Baby Brine shrimp in phytoplankton?

[afboundguy]

I was curious if anyone actually uses phytoplankton as the saltwater for BBS hatcheries? I know you can gut load them with phytoplankton as they don't actually eat anything until they develop mouths and have used up their egg sack but I was wondering if it would be advantageous to use phyto as the saltwater and just have them stay in the hatchery for a few days extra so and have them feed off the phyto to gut load them?

Now that my phyto cultures are up and running I usually end up giving away extra phyto to local club members and even at that I tend to just throw some away as there aren't enough local members who really want the phyto so I do have extra phyto to spare and thought that could be a good use of the extra I would throw away anyways. My idea would be to build a 5 bottle hatchery and leave them for 1-2 days extra in the bottle with the phyto to gut load them before using them for the tank or future clownfish breeding I want to attempt to do.

 

[SueAubu]

I was curious if anyone actually uses phytoplankton as the saltwater for BBS hatcheries? I know you can gut load them with phytoplankton as they don't actually eat anything until they develop mouths and have used up their egg sack but I was wondering if it would be advantageous to use phyto as the saltwater and just have them stay in the hatchery for a few days extra so and have them feed off the phyto to gut load them?

Now that my phyto cultures are up and running I usually end up giving away extra phyto to local club members and even at that I tend to just throw some away as there aren't enough local members who really want the phyto so I do have extra phyto to spare and thought that could be a good use of the extra I would throw away anyways. My idea would be to build a 5 bottle hatchery and leave them for 1-2 days extra in the bottle with the phyto to gut load them before using them for the tank or future clownfish breeding I want to attempt to do.

I guess it depends what you're using the BBS for. I hatch them for my dragonets and (as I understand it) the main benefit for the mandarins is the yolk sac. I just hatch new every 3 or so days. But, it is an interesting idea for growing your own brine shrimp for feeding past the baby stage.

(<--- member of Boston Reefers, too! But too far away to help you get rid of that extra phyto... hee hee)

 

[afboundguy]

@SueAbu I used to hatch BBS for my mandarin using the @Paul B spot feeder but I plan to try and raise a batch of clownfish and wasn't sure if gut loading them in phyto would be better than them freshly hatched? Might have to try and raise a batch with my hatchery and see how that works

 

[Reef By Steele]

@SueAbu I used to hatch BBS for my mandarin using the @Paul B spot feeder but I plan to try and raise a batch of clownfish and wasn't sure if gut loading them in phyto would be better than them freshly hatched? Might have to try and raise a batch with my hatchery and see how that works

No benefit for the fry, as they will get all they need from the freshly hatched BBS. However you can do a second culture to grow out the brine for when the fry get larger. Then having them in diluted phyto (not sure about full strength) would allow them to gut load. Then net out what you want to feed rinse into a measuring cup or such and add a few drops of Selcon for added vitamins.

 

[afboundguy]

I did start experimenting with using a mixture in my brine shrimp hatchery of about 75% phyto (nanno and tetra mix) to salt water. I used tank water as I take out roughly as much tank water as I put in in phyto every week so my salinity doesn't continuously go up.

 

[afboundguy]

I also made a new brine shrimp hatchery with my father in law today as I think this design will be easier in the long run having the bottles start subsequent days so I can have fresh BBS and also have 1 or 2 in phyto. I have the caps and ball valves on order and should get them by the end of the week