Mahawka Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 Hello, After 24 hours i have successfully hatched my baby brine shrimps. I would really like to start a brine shrimp culture in my 5 Gallon tank. My questions are. 1) I have read that i should have a 5ppt of salt in the water, but i don't have a meter to track it. Is there an good way to measure the amount of salt i need? i.e. 1 tablespoon per gallon 2) I have read mix reviews on temperature of the tank. Is there a temp that works for you? 3) how often do i have to do water changes. Thanks -Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprucegruve Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) i have 2 mason jars setup with air stones,after 24hours they hatch,you feed them to the fish within 18hours,then flush the rest down the drain and start again. have 2 jars running on different schedules after the brine shrimp absorb their yolk they have little to no nutrition. unless you feed them spirulina or something. edit -spelling mistake Edited January 13, 2012 by Sprucegruve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vince0 Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) a hydrometer will tell you specific gravity and can be picked up for $30 or less. Now you just have to figure what specific gravity shrimp prefer. My bet would probably be around 1.025. This is how you test salt content in water at its simplest. Edited January 13, 2012 by vince0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) SG measures relative density (the ratio of liquid density to pure water density). Your target SG will vary depending on how hard your tap water is (if you're starting using tap water). You need a hydrometer to measure SG which I think you're saying you don't have. So using concentration (ppt) is more objective. You'll need a measing spoon (tsp or tbsp) or a 1oz shot glass, or a balance scale. I assume ppt means parts per thousand in this context and not parts per trillion 1 part per thousand means 1g of salt per 1000g water. Water values 1gal US = 3785ml 5gal US = 18925ml 1ml = 1g â—„ 5gal US = 18925ml = 18925g Your ratio 1ppt = 18.925g salt to 18925g water 5ppt = 94.625g salt to 18925g water Converting weight to volume (salt) 94.625g salt = 82ml â—„ 15ml =1tbsp 28g =0.82 fl oz â—„ So, in answer to your 1st question Mahawka, adding 94.625g -or- 5.5tbsp -or-19tsp -or-2.75 fl. oz. of salt in your 5g tank = 5ppt. Please check my math. (Edit Jan 13) â–º The conversion from grams (weight) to ml (volume) is 1:1 for water. 1ml of salt weights 1.15g. So the good ol' "28g per oz" ratio is a little high. Edited January 13, 2012 by Fisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sierra Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 i have 2 mason jars setup with air stones,after 24hours they hatch,you feed them to the fish within 18hours,then flush the rest down the drain and start again. have 2 jars running on different schedules after the brine shrimp absorb their yolk they have little to no nutrition. unless you feed them spirulina or something. edit -spelling mistake I have read and re-read the same thing...after a certain time (short!) they don't offer near enough nutritional value "growing power" for all the hassle. Maybe daphnia would be better? I can't say as I don't know much about the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandi Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 correct me if I am wrong, but I was just reading up on this and I concluded I would put 1/2 cup of marine salt per gallon. Temp? Well, my fish room is warm, so I wasn't going to put a heater in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 ...I was just reading up on this and I concluded I would put 1/2 cup of marine salt per gallon. So closer to 7x 5ppt = 35ppt; the average salinity of sea water. That's what vince0's target of 1.025SG would achieve. I don't hatch bbs (yet). Mahawka, is 5ppt prescribed by your brine kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahawka Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hey sorry, i have been off AA for a bit. Firstly thanks for the replies it really helped out. I think the 5ppt is a wrong measurement and 35ppt is closer to what they need. I have been experimenting with the amount of salt to use and i found that 1 gallon to 1/2 cup of marine salt does the trick. My brine shrimps has reached 15 days old already. I have been feeding them active Yeast and it's working well. I base my feeding amount towards the murkiness of the water. Also temp wise i don't even bother with a heater, my room temp is below 70 and they are doing just fine. As always the bigger the tank the easier to manage, i found that it's crucial to have at least a 5 gallon tank for them. Surprisingly they are a very easy creature to start a culture for. All you need is salt and a bin. **** note, best way to do a water change is to siphon with an air tube attached to an air stone. It prevents the little buggers getting sucked in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 About 20 yrs ago, I ran a 5gal BS tank. Every 10-15 days I'd have to scoop the empty egg shells off the surface bc it'd start to foam up. I fed them an algae-based powder food that gut loaded them for better nutrition. These days, I don't really have the time or patience to hatch BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punman Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) Hatching shrimp for newborn fish is fine. It just takes a day or day and a half. Anything after that is not worthwhile. Newborn fish can't eat 1/4 inch shrimp and if they are for older fish, just buy frozen brine shrimp or live if you can find it. Not worth raising your own. Edited January 27, 2012 by punman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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