Hendersonracing
Active member
just enough for 1 day feeding(baby clowns)....I'll use my brine hatcher for my reef!
12 hr Clownfish Larvae
- Thread starter HoopsGuru
- Start date
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
Frustrated
Frustrated
O.k., the brine shrimp saga continues. A few questions:
1) What's the best sg/ppt for hatching baby brine as quickly as possible and with the best hatch rate? In Wilkerson's book and some online pages it mentions a lower specific gravity, in the 1.010-1.015/20ppt area while other mention 1.025/35ppt. I increased my sg and it appears I am getting more hatching.
2) That's the good news, the "bad" news is that I added eggs straight from the can, so I have tons of shells. Again, Wilkerson's book mentions to wait 5 minutes and they should float to the bottom or top and you can get the shrimp from the middle, however, I have tons of eggs floating mid water....even after a half hour. I would say for every 100 shrimp I get out there are 15-20 eggs/shells with it. They are going in the tank because I have to feed the larvae...so far no deaths from it but I'm a bit tense over it.
3) Off brine shrimp topic, when exactly is metamorphosis completed? I have two bands on all larvae and they are orange, but they still are able to swim really quickly and stay up in the water column except for a few that have taken to hanging out in the little live rock rubble pile. I am now on Day 13.
Frustrated
O.k., the brine shrimp saga continues. A few questions:
1) What's the best sg/ppt for hatching baby brine as quickly as possible and with the best hatch rate? In Wilkerson's book and some online pages it mentions a lower specific gravity, in the 1.010-1.015/20ppt area while other mention 1.025/35ppt. I increased my sg and it appears I am getting more hatching.
2) That's the good news, the "bad" news is that I added eggs straight from the can, so I have tons of shells. Again, Wilkerson's book mentions to wait 5 minutes and they should float to the bottom or top and you can get the shrimp from the middle, however, I have tons of eggs floating mid water....even after a half hour. I would say for every 100 shrimp I get out there are 15-20 eggs/shells with it. They are going in the tank because I have to feed the larvae...so far no deaths from it but I'm a bit tense over it.
3) Off brine shrimp topic, when exactly is metamorphosis completed? I have two bands on all larvae and they are orange, but they still are able to swim really quickly and stay up in the water column except for a few that have taken to hanging out in the little live rock rubble pile. I am now on Day 13.
Lifes A Beach
Premium Member
I have best results with hatching baby brine shrimp at sq 1.026 and I am now using decapsulated eggs that I bought from SeahorseSource.com and it looks like I'm having 100% hatch rate and don't have to worry about the shells. It's definitely worth looking into if you are feeding fry.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
How long until they start hatching (and at what approximate temp are they at?)? I ordered some this morning, can't get here soon enough but I need to feed in the meantime. That's my biggest problem, I think my decaps will hatch o.k., but I don't know how to cover the 24hr gap before they start to hatch to start a new culture without using my shelled up culture.
Lifes A Beach
Premium Member
Mine start hatching at about 18 hours at room temperature (78). In the meantime, you can give them more rotifers or start them on some crushed flake or pellet food. At first, I put some flakes or pellets in a ziplock bag and hammered it gently to crush it up to really fine particles. You don't need alot at this stage. I then moved them onto Otohime that you can buy in different particle sizes.
I always find a better hatch rate with higher salinity. On separating shells, I swear by decapsulating 
Either decapsulate a bunch yourself or buy them already decapsulated. Decapsulation is fairly simple and the decapsulated eggs can be stored in a strong brine solution in the fridge for extended periods of time. This is what the folks selling decapsulated cysts are doing As for speed of hatch, if you can hold the temperature of the hatching cysts at 82-86F they will have about 90% hatch out in approximately 15 hours.
Either decapsulate a bunch yourself or buy them already decapsulated. Decapsulation is fairly simple and the decapsulated eggs can be stored in a strong brine solution in the fridge for extended periods of time. This is what the folks selling decapsulated cysts are doing As for speed of hatch, if you can hold the temperature of the hatching cysts at 82-86F they will have about 90% hatch out in approximately 15 hours.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
I can't quite get that high (temperature), my whole system is in my daylight basement. However, I do see better results with the higher salinity. Temp is likely in the mid to upper 70's during the photoperiod in the fish room. I tossed out my whole shell filled batch today even though the numbers were way up....I hope I don't lose any larvae/juveniles with what they might have eaten already. I decapsulated a bunch and restarted my culture since likely my first gripes were a result of using a lower salinity.
