How to Hatch Brine Shrimp

In this article, we are going to discus everything Brine Shrimp. 

When raising baby fish, brine shrimp are one of the best, nutrient packed foods you can feed. Speeding up growth, increasing fish health as well as conditioning adult fish for breeding.

What you'll need:

• Brine Shrimp Hatchery
• Brine Shrimp Eggs
• Brine Shrimp Feeding Cup
• Air Pump
• Airline Tubing
• Aquarium Salt
• Check Valve

Storing Brine Shrimp Eggs

You will need to ensure your brine shrimp eggs are properly stored. Failing to do so can make them less viable. 
All brine shrimp eggs need to be stored as follows;

• In an air-tight, moisture free sealed container
• In a cool, 10c/50F enviroment
• Keep eggs intended for use within 4 weeks in a refrigerator
• For longer term storage, keep in a freezer

Hatching conditions

• Salinity:
  When hatching brine shrimp, salinity is important. The ideal salinity is 1.018 SG. When hatching with our Tonic Salt, Two Tablespoons (40g) per Litre of water is required to achieve this target.
• pH:
  Having the right pH can be an important part of hatching brine shrimp. A pH of 8.0 or higher is recommended for maximum hatching rate. Epson Salt or Baking Soda can be used to raise the pH.
• Temperature:
  The optimum temperature for hatching baby brine shrimp in 24 hours is 26-28c (80-82f). A lower temperature extends the time taken to hatch and can cause lower hatch rates. Do not exceed 30c.
• Aeration:
  Aeration is needed constantly throughout the hatching period. This ensures the eggs are kept in suspension, provides oxygen and prevents fungus. Strong aeration will not damage or hurt the brine shrimp eggs
• Incubation Period:
  If all optimal water parameters are met, the optimal incubation period is 24 hours. If eggs have been stored incorrectly, the incubation period can be as long as 36 hours.
• Lighting:
  Keeping your brine shrimp illuminated through the incubation period is necessary. This triggers hatching within the embryo during the first hours of incubation. Maintaining illumination throughout the entire incubation period is recommended to ensure optimum hatch results.

How to hatch Baby Brine Shrimp

1. Set up your brine shrimp hatchery
2. Fill with water
3. Add salt to a salinity of 1.018 SG -Two Tablespoons of tonic salt per Litre of water.
4. Turn on air and wait 1 hour to allow salt to mix & water to get to 26-28c.
5. Add 2grams of Brine Shrimp Eggs per Litre of Water while continuing to allow sufficient aeration.
6. Wait 24 hours for Brine Shrimp to sufficiently hatch
7. Turn all lights off and direct a light towards the bottom of your hatchery. This convinces the Brine Shrimp to swim towards the bottom of the hatchery to where we harvest.
8. Open the valve releasing the brine shrimp into a harvesting container.
9. Mix in some fresh water and feed out as needed.
10. Unfed brine shrimp may remain in the hatchery with sufficient aeration to be fed out at later time.
11. Rinse and clean all equipment sufficiently with warm water - the smell of unclean equipment is less than satisfactory.