# Killies Import > Non-Killie Segment >  Brine Shrimp Hatching

## Sky Devil

Hi, I'm staying in the east side (Serangoon/Hougang area) and recently me and a few friends staying in this are are unable to hatch BBS. We tried a few brands (good ones, not unkept in fridge ones) and we tried putting various amounts of salt but we are still unable to hatch them. we suspect its the water in our area. Anyone had this experience in the east side???

Cheers
Lyon

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## CM Media

Hi Lyon, 

I'm staying at Punggol and I'm hatching Brine Shrimps everyday at my place and also at Hougang. I do not have any problem with the hatching. I suspect it's the Brine Shrimp eggs that you're having. It's not store correctly and cause the eggs to die off. My eggs was bought 1 year plus ago and I store it in the fridge.

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## whuntley

The amount of various salts you are adding to hatch Artemia will swamp any local water dissolved substances, normally.

You need heat (28C) and light (2000 ft Lamberts) and continuous agitation. That is, no cysts ever stationary on the walls of the container. You can skimp on the light a bit, and can go very weak on the salt, but there is no replacement for heavy (boiling) agitation.

If you can't use "Instant Ocean" or "Coralife" type reef salts, add some Epsom salts (20%?) to your sodium chloride, and some baking soda if pH drops below 7.5 by day 2.

Poor agitation is my best guess as to your problem. I use an air line without any airstone to get the water really roiling, and keep it that way for the entire hatching time. Stopping for a few minutes can kill lots of bbs and ruin the whole hatch as they decay.

Wright

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## Sky Devil

Thanks but we have successfully hatched them before with same conditions and I do not know why its in this case now. 
We used 3 kinds of Brine Shrimp eggs
Petmart's Angel
BBS from Brine Shrimp Direct
Some other hobbyist's BS eggs.

All well kept in fridge. So I suspect its the water

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## keehoe

What is the PH and the surrounding temperature? In Clementi area, my first harvest is 16hour follow by 24hour. I hatch alot and kept for 3 days. Able to harvest hatched brine shrimp twice with the same hatchery. Once at night when i get home and once more before i go to work. Leftover kept in fridge for next day.

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## Sky Devil

pH around 7.4-7.6. temperature room temperature

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## shortman

> pH around 7.4-7.6. temperature room temperature


It could be room temperature issue, and according to the hatching instructions for best results it. The salinity should be 25ppm don't know how to convert it to specific gravity, and optimum temperature 28dC(82dF).

With recent cold spell in SG I have to move the hatching cone inside room to get 28dC for good hatch rate. So far I get very good hatch rate from the recently mass order.

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## timebomb

Lyon, if it's not temperature, Ph, the amount of salt or the eggs itself, then it's probably got something to do with the hatchery. If you are using a plastic bottle to hatch the brine shrimp eggs, the bottle has to be scrubbed every few days or the eggs won't hatch. I can't explain it but there's a layer of scum on the sides of the bottle and this layer gets thicker after every hatching. Somehow or other, this layer of scum causes the culture to crash. The eggs hatch but the shrimps die. Scrub it away with a piece of green wool and your next batch of eggs should hatch.

I scrub my bottle everytime I collect the shrimps. 

Loh K L

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## keehoe

I do not know whether is my false feeling. The new order's rate seems not as good as those Loh gave me. Maybe i was trying to hatch too many and the water was not enough. I now hatch a lot. One cannister most likely can only last about 15 hatch. But i only do it once every 3 days or so. Real lazy about it.

Some sunlight seems helps also. So start hatching around noon time near windows seems best.

PH 7.4 - 7.6 should be OK. Salinity, i normally one tea spoon per little of water. (normal egg).

For Decap. BSG, I guess have to wash the egg first as i really have no idea how salty that is.

The new BBS seems smaller than Loh's. So for small fry is definately easier.

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## Sky Devil

Hmmm, scrubbing the bottle is new to me. But I don't seem to feel that slime. Will do it and try tomorrow. Thanks  :Wink:

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## shortman

> I do not know whether is my false feeling. The new order's rate seems not as good as those Loh gave me.


You are playing a premium price for 90% hatch rate and not getting better hatch. You might want to double confirm this if not it is really not worth the money.

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## keehoe

The only thing i can see is, seems more unhatch egg. But again, the amount that i am hatching now is by far more than what i use to do.

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## whuntley

Looking at this discussion from afar, I see one other missing element.

Refrigerated eggs must be allowed to come to room temperature before being opened. Otherwise humidity will cause dew to form on the cysts and start their hatch process. The unused, damp eggs, when replaced in the refrigerator, die and suddenly the hatch rate goes way down for subsequent attempts to hatch.

The extent of damage depends on a lot of variables. The shape of the opening in the can or the actual location where cysts are taken out can determine whether the damage is trivial or nearly total.

