RE: [Killietalk] RE: Raising Brine Shrimp

["David Lains" <david at zfin_org>]

Hi Dave

Another great source for KCL is sodium free water softener salt.  Locally a
50# sack is ~$8.

Best Fishes 
David Lains <}}}><
 

-----Original Message-----
From: killietalk-bounces+david=zfin_org at aka.org
[mailto:killietalk-bounces+david=zfin_org at aka.org] On Behalf Of Koran, David
HQ02
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 7:29 AM
To: killietalk at aka_org
Subject: [Killietalk] RE: Raising Brine Shrimp

For the mixologists out there, before the cold weather disappears you might
want to pick up one of those plastic containers of Prestone De-Icer.  It is
98%+ calcium chloride with impurities of magnesium, sodium and potassium
chloride.  The price is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying calcium chloride
at the pet supply when you are trying to produce hard water like what you
want to do for brine shrimp.  It would also be advisable to buffer your
water with sodium bicarbonate, i.e., get the 4 pound Arm & Hammer.  Another
thing you might want to seek out is a product called MAG which is flaked
magnesium chloride sold as safe for plants and concrete also for de-icing
this time of year.  I don't know if it is sold in less than 80 pound bags,
however.  It will also be much cheaper than Epsom salts and you don't
introduce lots of sulphur into the mix.  Also, look for Cargill granular
feed salt at the feed & grain if you are near somewhere where they raise a
lot of horses and you are not too urban-ly bound.

The magnesium chloride is extremely hydroscopic so when you remove some from
the bag seal the remainder good or transfer the remainder to sealed
containers.  For my hard water mix I make up a stock solution containing the
calcium, magnesium and potassium chlorides (get this from salt substitutes)
and you can probably add the sodium chloride as well.  Don't add carbonate
to your stock solution or you will get a precipitate that you won't be able
to dissolve again.

If you check out the Sanders Brine Shrimp website, they (as well as others)
sell spurlina powder, add an amount of this to your water to inoculate the
tank for algae growth.  There is also a product called Micro-Vert from Kent
Marine which can also be used as feed.  I am not raising shrimp but I am
doing daphnia.  I culture algae separate and add this to the daphnia tanks
as a weekly water change.

Dave Koran


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