Growing brine shrimp from eggs is a simple and cheap way to make sure your aquarium fish always have healthy, live food. To create a “grow-out” system of your own, youll need a few simple supplies. Setup is simple—especially if youre a seasoned aquarist.
Brine shrimp, also known as sea monkeys, are a popular live food source for feeding aquarium fish and invertebrates Their nutritional value exceeds freeze-dried options, and fish eagerly devour these tasty treats While brine shrimp eggs are inexpensive and readily hatch into nauplii for feeding, allowing the shrimp to fully mature opens up even more benefits.
Adult brine shrimp are larger and more nutritious than baby brine shrimp. Their increased size also makes them easier for large fish to consume. With minimal effort you can grow a sustaining supply of adult brine shrimp to supplement your fish’s diet.
What are Brine Shrimp?
Brine shrimp are tiny crustaceans that thrive in highly saline waters across the world. Their scientific name is Artemia salina. In their natural habitats, dramatic water evaporation results in extremely high salt concentrations.
Brine shrimp have adapted the ability to live in salinities from 5 to 35 ppt. This resilience enables them to thrive where other species cannot survive. Brine shrimp can even revert to a dormant cyst stage when conditions become unfavorable.
These cysts, harvested and sold as brine shrimp eggs, are what allows home aquarists to easily hatch brine shrimp on demand as live fish food.
Benefits of Growing Brine Shrimp to Adulthood
While newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii are nutritious first foods for fry and small species, adult brine shrimp offer increased advantages:
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Larger size – Adult brine shrimp are 400-500 microns compared to nauplii which are 400-500 microns, making them more suitable for larger fish.
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Greater nutrition – Adult brine shrimp have a higher protein and lipid content than nauplii.
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Reproduction – Mature brine shrimp will reproduce in your grow-out tank, providing a continuous supply.
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Increased longevity – Adult brine shrimp kept in clean water can live for several weeks compared to nauplii which live for 2-3 days.
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Adaptability – Adult brine shrimp can thrive in a wide range of salinities and temperatures.
With a simple at-home grow-out system, you can reap all these benefits from growing brine shrimp yourself.
Step 1 – Set Up the Grow-Out Tank
You will need a tank specifically for growing brine shrimp to adulthood separate from your fish tank. A 5-10 gallon aquarium or plastic tub works well. Equip the tank with:
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Aeration – Use an air pump and airline tubing to power airstones or air diffusers. This circulates water.
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Heater – Maintain a water temperature between 82-86°F. Warmer promotes faster growth.
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Light – Bright lighting spurs increased algae growth as an additional food source.
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Lid – Prevent brine shrimp from jumping out with a tight-fitting cover.
Step 2 – Prepare the Water
Fill the tank with pre-mixed saltwater. Aim for a specific gravity between 1.010-1.018. This is about half the salinity of normal seawater. Too high of a salt content will inhibit growth.
Use marine salt, not table salt, and dechlorinate the water. An air stone will oxygenate the water as you add and mix in salt. Test salinity with a hydrometer once complete.
Step 3 – Add the Baby Brine Shrimp
After hatching brine shrimp as normal, rinse the nauplii in clean saltwater then transfer them to the grow-out tank. Start with 1 teaspoon of nauplii per gallon of water. You can continue adding more as they grow.
Turn on the airstones and heater. The constant water movement and warm temperature will accelerate growth. Maintain optimal conditions until the brine shrimp mature in 2-3 weeks.
Step 4 – Feed Your Brine Shrimp
Newly hatched brine shrimp feed on microalgae and infusoria naturally present in saltwater. But to grow to adulthood, they need a protein-rich supplemental diet. Some good options include:
- Liquid fry food
- Powdered spirulina
- Yeast-based shrimp diets
- Phytoplankton
- Micro pellet food
Feed mature brine shrimp 2-3 times daily by sprinkling food evenly across the surface. Watch shrimp behavior to avoid overfeeding. Uneaten food will foul the tank.
Step 5 – Perform Weekly Water Changes
As the brine shrimp eat and grow, waste accumulates in the tank. Ammonia and nitrites can rise to dangerous levels quickly in small volumes of water.
To maintain high water quality, siphon out 15-25% of the water weekly. Top off with pre-mixed, pre-heated saltwater to retain ideal parameters.
This water change helps remove debris as well. Use airline tubing to gently vacuum the tank bottom when siphoning without removing shrimp.
Step 6 – Harvest Your Adult Brine Shrimp
Within 2-4 weeks, the brine shrimp will reach adulthood at about 1⁄2 inch in size. Now they are ready to harvest as nutritious fish food!
Use a brine shrimp net or small mesh aquarium net to scoop out the desired amount. Rinse in tank water before feeding to your fish.
Leave some adults in the tank to reproduce and maintain your live culture over time. The population will self-regulate based on food availability.
Tips for Growing Healthy, Vibrant Brine Shrimp
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Test water parameters like ammonia, nitrites, pH, and salinity weekly and make adjustments as needed.
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Vary the brine shrimp diet by alternating protein sources for optimal nutrition.
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Remove uneaten food promptly to avoid fouling the tank water.
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Avoid overfeeding. Watch shrimp behavior and feed only what they will consume rapidly.
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Increase aeration if shrimp appear lethargic or gather at the surface.
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Perform larger, more frequent water changes if water quality declines.
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Add brine shrimp eggs periodically to replenish the culture as adults die off.
With ideal conditions, most brine shrimp will reach adulthood within 18-21 days. Proper grow-out allows you to make the most of these nutritional powerhouses as fish food. Follow these steps, and you’ll have a sustainable supply of live adult brine shrimp.
Frequently Asked Questions about Growing Brine Shrimp
Can I grow brine shrimp in freshwater?
No, brine shrimp require brackish saltwater to grow and thrive. They are unable to survive in freshwater.
How can I supplement brine shrimp nutrition?
Offering a varied diet with phytoplankton, yeast, liquid fry food, and other protein sources provides a balanced nutritional profile for optimal growth.
What causes cloudy water in a brine shrimp tank?
Cloudiness is typically caused by overfeeding. Uneaten food and brine shrimp waste can cloud the water. Reduce feeding amounts and perform more frequent water changes to clear it up.
Why are my brine shrimp dying soon after adding them to the tank?
Sudden die-offs after introducing brine shrimp usually stem from an incorrect salinity or temperature mismatch between their hatching and grow-out environments. Always acclimate shrimp gradually when transferring between tanks.
How many brine shrimp can I grow in a 5 gallon tank?
You can house approximately 5,000-7,000 adult brine shrimp in a well-maintained and filtered 5 gallon tank. Avoid overcrowding for best growth and survival.
Can I feed adult brine shrimp to baby fish?
While juvenile fish may struggle to eat them whole due to their size, you can cut larger brine shrimp into smaller pieces using scissors or a knife to make them accessible for fry.
Growing brine shrimp from eggs all the way to maturity takes some time and care, but doing so enables you to harvest the nutritious live food your fish naturally crave. Follow these basic steps to create a sustainable brine shrimp culture right at home.
Add Baby Shrimp
Rinse your harvested baby brine shrimp with clean saltwater and release them into the grow-out container.
Install an Air Pump
Make sure you have a strong enough air pump to get air to the bottom of the grow-out container. Drop one or more air stones into the container to circulate the water or use an aquarium bubbler. For best results, you need to keep your brine shrimp and their food in constant motion.