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Re: Live Foods Digest V2 #223




>Date: Sun, 11 Oct 98 19:37:58 -0500
>From: FAIRVIEW LAWN CARE <w009198 at airmail_net>
>Subject: Decapsulation of brine shrimp egs
>
>I'm playing around with trying the above using household bleach as the
>decapsulating agent and white vinegar as the neutralizing agent.  The
>problem I'm having is neutralizing the bleach.  The guide I'm using
>instructs that after the eggs turn pink, strain and then soak the
>resulting mass of eggs in the vinegar to neutralize.  When I attempt  to
>strain the eggs, the net effect is clogging of the net.  Would a coffee
>filter be just as good and clog less.  I figure I could put filter an all
>in the vinegar to neutralize.  Any suggstions would be appreciated.
>

Although all of the "published" methods for decapsulation say to neutralize
with vinegar, it is not necessary in practice. I bubble the cysts in cold
water for 1 hour, then bubble in plain household bleach (without lemon
fragrance, etc) diluted to 50% for about 4-5 mins. I then strain the eggs
through a handkerchief and wash with several changes of fresh water, by
simply squirting the water over the cysts in the handkerchief. I then put
the cysts in the hatching solution and get extremely good hatches.

Barry

__________________________________________________________________
Barry Cooper, Chair			email:  bjc3 at cornell_edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences		Voice:  (607)253-3336
Section of Pathology			FAX:    (607)253-3317
College of Veterinary Medicine
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
__________________________________________________________________