Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

BBS hatchery not working

Creepella

New member
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
52
Reaction score
2
Location
Toronto, Ontario
First BBS hatchery attempt. I tried to follow the instructions in the tutorial. I don't have 2 litre bottles (don't drink soda) so I used a small glass cube fish tank designed for a betta. It's less than a gallon (about 2.5 litres). I installed an air hose, no straw because I don't keep those in the house either. Instead I ran the hose through plastic mesh, weighted it down with a stone, and added a spray bar to the end to improve the air flow.

My main problem is that the BBS eggs just sit in a lump on the bottom of the tank. It doesn't matter where I place the end of the air hose, and the spray bar doesn't seem to make a difference. The water appears to be moving fine, but I'm having to stir it manually with a chopstick, and as soon as I stop, the eggs just clump on the bottom again, and the water becomes crystal clear.

I don't understand why it's not working. Any advice? Could the BBS eggs be duds? My axie eggs already hatched more than 24 hours ago, so this is really frustrating! (The BBS shipment was delayed 2 days thanks to post office incompetence). Will they hatch anyway even if they're clumped on the bottom? Will my axie larvae now die of starvation because I can't get food ready for them??
 

LSuzuki

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
926
Reaction score
12
Location
Ohio
The reason it isn't working is that the eggs naturally drop to the bottom, and when the bottom is flat, the flow from the airstone just isn't strong enough to move them. If the bottom is wide enough that they can spread out evenly and not sit in a clump, they should hatch anyhow, but maybe with a lower hatch rate.

Other things that may be slowing your hatch rate:
1. You really need warm temperatures to get a good fast hatch rate. A small aquarium heater can help with this.
2. They hatch best with strong light.
3. If the eggs are old, they may hatch slower or not hatch.

You are probably going to want two hatcheries going (alternate days), but you can improvise a lot to make a hatchery. I have containers in a 2 gal tank partly full of water, with a heater in the 2 gal tank to keep the containers warm, and airlines running into the containers. I have a desk lamp beside them for light.
 

xxianxx

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2011
Messages
2,739
Reaction score
128
Location
South Wales, Gwent
Put the larvae in the fridge it will slow their metabolic rate down allowing you time to hatch shrimp. The shrimp eggs need to be kept moving, which is why soda bottles are used, your set up may have a very low hatch rate.
 

Creepella

New member
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
52
Reaction score
2
Location
Toronto, Ontario
The reason it isn't working is that the eggs naturally drop to the bottom, and when the bottom is flat, the flow from the airstone just isn't strong enough to move them. If the bottom is wide enough that they can spread out evenly and not sit in a clump, they should hatch anyhow, but maybe with a lower hatch rate.

Other things that may be slowing your hatch rate:
1. You really need warm temperatures to get a good fast hatch rate. A small aquarium heater can help with this.
2. They hatch best with strong light.
3. If the eggs are old, they may hatch slower or not hatch.

You are probably going to want two hatcheries going (alternate days), but you can improvise a lot to make a hatchery. I have containers in a 2 gal tank partly full of water, with a heater in the 2 gal tank to keep the containers warm, and airlines running into the containers. I have a desk lamp beside them for light.

Thanks for the advice! Re temperatures, the cube I'm using is sitting on top of an old steam radiator so there's plenty of warmth (I have to air condition my apartment in winter because the heaters blast out too much heat). Re light, I have an incandescent lamp set up to shine light on the hatchery. Do they need light for 24 hours or do you shut it off at night?

Re hatch rates, I'm not expecting much. I had to buy the eggs from a pet shop in a rush because the local supplier who provides much higher quality eggs is on vacation now (just my luck!) and took a week to notify me of this fact.

I do want to set up at least one other hatchery, but I wanted to get this one right first. I have a couple of extra 2.5 gal tanks and plenty of gang valves for air hoses. I have plenty of submersible heaters, from small plastic betta size to glass heaters for bigger tanks. I also have extra tall deli cups to put the eggs in. I will try your method with a tank and see what happens.
 

LSuzuki

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
926
Reaction score
12
Location
Ohio
I leave the light on 24/7.

Have you checked the temperature of the water in the hatchery? Is it possible it got too hot?

I like these instructions: Brine Shrimp Resources | Brine Shrimp Hatching Instructions This is also where I got my "good" container of eggs. (Unfortunately, I also have a "bad" container of eggs with a very low hatch rate.)

Since it sounds like you have experience with aquariums in general and spare containers, after you get the hang of hatching, consider decapsulating your brine shrimp eggs. (You used bleach to dissolve the egg "shell"). When done right, it does not decrease the hatch rate, and it makes harvesting lots easier.
 

Margie

Member
Joined
May 19, 2013
Messages
264
Reaction score
7
Location
Spokane Valley, WA
I don't have 2 litre bottles (don't drink soda)

I don't drink soda either, but it was well worth a couple of bucks to buy 2 liter bottles of the cheapest beverage I could find and dump the contents down the sink in order to get bottles for hatcheries (I run multiples). The 2 liter bottle method really does work well. :)
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top