View printer-friendly version Yes you can go to the pet store and purchase a brine shrimp hatchery but it is very easy to make your own. You can make your own brine shrimp hatchery from a few simple items that you probably already have around your house.
The items required to make this project are as follows:
- Aquarium air pump
- Small airstone
- Aquarium air line
- 2 liter bottle
- Sturdy wire (about 12 gauge or a wire coat hanger will work)
The tools required for this project are:
Instructions:
Step 1: Take as much of the label off the 2 liter bottle as possible.
Step 2: Clean the 2 liter bottle as well as possible using only water
Step 3: Wrap the length of wire tightly around the neck of the 2 liter bottle and bend it as shown in the diagram. The idea is to make a hanger that you can use to attach the brine shrimp hatchery to the inside of your fry tank.
Step 4: Place the airstone with the air line attached inside the 2 liter bottle and attach the other end to the air pump.
Step 5: Test that the brine shrimp hatchery will work by filling it halfway with water and hanging it on the inside of the fry tank.
If it seems to sit in the tank securely then you can add the proper temperature water, salt and brine shrimp eggs to start the hatching process.
A few notes
The brine shrimp hatchery is hung inside a fry tank to elliminate the need for a seperate heater. The water level in the fry tank should be such that the water level in the brine shrimp hatchery is nearly the same level when it is hanging. To get the brine shrimp out of the hatchery, simply take out the airstone, lift the hatchery out of the fry tank, shine a light at the bottom and wait for the brine shrimp to swim downward. The egg shells tend to float to the top so seperation can be acheived in just a few minutes. Once all of the brine shrimp are near the bottom you can siphon them out with another air hose. Also, you could plug the end of the 2 liter bottle with your thumb, flip the entire hatchery upside down and shine the light near the neck. Once all of the shrimp swim into the neck, you can let out some water with your thumb and all of the brine shrimp will be sucked out. Usually you should do this into a container but you could also let them directly into a tank.
Article and Illustration by Keith Pardee |
