Description The Gold Standard First Food for Fry Baby brine shrimp are widely regarded as the single best first food for fish fry, combining the right size, high nutritional value, and natural movement that triggers an immediate feeding response in newly hatched fish. Our premium Great Salt Lake Artemia cysts are harvested from Utah’s Great Salt Lake, which produces some of the most consistently high quality brine shrimp eggs available anywhere in the world, with a guaranteed 90% hatch rate under optimal conditions. Plain Eggs or Salt Blend Choose just the eggs sold by the gram, or our convenient egg and salt blend sold by the pound. The salt blend is pre-measured at the correct ratio of half a tablespoon per pint of water to achieve the right salinity automatically. This is the exact blend we use in our own fish room. A Note on Shells When feeding hatched baby brine shrimp to fry, minimize the amount of empty shells that enter the tank. Unhatched cysts and empty shells are not easily digestible and can cause digestive issues in small fry. Using a V shaped hatching cone or our Brine Shrimp Hatchery makes it easy to separate the nauplii from the shells before feeding. Hatching Instructions Follow these guidelines for the best hatch rate: pH must be above 7.0 to hatch. A pH of 8.0 or higher produces the best results. Salinity should be between 1.018 and 1.023 specific gravity. Use non-iodized, kosher or sea salt as iodine will kill the eggs. A good starting point is 1 level tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Ideal hatching temperature is 80 to 82 degrees F / 26 to 28 degrees C. Do not exceed 86 degrees F / 30 degrees C. Strong aeration is important for a good hatch rate. Egg density should not exceed 2 grams per liter of salted water, approximately 1 teaspoon per liter. Incubation period is typically 18 to 24 hours. Storage Store in a cool environment. Eggs remain viable at room temperature for approximately one month. For long term storage, keep in the freezer to extend shelf life significantly. Allergy Warning Contains crustacean shellfish. Handle with care if you have a known shellfish allergy.
