Reef Revolution Brine Shrimp Eggs Reef Revolution

Brine Shrimp Eggs

Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp. It is considered by the aquarium industry as the single most important food item in the world simply due to the high levels of nutrition in brine shrimp. Brine shrimp can be quickly & easily hatched and grown at home with brine shrimp eggs (Artemia Cyst).

Storage

Replace twist cap after every use and store in a cool dry place

Directions:

Hatching: Environment Conditions

• Salinity:
• When preparing your hatching solution, 25 parts per thousand (ppt) salt solution is ideal under most conditions. This equates to around 1.018 specific gravity as measured with a hydrometer. If you lack a hydrometer, this salinity can be achieved by dissolving approximately 1 and 2/3 tablespoons of salt in one quart (roughly, one litre) of water. Be sure to use non-iodized salt.
• pH:
• Proper pH can be important in hatching brine shrimp. A starting pH of 8.0 or higher is recommended. In areas where the water pH is below 7, Epson salt or magnesium sulphate can be added at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per quart of hatching solution.
• Temperature:
• Optimum water temperature for a 24-hour complete hatch is 80-82°F (26-28°C). Lower temperatures will result in a longer hatching time and inefficient hatches. Do not exceed 86° (30°C). Do not place an immersion heater directly into your hatching container! An immersion bath is a preferred method to maintain constant hatching temperatures. Alternatively, an incandescent bulb placed above the hatching cone can provide sufficient heat in the right environment.
• Light:
• Illumination is necessary to trigger the hatching mechanism within the embryo during the first few hours of incubation. Maintaining a light source during the entire incubation period is recommended to obtain optimum hatch results and, as mentioned above, for temperature control.
• Aeration:
• Constant aeration is necessary to keep cysts in suspension and to provide sufficient oxygen levels for the cysts to hatch. A minimum of 3 parts per million dissolved oxygen during the incubation is recommended. Strong aeration should not damage or hurt the brine shrimp cysts or nauplii. A [rigid air tube] is ideal to direct air to the bottom of the cone and to prevent unhatched eggs from settling. We do not recommend an airstone.
• Stocking Density:
• 1 gram per litre or quart or approximately 1/2 level teaspoon of cysts per quart (or litre) is recommended for optimum hatching percentages. A higher stocking density will result in a lower hatch percentage and difficulty separating hatched nauplii from unhatched egg and shell.
• Hatching Cone:
• Flat-bottom hatching vessels should be avoided. Cone or “V” bottomed containers are best to ensure that the cysts remain in suspension during hatching. Be sure to thoroughly wash the hatching cone with a light chlorine solution, rinse, and allow to air-dry between uses. Avoid soap. Soap will leave a slight residue which will foam from aeration during hatching and leave cysts stranded above the water level.
• Incubation Period:
• Generally, the optimum incubation time is 24 hours. Egg which has been properly stored for more than 2-3 months may require additional incubation time — up to 30-36 hours. Oftentimes, eggs will hatch in as few as 18 hours. If a smaller size nauplii (Instar I) is desired, a harvest time of 18 hours is recommended after which Instar I (first stage) nauplii can be collected before metamorphosis into Instar II.

Helpful Hint:

Brine shrimp egg is sometimes very buoyant. To maximize the hatching percentage, it is sometimes helpful to swirl the water inside the hatching container with your finger once or twice at intervals in the first 4 to 6 hours of incubation to knock down eggs that have been stranded on the side of the container above the water-line. After about 6 hours, the eggs are usually well-hydrated and will stay in the water column.

Hatching Procedure

The following steps will achieve optimum brine shrimp hatch rates.

• Set-Up:
• Place hatching cone or similarly shaped vessel in a well-lit area. Cone should be semi-translucent for ease of harvesting and light transmission.
• Add Water:
• Fill the cone with water and adjust the salinity to 25 ppt (parts per thousand). Optimum hatching temperature is 82°F (28°C).
• Add Cysts:
• Add cysts at the rate of 1 gram per litre.
• Aerate:
• Provide adequate aeration to keep cysts in suspension.
• Hatch:
• Depending upon water temperature, cysts should hatch in approximately 18-36 hours.
• Harvest:
• After hatching brine shrimp, turn off or remove aeration and wait several minutes for the shells and baby brine shrimp (or nauplii) to separate. Newly hatched nauplii will settle to the bottom of the cone or move towards a light source; the shells will float to the surface. Once separated, the nauplii can be siphoned from the bottom with a length of air tubing or gently drained through the bottom of the cone through a valve, if so equipped.
• Rinse:
• The warm incubation temperatures and metabolites from the hatching medium create ideal conditions for a bacteria bloom. Rinsing of the baby brine shrimp in a fine mesh net or sieve using clean fresh or saltwater is important before feeding them to your fish.
• Clean Equipment:
• Tanks and brine shrimp hatching equipment should be cleaned and disinfected routinely.

Incubation Period:

• Generally, the optimum incubation time is 24 hours. Egg which has been properly stored for more than 2-3 months may require additional incubation time — up to 30-36 hours. Oftentimes, eggs will hatch in as few as 18 hours. If a smaller size nauplii (Instar I) is desired, a harvest time of 18 hours is recommended after which Instar I (first stage) nauplii can be collected before metamorphosis into Instar II.

Harvesting or collecting brine shrimp

• Harvesting newly hatched nauplii requires some patience and the method used depends upon your equipment and your needs. When collecting from an Imhoff cone or inverted soda bottle, one method is to remove the airline and allow the nauplii to settle to the bottom of the cone. This will take several minutes. As the nauplii accumulate at the apex of the cone, use the airline with rigid tubing attached to siphon the nauplii into a collection dish filled with fresh water. Do not allow the nauplii to become tightly packed at the bottom of the cone and risk suffocation. After siphoning, wait several minutes and repeat. Take care to avoid siphoning the unhatched eggs that normally settle first. If you have difficulty siphoning the newly hatched nauplii without siphoning unhatched eggs or shell, we suggest that you finish siphoning the majority of nauplii into the holding dish, rinse out the cone and then pour the dish containing nauplii and water back into the cone, add clean water to the cone and repeat the siphoning process as the nauplii again settle to the apex of the cone. It is a good practice to pass the nauplii and water through a small mesh to minimize the introduction of the hatching water into the aquarium.