How to Build a Brine Tank

Brine is a common name for brine shrimp, a zooplankton often used as a food source for marine fish in aquariums. These small crustaceans are apt survivors. Their eggs, also called cysts, can survive freezing temperatures without damage and will begin development upon warming. Their life cycle makes it easy for aquarists to store brine shrimp in freezers and breed them as needed. With a simple setup and basic knowledge of marine aquariums, you can keep a healthy population of brine shrimp as a healthy live food source for your fish.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Air pump
  • Aquarium tubing
  • Long airstone
  • Aquarium salt mix
  • Hydrometer
  • Thermometer
  • Spirulina fish food
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the aquarium with dechlorinated tap water and add an appropriate measurement of aquarium salt mixture. Most salt mixes will make the water appear cloudy for a short time after mixing. The water will clear in time. Brine tanks do fine at room temperature. Use an aquarium thermometer to monitor the temperature and ensure that it remains between 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Use the hydrometer to measure the salinity of the mixture once the water has cleared. Brine shrimp thrive in waters that have a salt concentration between 30 and 35 parts per thousand---equivalent to 1.023 and 1.026 specific gravity.

    • 3

      Adjust the salinity as needed. Remove salt water and add fresh water if the salinity is too high; add more salt if the salinity is too low.

    • 4

      Connect the aquarium tubing to the air pump and the air stone. Airstones diffuse the air generated by the air pump to keep the water oxygenated and create a current--two elements needed for the successful rearing of brine shrimp.

    • 5

      Firmly secure the air stone to the bottom of the back wall in the aquarium. Ensure that the airstone you choose creates large bubbles. Small, diffuse bubbles can be damaging to developing and mature brine shrimp, but large bubbles are safe and will generate water movement in the brine tank much better.

    • 6

      Introduce your brine shimp and once they have developed, lightly feed them with spirulina several times a day to keep them strong.