Things You'll Need
- Brine shrimp hatchery with aeration
- Aquarium thermometer
- pH testing strips
- Epsom salt
- Brine shrimp eggs
- Fine-weave cloth net
- Spoon
Instructions
Live Brine Shrimp
Set up the hatchery in a place with a constant room temperature and that receives constant light. Use a store-bought hatchery with an aerator attached. Examine the aerator hose for holes. Attach the hose to the opening on the hatchery.
Fill the hatchery with water that measures between 80 and 84 degrees. Add 1 to 2/3 Tbls. of marine or solar salt for each quart of water poured in the hatchery, according to the Brine Shrimp Direct website.
Test the pH balance of the water with a testing strip. Add a 1/2 tsp. per quart of water if you need to raise the water pH to eight, according to the Brine Shrimp Direct website.
Put about 1/2 tsp. eggs into the hatchery per quart of water used in the hatchery. The eggs hatch between 18 and 36 hours.
Scoop the hatched brine shrimp from the hatchery with the net. Run warm water over the brine shrimp for 15 seconds while they sit in the cloth net.
Dump the brine shrimp into the betta fry tank. Swish the net in the water of the betta tank to make sure all the brine shrimp are gone.
Frozen and Freeze-Dried Brine Shrimp
Scoop the frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp out of the container they are stored in with a spoon. You need six or seven shrimp per betta fry. The shrimp don't need to thaw.
Sprinkle the brine shrimp into the tank.
Scoop out any leftover shrimp with the cloth net after 15 minutes to prevent the food from decomposing.