause the water will be clear. every so many days look at the bottom of the tank and clean it if you see a lot of residue, which also works as a water change for them. Top it off with de-chlorinated salt water and you are good to go. Again it took me forever before I got it right. I did find though that many of the BBS will never grow, but they do stay alive and I've had some grow to 1/2 inch in length.

Hoe this helps you grow some. Good luck.

[jimg]

Thanks I was thinking of yeast but I think the the shrimp feed has that in it. I will get some and try.

[Sean Buehrle]

Thanks I was thinking of yeast but I think the the shrimp feed has that in it. I will get some and try.

I couldn't get ahold of the guy that does it but did talk to another guy that does it too.

He said its a lot easier in the summer .

He does it in 5 gallon buckets and feeds phytoplankton which is just green water.

The green water is pretty easy to do, you just stick a jar of water in the sun add air and wait for it to turn green .

Then they put that in the buckets with newly hatched brine shrimp.

They just bubble the water and add more plankton if necessary .

Sounds easy, I might try it this summer.

[jimg]

I couldn't get ahold of the guy that does it but did talk to another guy that does it too.

He said its a lot easier in the summer .

He does it in 5 gallon buckets and feeds phytoplankton which is just green water.

The green water is pretty easy to do, you just stick a jar of water in the sun add air and wait for it to turn green .

Then they put that in the buckets with newly hatched brine shrimp.

They just bubble the water and add more plankton if necessary .

Sounds easy, I might try it this summer.

Thanks Sean maybe I'll try that this summer too. I saw a video someone posted not long ago about a guy who empties his bs hatching jars into containers outside.

[Sean Buehrle]

Thanks Sean maybe I'll try that this summer too. I saw a video someone posted not long ago about a guy who empties his bs hatching jars into containers outside.

Back when I first started discus and was having problems left and right I remember feeding some live shrimp to my discus and they went crazy over them.

This sounds like a neat little project, I'll bet with some research we could make this work.

If you think about it, it's a really good way to get some greens into your discus.

I think I would feel confident feeding these if I grew them myself.

No pet shops middle men, just me to blame :)

[jimg]

Back when I first started discus and was having problems left and right I remember feeding some live shrimp to my discus and they went crazy over them.

This sounds like a neat little project, I'll bet with some research we could make this work.

If you think about it, it's a really good way to get some greens into your discus.

I think I would feel confident feeding these if I grew them myself.

No pet shops middle men, just me to blame :)
I agree! my biggest reason now is I started it and didn't get it figured out....now I have to finish!!!

[Chicago Discus]

Just get the salinity is 1.018 and 1 teaspoon of eggs warm water and a desk lamp thats it ......Josie
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff509/snoopodus/IMG_0170.jpg
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff509/snoopodus/IMG_0169.jpg