11 replies to this topic

[Moontanman]

Does anyone grow brine shrimp to adulthood ? I am giving up on the daphnia and I plan to use my 360 fiberglass vat to grow brine shrimp. Can you use water softener salt? Any tips anyone has for growing adult brine shrimp will be appreciated. 

[Betta132]

You don't want adult brine shrimp. Baby brine shrimp are only high in nutrients because they have the yolk sac for a couple of days, but then they absorb it. Brine shrimp are kind of like fish cotton candy; lots of taste, no nutritional value whatsoever. Perhaps scuds would work instead? 

And I'm pretty sure you can't use water softener salt. 

[dac343]

You don't want adult brine shrimp. Baby brine shrimp are only high in nutrients because they have the yolk sac for a couple of days, but then they absorb it. Brine shrimp are kind of like fish cotton candy; lots of taste, no nutritional value whatsoever. Perhaps scuds would work instead? 
And I'm pretty sure you can't use water softener salt.

I disagree with this statement only because it assumes one just takes the shrimp and puts into a tank. IF they are raised and fed enriched diets they can provide a significant amount of nutrition. Its quite similar to gut loading insects in the herp world. I use cheap marine salt to be honest with you so I can't weigh in on the water softner salts. They are not hard to raise, a lot of the brine shrimp powder food is spirulina based and because of that I'm not a big fan. Marine snow, or any Selcon or Zoecon will do nicely. Another option is looking online on sites like ebay and buying live algae such as Nanno or Tetraselmis.

[Kanus]

I've done it in small quantities by just using the wastewater from my baby brine shrimp hatchery (not dechlorinated, with regular aquarium salt added). I just dump the wastewater into a Tupperware or something similar with large surface area/volume ratio, and add a slight bit of aeration. Sometime I sprinkle a little dried spirulina on the surface, but usually they grow to adulthood just fine on whatever bacterial bloom happens from the hatch water. I always did put them in a specimen cup full of green water for at least an hour or two before feeding them out though.

[Kanus]

 

 

That may be helpful.

[Moontanman]

My main problem is filling the tank up halfway at least with salt water, 175 gallons of sea salt is expensive. had planned to feed them powdered algae, is this not nutritionally beneficial? I was hoping that water softener salt could be used if I added some calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. I plan to do this outside on my carport so sunlight will be limited, I will have to feed them. 

[smilingfrog]

You could try a mini batch, say a gallon or so, with water softener salt and see if it works before going full scale.

[dac343]

Would rock salt provide a cheaper alternative for you?  The dried powdered algae is a good food.  I just seem to always have blue-green outbreaks when I feed it to my feeders.  Even when running them through a sieve so I tend to avoid using it unless I'm desperate.

[Kanus]

Also, not an especially nutritious food, but they'll also grow just fine on yeast water. It may be a little easier to dose than dried algae (which it always seems have some particles that fall right to the bottom and contribute to fouling the water)

[Moontanman]

Would rock salt provide a cheaper alternative for you?  The dried powdered algae is a good food.  I just seem to always have blue-green outbreaks when I feed it to my feeders.  Even when running them through a sieve so I tend to avoid using it unless I'm desperate.

 

 

Good point, I am not sure where to get rock salt in large amounts but if I add a little calcium chloride it should work, I'll look into it, thank you for the idea. 

[Moontanman]

Also, not an especially nutritious food, but they'll also grow just fine on yeast water. It may be a little easier to dose than dried algae (which it always seems have some particles that fall right to the bottom and contribute to fouling the water)

 

 

I feed daphnia yeast water and spirilla, is there any other easily available foods that are cheap and good for gut loading? 

[Moontanman]

I am having a problem with green water in one of my tanks, the clams love it of course but I can't see more than a few inches into the water, could this be the result of feeding my daphnia sprillia ? The tank has a lovely forest of cape fear spatterdocks and lots of growing moss from the cape fear as well, very frustrating I can't get the greenwater to lighten up a bit. If i use an algaecide I risk killing all my clams and snails. 

 

This tank has been green for months, it would be cool to use a natural means to reduce the algae, freshwater sponges would be a cool way, the clams don't seem to be making a dent in the algae but they have been in the tank over a year and are doing well...