Brine shrimps
- Thread starter leonick
- Start date
Brine shrimps are not very nutritious and lack some of the nutrients required for many of the organisms we house. Brine shrimp should not be the sole source of food. Instead, a variety of foods is best. Also, brine shrimp will not live and breed in our tanks at the salinities we keep. So having to add them daily and find an extra storage area for them is a PITA.
Amphipods and copepods (pods) will live in our tanks and mulitiple with adequate places to hide and breed (ie refugium) for a constant source of nutritious and natural food. Take a look at this thread for a detailed rundown of fish nutrition.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...eeding-marine-fish-marine-fish-nutrition.html
BTW, clams do not eat zooplankton, phytoplankton is their choice.
Amphipods and copepods (pods) will live in our tanks and mulitiple with adequate places to hide and breed (ie refugium) for a constant source of nutritious and natural food. Take a look at this thread for a detailed rundown of fish nutrition.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...eeding-marine-fish-marine-fish-nutrition.html
BTW, clams do not eat zooplankton, phytoplankton is their choice.
JustDavidP
Member
Yeah... like Scott said, clams will literally "cough" up something as big as even a newly hatched BBS. A good phyto is in order there. They won't even touch the marine snow stuff.
BBS CAN be a good part of a marine diet, ss long as you feed them before the yolk sac is depleted (the nauplius stage) and they get into additional stages of molt and developmnent. At this time, they are a pinky, golden color. The coloring is that yolk sac I mentioned. Thereafter, (about 12 hours after the hatch) they go through the first stages of molting, where they develop an anus and "mouth". At that time, they begin filter feeding.
You CAN feed them to the tank at this point, but you should really "gut pack" them with a quality phyto, or enrichment formula like Selcon. Basically, you want to tint the water in the hatchery or holding vessel and wait for them to consume it. Now, they are pretty much like capsules, delivering quality nutrition to the tank.
After 15 molts, (in and around a week, depending on temp, salinity, food etc.) they reach adult stage. You can slow down development of newly hatched shrimp by keeping them in containers in a refridgerator.
Dave
BBS CAN be a good part of a marine diet, ss long as you feed them before the yolk sac is depleted (the nauplius stage) and they get into additional stages of molt and developmnent. At this time, they are a pinky, golden color. The coloring is that yolk sac I mentioned. Thereafter, (about 12 hours after the hatch) they go through the first stages of molting, where they develop an anus and "mouth". At that time, they begin filter feeding.
You CAN feed them to the tank at this point, but you should really "gut pack" them with a quality phyto, or enrichment formula like Selcon. Basically, you want to tint the water in the hatchery or holding vessel and wait for them to consume it. Now, they are pretty much like capsules, delivering quality nutrition to the tank.
After 15 molts, (in and around a week, depending on temp, salinity, food etc.) they reach adult stage. You can slow down development of newly hatched shrimp by keeping them in containers in a refridgerator.
Dave
Good point Dave! Thanks for backing me up! I just didn't have the time to get into all of that.
Couldn't agree with you more.
I try to get newer members to use the site to find answers to their questions. I've been here long enough to know that the same questions keep coming up over and over. It's easier to link someone to a thread than to answer it multiple times. This site is like an encyclopedia! The "Search" function is also a great tool.
Couldn't agree with you more. I try to get newer members to use the site to find answers to their questions. I've been here long enough to know that the same questions keep coming up over and over. It's easier to link someone to a thread than to answer it multiple times. This site is like an encyclopedia! The "Search" function is also a great tool.
JustDavidP
Member
Agreed... You'll notice that (on any forum), my post counts increase only after months of "lurking" and reading up on the wealth of info already posted.
Dave
Dave
JWarren
Active Member
Thanks for jumping in there guys. I was at work when I posted and didnt have any time to get into any details either. Just didn't want Leonick feeling like he was being ignored at 3:30 in the morning.
Leon, mine usually don't hang out for too long. Fish eat them up pretty quick. I use three 2 liter bottles that have two holes cut in the top, one of the holes is for an air pump line to aggitate the water and the other is to let the air out. I don't hatch out a lot at one time. The bottles are rotated. The one I use today gets setup again and in two days is ready with fresh brine. Whatever is left, if there is any left, I freeze and add it to my blender mix.
I was going to ask you what kind of clams you have, like the other guys said clams will reject brine shrimp. However, when I had my electric clam, when he was lucky enough to snag one, would take it in. This is the only clam I know of that will take in live food or my blender mix for that matter. I could not tell you if he took in food, sucked out the nutrients and spit out the bulk or not, I never really watched him that close. But, I did see my baby dottieback get ensnared in its tenticles once right after I first got him.
Leon, mine usually don't hang out for too long. Fish eat them up pretty quick. I use three 2 liter bottles that have two holes cut in the top, one of the holes is for an air pump line to aggitate the water and the other is to let the air out. I don't hatch out a lot at one time. The bottles are rotated. The one I use today gets setup again and in two days is ready with fresh brine. Whatever is left, if there is any left, I freeze and add it to my blender mix.
I was going to ask you what kind of clams you have, like the other guys said clams will reject brine shrimp. However, when I had my electric clam, when he was lucky enough to snag one, would take it in. This is the only clam I know of that will take in live food or my blender mix for that matter. I could not tell you if he took in food, sucked out the nutrients and spit out the bulk or not, I never really watched him that close. But, I did see my baby dottieback get ensnared in its tenticles once right after I first got him.
Thanks for jumping in there guys. I was at work when I posted and didnt have any time to get into any details either. Just didn't want Leonick feeling like he was being ignored at 3:30 in the morning.
Leon, mine usually don't hang out for too long. Fish eat them up pretty quick. I use three 2 liter bottles that have two holes cut in the top, one of the holes is for an air pump line to aggitate the water and the other is to let the air out. I don't hatch out a lot at one time. The bottles are rotated. The one I use today gets setup again and in two days is ready with fresh brine. Whatever is left, if there is any left, I freeze and add it to my blender mix.
I was going to ask you what kind of clams you have, like the other guys said clams will reject brine shrimp. However, when I had my electric clam, when he was lucky enough to snag one, would take it in. This is the only clam I know of that will take in live food or my blender mix for that matter. I could not tell you if he took in food, sucked out the nutrients and spit out the bulk or not, I never really watched him that close. But, I did see my baby dottieback get ensnared in its tenticles once right after I first got him.
thanks for the info, its the blue colored Crocea Clam , actually it died last night, maybe not enough light? I use 1 10K flourecent with 1 20k flourecent and another t-5 10k light with a total watts of 60w. tank height is around 12 inches only. I was thinking of supplementing it with Brine Shrips. guess is too late, bummer.
framerguy
Well-Known Member
It could have been the lack of light. Clams need very intense lighting. Either MH or lots and lots of T5. More on clams: when you go to get another (after upgrading you lighting of course), make sure that it reacts to your hand passing over the tank. He should close immediately when the shadow passes over. If it doesn't, don't get it.
very helpful! thanks
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I have been hatching brine shrimp every day for longer than I can remember. I feel it is a necessity for many types of small fish. Many gobies and smaller bleenies can not be kept for years with out them. Of course you also need to feed other things to clams, corals etc.