My first attempt at hatching Sea Monkeys.

[Cashmere_socks]

haha, Sea Monkeys.

Anyway, I got some brine shrimp eggs, and made up my little hatchery and 48 hours later I'd say maybe half of them hatched. I couldn't find anything about a success rate on the pack so I guessed it would be low. Not a big deal, I dont have many fish to feed.

So, I started siphoning them out, and put them into a coffee filter so I could let them drain and then I could rinse them off. Turns out, the bottom of my coffee filter wasnt sealed very well and I didnt notice that I lost half of the Brine Shrimp down the sink! Ah, So I started again, and carefully folded the coffee filter so there was no chance of a hole. That worked, and I managed to get the remaining B. Shrimp.

I was very excited to put the B. Shrimp in the tank and watch my fish go nuts like I have seen in videos... but they didnt seem to know what to do. They were scared of my little pipet and they wouldnt come out of the plants! Some of the shrimp floated downwards, and practically had to hit the fish in the face before they realized they were there.

They did eventually figure it out, but stayed low in the tank and zoomed around the plants trying to catch them! You should have seen the colours! All the fish had their fins out and the Red-Fin Tetra was just brilliant!

[Cashmere_socks]

and the Platy didnt want to eat them at all. Even though he had the best chance, because the shrimp were trying to hover by the lights, and the Platy was the only one who would go to the surface.

[CACAdmin]

It may have taken them a few minutes to figure it out but obviously once they did, they loved them. Give the platy time... mine love them... skip a feeding and then feed the BBS... hunger will likely trigger the interest and once sampled, he/she should go crazy for them too.

[vince0]

Congrats on joining the live bbs crowd. I put up a thread a while ago about hatching brine shrimp - also calling them sea monkeys and put up pictures of my set up - It has since been modified slightly for ease of use. IMO, a brine shrimp net works better than coffee filter and they are fairly inexpensive (around $3 to $5). Ill take pictures of the updated set up tonight and post them for you. It is IMO the easiest set up to use that i've seen to date. THe way I see it, the least complicated and easier to do something is, the more likely im going to do it regularly lol!

[Cashmere_socks]

It may have taken them a few minutes to figure it out but obviously once they did, they loved them. Give the platy time... mine love them... skip a feeding and then feed the BBS... hunger will likely trigger the interest and once sampled, he/she should go crazy for them too.

hmm, thats a good plan. Thanks!

Congrats on joining the live bbs crowd. I put up a thread a while ago about hatching brine shrimp - also calling them sea monkeys and put up pictures of my set up - It has since been modified slightly for ease of use. IMO, a brine shrimp net works better than coffee filter and they are fairly inexpensive (around $3 to $5). Ill take pictures of the updated set up tonight and post them for you. It is IMO the easiest set up to use that i've seen to date. THe way I see it, the least complicated and easier to do something is, the more likely im going to do it regularly lol!

That would be helpful, maybe streamline my process a bit. I should get one of those nets. I have a fish net, but it has holes in it so I put the coffee filter on it. I almost blew a gasket when I realized that I lost half the shrimp down the sink! AHHH!

[Cashmere_socks]

and haha that you called them Sea Monkeys too! No wonder I didnt find your post in my searches :Smile:

[vince0]

heres the link

http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8573

ill need to post updated pictures of the "quick-release" system i devised :)

[Cashmere_socks]

The first hatch was done in a plastic, peanut butter jar. I just stabbed the lid until it cracked and stuck the hose through there. I had a bit of hard tube with holes in it that I suction cupped to the bottom of the jar, and connected the air hose too. I put a light on it and a piece of tinfoil behind it to reflect back the light and heat. Worked well temp wise.

I Dont have a picture, so I drew one in Paint (its was just an excuse to mess around really)

I showed Mr. Cashmere how it should really be done, with the bottles and whatnot. I also showed him a stand I might like for the set up. He currently has something drying for me at work! I am excited to see what I get. Maybe I will even take a real pic of it for you guys. haha.

- > 1000 points to whoever can guess what brand of peanut butter I eat!

[silvak]

Skippy?

I enjoy hearing about this. It helps me as I ponder starting my own live foods! And your new future set up needs photographic documentation for sure!! Roughly translated: "Pic's please!!"

[Cashmere_socks]

Skippy?

I enjoy hearing about this. It helps me as I ponder starting my own live foods! And your new future set up needs photographic documentation for sure!! Roughly translated: "Pic's please!!"

nope, try again!

I wont be setting up the brine shrimp again until after the holidays. I leave home in a couple days for a few weeks, and I wont make the fish sitter try and take care of that for me!

I will get some pics when I get it for sure.

[Canso]

has anyone had luck with raising them to a larger size?
what would you feed them?

[vince0]

plankton, i actually am doing it right now with my girlfriends 5 yeard old daughter. You can get the food, usually close to the brines shrimp eggs, at your LFS