Hello, I am new to the group and looking to set up a 10 gallon brine shrimp tank, can someone tell me hoe to maintain a brine shrimp tank? I'm planning on using a sponge filter and putting a heater to keep it around 80°. Any pointers appreciated!
Brine shrimp
- Thread starter kkupka93
- Start date
My term paper is precisely about this (I'm doing Major in Biology here in Brazil). Although I didn't finish the work (okay, there's some "trade secret"), I would give some recommendations (because I had some success in the past... well, this profile pic is mine, really, my lovely artemias in 2014-2015):
> For substrate I would use aragonite or dolomite: the substrate will provide calcium for your artemias since they also need to molt;
> For light, I would use good lighting, with a photoperiod from 8h to 12h daily. If you have indirect sunlight, it will help. Direct sunlight should also work, but don't let the tank get so hot;
Since you live in US, any salt for reef tanks should work (aquarium salt here in Brazil's extremely expensive). Elements such as magnesium are also important for the tank, available in these salts or in items such as Epsom salt, as well as being provided by the dolomite. I even used coarse salt (for barbecue, with iodine) and at least I got several adult artemias. The pH should be alkaline (and the substrate will help to buffer it) and the temperature depends on the strain (if's from the GSL, SFB, Brazil, China, Vietnam, etc.), because even the Artemia franciscana has some local adaptations, because the artemias suffered several pressures from the environment.
The salinity of 35 ppt should be okay, although artemias are tolerant to hypersaline environments. You can use tap water with a good conditioner, seawater, or distilled/RO water with the salt you chose.
About water changes, there's not a consensus about it, but the brine shrimp are extremely tolerant to nitrogen compounds. The sponge filter's good because it's unable to hurt even nauplii (I would use gentle aeration).
Well, for references, I would recommend checking this material. I consider Patrick Sorgeloos the best author for anything related to brine shrimp.
I hope I helped you.
> For substrate I would use aragonite or dolomite: the substrate will provide calcium for your artemias since they also need to molt;
> For light, I would use good lighting, with a photoperiod from 8h to 12h daily. If you have indirect sunlight, it will help. Direct sunlight should also work, but don't let the tank get so hot;
Since you live in US, any salt for reef tanks should work (aquarium salt here in Brazil's extremely expensive). Elements such as magnesium are also important for the tank, available in these salts or in items such as Epsom salt, as well as being provided by the dolomite. I even used coarse salt (for barbecue, with iodine) and at least I got several adult artemias. The pH should be alkaline (and the substrate will help to buffer it) and the temperature depends on the strain (if's from the GSL, SFB, Brazil, China, Vietnam, etc.), because even the Artemia franciscana has some local adaptations, because the artemias suffered several pressures from the environment.
The salinity of 35 ppt should be okay, although artemias are tolerant to hypersaline environments. You can use tap water with a good conditioner, seawater, or distilled/RO water with the salt you chose.
About water changes, there's not a consensus about it, but the brine shrimp are extremely tolerant to nitrogen compounds. The sponge filter's good because it's unable to hurt even nauplii (I would use gentle aeration).
Well, for references, I would recommend checking this material. I consider Patrick Sorgeloos the best author for anything related to brine shrimp.
I hope I helped you.
Hello, thank you for replying! I had set up the tank and put eggs in before you commented, they have hatched but there are egg shells on the bottom of the tank, what's the best way to clean those without killing a lot of them? I have a good size bag of them so I can definitely hatch more if needed. Would I be best to hatch them in like a soda bottle hatchery then move them to the 10 gallon? Is omega one flakes okay for them?
Indeed, in my tank, there were several unhatched cysts and cysts shells, although I didn't see anything on the bottom, and yes floating and above the water level. I never did anything related to removing them. The nauplii are attracted to light, then you can use this and try to remove the cysts, with a small tube attached to a syringe. However, I checked that in the US there're interesting brine shrimp hatcheries, including ones where is possible to get only the nauplii. Here I put the cysts directly on the tank.
About the food, this food doesn't exist here. Since the artemias are filter-feeders, the food should be in suspension, and, in the case of the nauplii, the particles should be the size of 1 to 50 μm (SORGELOOS, 1996). If you micronize the Omega One flakes, maybe's possible.
Here, I use spirulina powder and dried yeast, dissolved previously in freshwater with a wooden spoon. However, J. Dobbeleir published a work where he cites food with good results (named "New aspects of the use of inert diets for high density culturing of brine shrimp") such as fish meal, wheat flour, and egg yolk. Well, this open-access article should help you, also.
About the food, this food doesn't exist here. Since the artemias are filter-feeders, the food should be in suspension, and, in the case of the nauplii, the particles should be the size of 1 to 50 μm (SORGELOOS, 1996). If you micronize the Omega One flakes, maybe's possible.
Here, I use spirulina powder and dried yeast, dissolved previously in freshwater with a wooden spoon. However, J. Dobbeleir published a work where he cites food with good results (named "New aspects of the use of inert diets for high density culturing of brine shrimp") such as fish meal, wheat flour, and egg yolk. Well, this open-access article should help you, also.
I’m doing some just to feed my fish, I bought one of those round hatchery kits. After they hatch I transferred them to a roughly 3 gallon tank. Only thing I got in the set up is a bubbling stone and regular tank lighting. So far they are growing pretty good and it’s been 3 weeks since I started it.
Is this wha ti need to feed them? A lot of the ones I found online are a little expensive, this is cheaper
Kate Naturals Organic Spirulina Powder (8 oz) for Immune Support and Antioxidants USDA Certified. Natural. Non-GMO. Gluten-Free. Nutrient Dense Superfood Supplement https://a.co/d/epaqXZZ
Kate Naturals Organic Spirulina Powder (8 oz) for Immune Support and Antioxidants USDA Certified. Natural. Non-GMO. Gluten-Free. Nutrient Dense Superfood Supplement https://a.co/d/epaqXZZ
I’ve been giving mine phytoplankton and they have grown pretty good in 3 weeks
Live Phytoplankton - Nannochloropsis 16oz Bottle - Feed Copepods, Rotifers, Coral Growth https://a.co/d/5HHvoIm
I found this one, what about this or is the powder better
I found this one, what about this or is the powder better
It’s more or less your choice on which one you want to try. I grow my own. Your lfs should have some
Oh ok. Im sure there someone here that could tell you what would be the best phytoplankton to go after. Unfortunately I’m not one of them since I culture my own from a starter kit from Poseidon reef systems
Any time
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