I'm picking up golden pearls on Saturday and continue to add pulvrized flake food.
I'm picking up golden pearls on Saturday and continue to add pulvrized flake food.
Ploppers
Premium Member
Another option is Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp.
I was too lazy to decapsulate my own brine shrimp. They worked quite well for me.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+7927+7931+16873&pcatid=16873
I was too lazy to decapsulate my own brine shrimp. They worked quite well for me.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+7927+7931+16873&pcatid=16873
Ploppers
Premium Member
I can't remember what day it was. I just started adding a tiny bit and watching them. When I was sure they were all going for the IBBS I added less and less rotifers until they only had IBBS. They took to it pretty fast. It stays suspended in the water column for quite a while so they have a chance to find it. I waited about an hour or two and siphoned the left overs off the bottom.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
I got mine in the mail, $9 + $10 dollars shipping for this teeny tiny jar
Not much news here, I got some larvae with the third white band...and watching the little guys quarrel is quite amusing. I can say that increasing the salinity of my brine shrimp hatchery has done wonders for improving the hatch count and rate. I've gotten better getting a feel for proper decapsulation as well.
Not much news here, I got some larvae with the third white band...and watching the little guys quarrel is quite amusing. I can say that increasing the salinity of my brine shrimp hatchery has done wonders for improving the hatch count and rate. I've gotten better getting a feel for proper decapsulation as well.
Ploppers
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12156556#post12156556 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HoopsGuru
I got mine in the mail, $9 + $10 dollars shipping for this teeny tiny jar
That's what I thought too, but that stuff sure goes a long way. I probably only used half the jar for the 2 hatches I have.
My true percs are just starting to get their 3rd stripe at the 5.5-6 month mark.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
Wow, true percs really do grow into their stripes!
To decapsulate, I follow what is in Wilkerson's book. Essentially, I rehydrate the cysts by letting them soak in 2oz. of freshwater for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Then, I add 1oz. of unscented bleach and continuously stir. After about 5 minutes most eggs are orange but I continue stirring for another few minutes until I'm able to spoon and observe almost all orange eggs (orange indicates they are decapsulated). I then pour them through my brine strainer and rinse under the faucet for 10 minutes and make sure they don't smell like bleach. I then put them directly in the hatchery and they hatch at 24hrs.
To decapsulate, I follow what is in Wilkerson's book. Essentially, I rehydrate the cysts by letting them soak in 2oz. of freshwater for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Then, I add 1oz. of unscented bleach and continuously stir. After about 5 minutes most eggs are orange but I continue stirring for another few minutes until I'm able to spoon and observe almost all orange eggs (orange indicates they are decapsulated). I then pour them through my brine strainer and rinse under the faucet for 10 minutes and make sure they don't smell like bleach. I then put them directly in the hatchery and they hatch at 24hrs.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
Day 21
Day 21
Just a recent picture and update. All larvae are aggressive surface feeders of ground up Prime Reef flake. So, they get a mix of this and Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp each day. They are approximately 5/16" and growing fast.
One question, what are the opinions of when these guys can be moved into a tank with a power filter? I have them in a 5g and water quality has been easy, but I would like to move them to a 10g with a Whisper C (now the Whisper 20) which is approximately 105gph on high and also a Rio Nano Skimmer. Obviously both would have sponges over the intakes just in case. The juveniles greet me for food and swim all around a cup I use when adding water after changes.
Day 21
Just a recent picture and update. All larvae are aggressive surface feeders of ground up Prime Reef flake. So, they get a mix of this and Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp each day. They are approximately 5/16" and growing fast.
One question, what are the opinions of when these guys can be moved into a tank with a power filter? I have them in a 5g and water quality has been easy, but I would like to move them to a 10g with a Whisper C (now the Whisper 20) which is approximately 105gph on high and also a Rio Nano Skimmer. Obviously both would have sponges over the intakes just in case. The juveniles greet me for food and swim all around a cup I use when adding water after changes.
HoopsGuru
In Memoriam
One question in my head. In the ocean, if they settle and seek an anemone after metamorphis....why does it seem if there would be anything more than a sponge filter in my larvae tank they would be destroyed by the current? When they settle, are they not exposed to the reef currents we try to mimic in our display tanks?
