Re: [Killietalk] Problem hatching brine shrimp eggs

[Wright Huntley <jwwiii at pacbell_net>]

A couple of thoughts:

BBS don't mind a *lot* of chlorine (compared to fish) so don't ever use 
any dechloraminator in their water. Those will kill bbs quickly!

Try pre-soaking cysts in distilled or RO water (with stong agitation) 
for a few minutes before adding the salt. I found my semi-hard tap water 
in Fremont did not wet them at all well, just as salt water makes them 
nearly waterproof. The time-to-hatch went down when I started with 
well-wetted eggs and all hatched at about the same time (with good eggs).

From the original description, the problem is due to a very significant 
change. Minor stuff like salinity, temp., and other details are probably 
not important.

Dramatic drop in hatch rate, IME, has usually been due to dead eggs from 
somehow dampening the can of eggs with dew from sudden exposure to moist 
air while cold. I either keep open eggs at room temp. or allow at least 
24 hours for them to warm up when removed from the refrigerator, before 
lifting the lid. The rush of moist, warm air causes an invisible dew to 
form on the cold eggs, triggering the hatch signal that comes with that 
first rain that washes the dry eggs back into the salt pond or lake. The 
nauplii then die without hatching, and those eggs will never again 
hatch. They are useful only for decapping and feeding dead, like dry food.

Some keep their eggs cold, but only punch a small hole in the lid to 
pour from. That allows use of eggs right from the refrigerator, without 
the dew damage that opening the whole top causes.

Wright

--
Wright Huntley -- 760 872-3995 -- Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514

           Mencken's maxim—every election is a sort
             of advanced auction of stolen goods.



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