Tips for Growing Brine Shrimp

Brine shrimps, or artemia, are a zooplankton used chiefly as fry food, but they may even be grown to about twenty mm (0.8 inch) in length & be a valuable food source for adult fishes as well. What makes brine shrimps such ideal fry food is their nice nutritional value, their ability to live five hours in fresh-water before dying, & the fact that the eggs can be stored for plenty of years as long as they are kept away from water & oxygen. One time the dried eggs are returned in to oxygenated saltwater they resume their development & hatch. This is an adaptation to living in desert lakes that dry up.

The time it takes them to hatch depends on the temperature. It takes 15 to twenty hours at 25°C (77°F). A higher temperature shortens hatching time. The optimal hatching temperature depends on the origin of the brine shrimps, however temperatures between 25-30°C (77-86°F) are recommended.
- Recommended pH: 8.0 (pH 6.0-9.0 is acceptable)
- Recommended salinity: 30-35 ppt (one.022-1.026 density)

After 12 hours they enter the second stage of development & start feeding by filtering micro-algae from the water. The nauplii grow fast, & can reach adulthood in 8 days. Brine shrimp can live for up to three months.

One time they hatch they enter the umbrella stage, in the coursework of which the larvae do not feed since they haven't yet developed a mouth or anus. They survive on their yolk sac in the coursework of this time.

Since this article is focusing on growing brine shrimp to adulthood, I shall not address the query of how to hatch brine shrimp.