breeding brine shrimp
 

hi,
i want to eventually get a mandarin dragonet but first i need to learn the best and easiest method to breed brine shrimp so i can train him onto frozen foods.
can it be done in a jar like some people do with copepods?
thanks

Most lfs' have brine shrimp kits that help, usually all you need is the kit (bottle holder and eggs), air pump, and a 2L bottle.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...uct_ID=fd-shat

Anyone ever had success doing this?

but whats the point of buying the kit when i can just use the 2 litre pop bottle or jar and my air pump and hose? like what was already stated. do these things actually work?

I'm doing this every other day. I'm using cola bottle, heater and small air pump.

how long does it take for your shrimp to hatch? and why do you have a heater, is it necassary?

Haven't raised any in a while, but when I did, I simply used a small pop bottle with the bottom cut off. I suspended this upside down right in my display & hooked an air pump to it. Attached to the rim with a clamp, bottle cap had a plastic air line elbow through it for the air. Used a turkey baster to fill it with tank water. When the BS hatched, the cysts would sink to the bottom into the rim of the cap. Once hatched, all I did was use a baster & sucked up the critters to feed to the tank. Pull the bottle, dump it, rinse, repeat as desired.

Using this method, I didn't have to mix up any water or use a heater. Downside is, the bottle can be a bit unsightly hanging inside the display. If you have a sump, your one step ahead.

24-36h. heater speed up the process. I'm using aquarium water with one cup of fresh water.

thanks guys, can't wait to get my mandarin and try it out!!!!

you may want to do some reading on brine shrimp enrichment as well. There are a few products out there that can help with that. I've used selcon and the new era brine shrimp enrichment.