You can see the dew on a cold glass, taken from the refrigerator, but it is essentially invisible on the tiny, dark cysts. Nevertheless, it will form there, and eggs that have too much moisture exposure will never hatch. In a large container, it may only kill the top half inch of eggs, but smaller containers may allow the humid air throughout the container as the lid is popped off and replaced and the eggs are sloshed around. 

One thing is for certain. You will not get 90% or better hatch, unless the eggs are pre-warmed to room temperature each time or transferred inside the refrigerator without any room air getting to them. 

For cysts that will be used within 6 months or less, refrigeration isn't very important, anyway. Try getting some known good eggs and never refrigerating them. Just keep out of really hot places, like a sunny window sill. I refrigerate my bulk 1 lb cans, but just leave the one I'm using from out. I poke a tiny hole near one edge, so I can pour out small amounts of eggs without much room air entering the can. Seems to work OK for me.

Sermon Mode: <OFF>

Wright

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## Sky Devil

:Shocked:  I've never heard of such stuff before. Nevertheless I learnt something today... Never pour eggs straight to hatching

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## keehoe

You can do what Ron suggested, keep one canister under normal room temperature. So that u can pour directly into the hatchery. Keep those you do not intend to use yet in the fridge.

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## wcknight

Thanks folks,
I just happened to order some BS eggs this morning from BS direct. I'd gotten eggs twice from my LFS and wasn't getting any kind of hatch rate from them, probably less than 5%.  :Sad:  I had been planning to raise some to adult or semi adult stage to feed larger fish, but so far no luck. I set up a small tank with marine salts and only a fe BS are actually thriving if at all.

All this info in this thread is a great help. I probably ordered way too much. I was debating between a 1.75 oz container or an 8 oz container, I went with the larger one even though I haven't even gotten started with my first hatch yet. That's probably a boatload  :Shocked:  of shrimp for only a couple species of fish. (I plan to stick with just 2 species until I get way down the road. 

I eagerly await that in a couple of weeks, 2/20 is the first hatch date.  :Very Happy:  

regards Wes

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## nonamethefish

I got a bag of Grade A 8 oz and either they labeled it wrong or switched it for a bag of Premium 90% eggs.

So you keep your main bag in storage and gradually worm eggs to be stored at room temp to feed the fish? Putting refridgerated eggs into water will not work for hatching correct?

Thanks!

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## whuntley

It will work just fine, but exposing the rest of the cold eggs to damp room air will ruin them as condensation forms on them and triggers the start of the hatching process. The only reason for allowing them to warm up is to protect the rest of the eggs for later use.

Wright

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## wcknight

I got the premium BS eggs and they are terrific. After almost no hatch to 90% is great. Thanks, for all the advice. I have my eggs in the fridge and have small amount out for every day use.  :Beer Time:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:  
regards Wes

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## nonamethefish

Dunno if this is a stupid question now-but clarifying.

You mention that exposing the eggs to humid room air would cause condensation to form harming the eggs. So for the eggs stored in the fridgerator do you let them(the whole storage bag) warm up before putting them back in the fridge again after opening to get refills for a smaller container kept out of the fridge?  :Confused:

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## stormhawk

Eggs in the can should be repacked to smaller individual film canisters. Wrap these canisters in a few sheets of newspaper and store this package in the veggie compartment in the refridgerator. 

Only one canister should be kept out for hatching purposes. This canister should be allowed for cooling to room temperature before the eggs are scooped out for hatching. The rest should remain in the veggie compartment until required.

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## whuntley

Another trick that has worked for some, here, is if the cysts come in a metal can.

Poke a tiny nail hole near one edge of the lid, and close with the fitted plastic cover that usually comes with them. The can can be used right out of the refrigerator, by pouring out a day's supply directly from the can. Even with your high SG humidity, it should work if you do the pouring in or near the cold air of the refrigerator.

The tiny nail hole prevents enough moist air from entering the can to prematurely trigger the hatch process. 

I have not done this myself, so limited liability should apply if it doesn't work for you.  :Very Happy:  

Refrigeration is unimportant enough that I use this technique but don't put the can in the refrigerator. Once warmed and opened, I just keep the can near my hatchery for regular use, and only leave my unopened cans in the refrigerator. In my experience, the cysts seem to survive up to a year or so at cool room temps without a big drop in hatch rate. SG may average a bit warm for this to work, there.

Baby food jars are the best temporary storage containers for the fridge, BTW. The lids screw on and seal very tight.

Wright

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## nonamethefish

My eggs came in a resealable pouch type thing.

BTw, I ran a test run with the eggs in a sweater box(so certainly not the most efficient incubator) and they started to hatch in 9 hours or so.

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