Rearing Adult Brine Shrimp (Need Help)

[gary35111]

The adult brine shrimp which I bought as live food for my killies usually die after just a few day. Normally, I just pour in the brine shrimp into a small tank together with the water from the plastic bag and feed them twice a day to my killies. However, before I can finish feeding even half of them to my killies, they are all dead, DEAD.

I do not want to overfeed my killies but it was such a waste of money and time (I have to travel quite a bit to buy the live adult brine shrimp ) as I have to throw away the rest of the dead brine shrimp. I have searched and read up a little from the internet and learn that they strive best in VERY salty water.

I have recently purchased a packet of marine salt, a much bigger tank (specially meant for keeping the brine shrimp), an air-pump - and a new packet of brine shrimp *sigh* (not yet open, they are still alive inside after a day). However, I need help from people experience in rearing and even breeding adult brine shrimp indoor.

Some of the web-sites I visited says that they eat bacteria and algae. That means, I don't have to feed them and just leave them in my tank with intense lighting (for algae to grow)? Does that also mean I don't have to provide sponge filter for them and let tiny bacteria (nitro-something...)to grow in the tank and let them dine on it? Does anyone know what they 'really' eat? Can I feed these adult brine shrimp commercial tropical dry fish food?

[timebomb]

Gary,

Over here, we hope that users will sign off with their real names. It makes for a much more friendlier forum. That said.......

You don't need a big tank to rear brine shrimps. A small tank, somewhere in the region of 20 litres will do. You also don't need very salty water. What you need is normal marine water. I think the formula is one kg of marine salt to 30 litres of water, depending on the brand.

The food that brine shrimps eat is Spirulina. It's available in powder form in some fish shops. This is how you feed them - Mix a spoonful of Spirulina with one cup of tap water. Stir as hard as you can until all the spirulina is dissolved. Pour the solution into a syringe bottle, the kind that is used to hold detergent. Twice a day, feed a few squirts of this solution to the brine shrimps.

You don't need filtration but you have to have aeration. Do not use an air-stone as fine bubbles get trapped within the feathery paws of the brine shrimps and they will drown. In about 2 weeks, baby brine shrimps will grow into adults and you will have an endless supply.

Loh K L

[stormhawk]

Hello there,

If you're just intending to keep them alive for several days its pretty simple actually. Use what you need and keep the remainder in a tank with some aeration (NO airstones). That said, you may need a larger space if you have lots of adults. Marine salt is necessary to provide the salinity required for the adults. Lower salinity for them is fine I think in comparison to the newly hatched nauplii (I may be wrong though..).

They will feed on particulate matter like powdered spirulina, astaxanthin and even Marine Liquifry in small amounts dissolved and mixed in a portion of water.

Given good care even the adults will produce live young every now and then. :wink:

[stormhawk]

Here's a link to an article written by one of the forumers here.

Poor Man's Brine Shrimp by Gwee Sia Meng.

I hope it gives you some insight on how to care for adult brine shrimp. :wink:

And yes, do sign off with a real name.

[gary35111]

Thanks everybody. I will go and check out the article.

Gary