# Separating baby brine shrimp from eggs and capsules



## WrasseMan

Hey all,

I've recently started breeding kribensis (yes, I know, a pretty easy-to-breed common fish, but I think they're beautiful and watching the parental care is fascinating). I have a question about hatching baby brine shrimp. I've built myself a hatchery out of two two-litre pop bottles. An aerator coming from below keeps the hatchery aerated and the eggs in motion. I seem to have quite a problem with successfully separating the nauplii once they've hatched from the unhatched eggs and egg capsules. I use a turkey baster to remove the nauplii from the hatchery, after leaving it to sit for about 10 minutes for the contents to settle into more or less layers, and then strain them with a coffee filter and rinse them into a container of fresh water for feeding. I always seem to have a good deal of unhatched eggs and egg capsules in my container once I'm done, however. Luckily, the babies spit the indigestible stuff out and only eat the nauplii, but I'd still like a way to pollute my tank less by separating good fry food from indigestible stuff. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!


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## ultreef

The eggs will settle and you use a flash light to attract the shrimp and siphon them out. Thats what I remember. But don't quote me.


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## monocus

i pinch the hose and clamp it and wait 5 minutes.the hatched and unhatched cysts will float to the top and the orange brine shrimp will settle to the bottom.as i have a saltwater tank i let the babies drain out the hose directly to my tank,stopping when the brown mass reaches the bottom.for fresh you should get a fine micron net to catch them and drain the salt water away.


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## Captured Moments

ultreef said:


> The eggs will settle and you use a flash light to attract the shrimp and siphon them out. Thats what I remember. But don't quote me.


That's what I did also. You shine a light at the bottom of the inverted pop bottle. The capsules float to the top and the newly hatched brine shrimps are attracted to light and would pool at the bottom. After about 5-10 minutes, you can use a turkey baster or a straw or a glass tube to suck up the shrimps. If you use a straw or a glass tube, cover the end with your finger and let go when the other end is at the bottom. This will suck them up inside the rod. No need to rinse or filter them through a coffee filter. The amount of brine liquid is negligible and wouldn't be enough to affect your tank..You are supposed to change water regularly and maintain good water condition anyway when you have babies.


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