Hatching brine shrimp for food

[hobogato]

This is my nightly routine for feeding my tank live, two day old, enriched brine shrimp.

I have two hatcheries that are running at all times. At feeding time, I take the hatchery on the front of the shelf (closest in the pic).

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01153_zps45fb94ce.jpg

These hatcheries are in the pantry and take up about 9” of a standard 16” wire shelf. They are run with a small air pump and lit with a small led lamp that is on 24 hours a day.

To make the cyst casings settle to the top and separate from the brine shrimp, I use a small led flashlight.

Notice the fish know what is coming :)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01155_zps0e9ad1e5.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01156_zps4b699d15.jpg

Also, notice that the air tube is run through a slit in the plastic at the top of the inverted bottle. This keeps me from dropping the end of the tube and letting the brine shrimp run out when I don’t want them to. I am using the bases that can be bought at any retailer because I have had them for a long time. If I were to do this again, I would just make the bases out of acrylic , or just make a hatchery out of two 2 liter bottles like this

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/2011-04-12_09-11-28_497.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/2011-04-12_09-08-14_607.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/2011-04-12_09-08-03_443.jpg

[hobogato]

To drain the live brine, I just pull the tube out of the top of the inverted bottle and put it in a cup. You will notice the empty cysts congregating at the top of the liquid and getting stuck to the bottle

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01157-1_zpsf970ebc8.jpg

Also, keep the tube in a loop so that the empty cysts that do drain out get trapped in the loop of the tubing and do not go into the cup.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01159_zps1e7f2d10.jpg

After feeding the brine shrimp to the tank, just rinse the hatchery and put a cup full of tank water back in.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01161_zps72f226f0.jpg

Then put in a scoop of brine shrimp cysts

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01162_zps1bb6b13e.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01163_zps2ea9df1f.jpg

[hobogato]

Then, I place the newly prepared hatchery on the back of the shelf

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01164-1_zps65755997.jpg

And put the existing hatchery in the front. That way, I never forget which hatchery is the one that has the older hatched brine shrimp. I also add the phyto enrichment to the existing hatchery at this time, so the ones I feed to the tank the next day have been eating phyto for 24 hours.

Notice how dark green the hatchery is now
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01165_zps4698e1db.jpg

Here is how I keep the phyto for enrichment in the freezer, because it lasts longer if it is frozen

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01151_zpsc611b0c0.jpg

Periodically, I will thaw a container and transfer it to an old tabasco bottle in the fridge which makes dosing the hatcheries very easy and less messy. Here is how I transfer the phyto to the tabasco bottle.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/DSC01152-1_zps3c916c2f.jpg

Yes, that is an old dimatap medicine dispenser. I enrich with simple nanochloropsis paste or rotigrow.

[Fracture]

Thank you very much

[hobogato]

you're welcome. it really is easy and not time consuming and the the corals and fish really appreciate it.

[Southern Flame]

Thanks so much for this :)

[hobogato]

no problem :)

[koa25]

Very cool Ace. Thanks for posting.

[Texreefer]

I need to get a second hatchery and some phyto.. I usually just feed fresh hatched, but really like the rotating idea

[ramsey]

Where do you get your phyto? Are you culturing it yourself?

[hobogato]

i am using rotigrow right now, a product from reed mariculture. frozen nanochloropsis will work fine also, but i dont think anyone local carries it either. when i buy frozen algae paste, i usually get it from florida aqua farms.

[Southern Flame]

I'm prob gonna sound like a tard with this question but do you use tank water or fresh water with baking soda and table salt like they show on YouTube. I have a batch brewing in tank water but the directions aren't clear on what type of water to use. Or what the salinity should be at.

[hobogato]

i use tank water.

[Southern Flame]

i use tank water.
Cool thanks I used some tank water but wasn't sure if I was doing it correct cause the directions on the package the vial came in aren't to clear

[Sherita]

I use tank water too.