Advice on growing live food.

Electric Monk · 10-08-2005, 02:29 PM

Hi all,
I'm thinking of growing some live food for my fish (especially the Mandarin) and am looking for ANY advice you can give me (pretend I know nothing about the subject, that pretty much hits the mark

)

I've seen kits for sale that seem to contain a breeding area and eggs etc, are these a good start for a first try?

Any url's to shops in the UK that supply what is needed would also be great.

cheers

**Fishfirst** · 10-11-2005, 04:46 PM

Brine shrimp are fairly easy to hatch... basically get an air pump/tubing/stone, and plop it in a two liter pop bottle that had its bottom cut off and is upside down in a tank that is heated to 80-82 degrees. Wait 36 hours and the shrimp are ready to be fed to the fish.

Jonno · 10-11-2005, 04:49 PM

yep basically what fishfirst i got a hatchery that sits in the tank with an air pump tank provides heat & light and then you can feed them a few days later or put them in anothetr tank grow them to full size very easy, but it takes a few days for brine shrimp to be ready so i have 2 hatcherys on a go at once

mlefev · 10-11-2005, 09:08 PM

Brine shrimp are easy...you can practically grow them in a test-tube. I did it before just as a science experiment in highschool, and had all the kids wanting the shrimp for their aquariums. I think that would be the easiest to start with.

This link is not to a professional, but it pretty well explains things. And like was mentioned before, it's a pretty easy process. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fres...Brine%20shrimp

Electric Monk · 10-15-2005, 01:38 PM

Cheers all, picked up a kit from my lfs a few days ago.

What exactly should I look for when the 48 hour hatching time is up? just so I know it's worked

Jonno · 10-15-2005, 03:18 PM

well u can either feed them to it like that or wait a few days till they get a bit bigger

**TheOldSalt** · 10-16-2005, 11:31 AM

You should look for a bunch of floating empty eggshells and a freeswimming shrimps. The tricky part is separating them, but it's not all that hard. The shrimp are attracted by light, so it you shine a torch on one spot, they'll gather at that spot for easy collection.

Electric Monk · 10-16-2005, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOldSalt

You should look for a bunch of floating empty eggshells and a freeswimming shrimps. The tricky part is separating them, but it's not all that hard. The shrimp are attracted by light, so it you shine a torch on one spot, they'll gather at that spot for easy collection.

Good thing is, these have the eggshells removed.

I think everything went well, 48 hours later I had many many tiny 'shrimp' floating in the tube. Got them in the tank and everybody went mad!!!

The mandarin spent a good while hunting round the live rocks looking pleased with himself

**Damon** · 10-16-2005, 02:20 PM

Microworms and grindals are easier to culture, as are vinegar eels.

10-08-2005, 02:29 PM	#1
Electric Monk Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 39 Posts: 77	Advice on growing live food. Hi all, I'm thinking of growing some live food for my fish (especially the Mandarin) and am looking for ANY advice you can give me (pretend I know nothing about the subject, that pretty much hits the mark ) I've seen kits for sale that seem to contain a breeding area and eggs etc, are these a good start for a first try? Any url's to shops in the UK that supply what is needed would also be great. cheers __________________ Cleaner shrimp.....Aquarium mafia 2xCleaner shrimp ('Da boys) 2xPeppermint shrimp 1xTropical lobster 1xGold Chromis 1xBanggai Cardinal 1xSix line Wrasse 2xScooters 1xLawnmower 1xRoyal Grammer 1xCoral Beauty Angel 1xCopperband Butterfly 1xClown fish 1xSand sifting starfish 1xWhite, green, yellow, red and button polyp Green Mushroom going triffid on me 1xLeather Coral (and 2 babies) 1xAtlantic anemone 2xMithraculus crab Snails and crabs everywhere!!!!

10-11-2005, 04:46 PM	#2
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,541	Brine shrimp are fairly easy to hatch... basically get an air pump/tubing/stone, and plop it in a two liter pop bottle that had its bottom cut off and is upside down in a tank that is heated to 80-82 degrees. Wait 36 hours and the shrimp are ready to be fed to the fish. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

10-11-2005, 09:08 PM	#4
mlefev Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: California Age: 26 Posts: 817	Brine shrimp are easy...you can practically grow them in a test-tube. I did it before just as a science experiment in highschool, and had all the kids wanting the shrimp for their aquariums. I think that would be the easiest to start with. This link is not to a professional, but it pretty well explains things. And like was mentioned before, it's a pretty easy process. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fres...Brine%20shrimp __________________ Well rounded fun and discussions available at Lots of Fun 10 gal 3 zebra danios 2 solid orange platies 1 clown pleco Too many stinking pond snails to count...miserable things.

10-15-2005, 01:38 PM	#5
Electric Monk Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 39 Posts: 77	Cheers all, picked up a kit from my lfs a few days ago. What exactly should I look for when the 48 hour hatching time is up? just so I know it's worked __________________ Cleaner shrimp.....Aquarium mafia 2xCleaner shrimp ('Da boys) 2xPeppermint shrimp 1xTropical lobster 1xGold Chromis 1xBanggai Cardinal 1xSix line Wrasse 2xScooters 1xLawnmower 1xRoyal Grammer 1xCoral Beauty Angel 1xCopperband Butterfly 1xClown fish 1xSand sifting starfish 1xWhite, green, yellow, red and button polyp Green Mushroom going triffid on me 1xLeather Coral (and 2 babies) 1xAtlantic anemone 2xMithraculus crab Snails and crabs everywhere!!!!

10-16-2005, 02:20 PM	#9
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Microworms and grindals are easier to culture, as are vinegar eels. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

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10-11-2005, 04:49 PM	#3
Jonno Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Devon, UK Age: 20 Posts: 512	yep basically what fishfirst i got a hatchery that sits in the tank with an air pump tank provides heat & light and then you can feed them a few days later or put them in anothetr tank grow them to full size very easy, but it takes a few days for brine shrimp to be ready so i have 2 hatcherys on a go at once

10-15-2005, 03:18 PM	#6
Jonno Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Devon, UK Age: 20 Posts: 512	well u can either feed them to it like that or wait a few days till they get a bit bigger

10-16-2005, 11:31 AM	#7
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,358	You should look for a bunch of floating empty eggshells and a freeswimming shrimps. The tricky part is separating them, but it's not all that hard. The shrimp are attracted by light, so it you shine a torch on one spot, they'll gather at that spot for easy collection.

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