How to Harvest Brine Shrimp

Freshly hatched brine shrimp are a high-protein food for your fish tank. The shrimp still have the yolk sac attached to them, which provides most of the nutrition. Each hatchery setup is slightly different. Most hatcheries are made from simple container such as 2-liter bottles with an air pump connected to keep the water aerated and moving. To harvest the brine shrimp is simple process using gravity and a small fish net.

Things You'll Need

  • Flashlight
  • Towel
  • Plastic tubing
  • Small fish net
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Turn off the air pump to stop the eggs and hatched brine shrimp from circulating around the container.

    • 2

      Shine a flashlight into the hatchery to verify the brine shrimp have hatched. The shrimp are attracted to the light and will come to the surface.

    • 3

      Place a towel over the top of the container to allow the cut off any light entering the hatchery. Allow the shrimp to settle to the bottom of the container, which should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

    • 4

      Siphon the water out of the container using plastic tubing.

    • 5

      Place a small fish net under the water siphoned out of the container to capture the brine shrimp. The water runoff can be captured for reuse with another hatching or disposed of down the sink.