Brine shrimp is a common food source for the fish living in decorating aquariums. Although brine shrimp is available in almost every pet shop, many people decide to hatch the shrimp’s eggs as a pastime while saving a small amount of money.
Still, brine shrimp not hatching has troubled aquarium owners from creating their own source of fish food. So, what are the causes?
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Why Is Brine Shrimp Not Hatching?
These shrimp eggs do not hatch because you put them in a poor environment (unsuitable water, temperature, and lack of air bubbles). Also, the issue might stem from improper measurements, storage, or poor-quality eggs.
#1 Improper Measurements
Salty water is ideal for the brine shrimp’s eggs to thrive, but some people don’t form a suitable water and salt mixture. For instance, they may add too much salt into too little water. The optimal ratio of salty water to hatch brine shrimp eggs is 1.4 liters of water mixed with ½ tablespoon of salt.
#2 Inappropriate Storage
You should buy eggs contained in a sealed can from a valid store. If you don’t use all the eggs in the first go, you must transfer the left portion into a sealable jar or can. Then, put the desiccant packs with the eggs and place them all in the refrigerator.
When pouring the eggs out of the jar for hatching, you must carry out the task quickly. Once you finish choosing the eggs, remember to close the lid as tightly as possible.
Or else, the moisture can easily penetrate into the jar and negatively affect the eggs’ quality. It’s highly recommended that you extract the eggs at a cold temperature, so don’t move them out of the freezer’s space while taking the eggs out.
The sudden change in temperature can lead to the thaw of the shrimp’s eggs when you restore them in the refrigerators and a decrease in quality.
Properly storing the eggs, not only the ones from brine shrimp, is the key factor contributing to the stable quality of eggs in long-term use.
#3 Poor-Quality Eggs
Maybe, the cause for brine shrimp not hatching doesn’t come from you first, but it arises from the eggs.
The possibility of successfully hatching the brine shrimp eggs will increase along with the high hatching rate confirmed by the manufacturers. You should look for eggs featuring a hatching rate of at least 80% for the most excellent productivity.
#4 Water Is Soft
Soft water is another recipe for the difficult hatching of brine shrimps. Raising the eggs in soft water is challenging, and it is impossible for them to grow into healthy creatures.
You can spot whether the water is soft or not by checking the pH level of the shrimp solution. The favorable pH level after eggs hatch must be from 8.0 and higher.
If the pH hasn’t reached this threshold, you must opt for a sodium bicarbonate buffer like baking soda for the water. One liter of hatching solution should go with ¼ tablespoon of baking soda.
#5 Unsuitable Temperature
- Below 25.5 degrees Celsius or 78 degrees Fahrenheit: Hatching brine shrimp eggs under this temperature range will force you to wait around 36 hours to witness the result. Besides the exhausting long-hour of waiting, the shrimp’s nutrition for your fishes won’t be at its best.
- Above 30 Celsius degrees or 86 Fahrenheit degrees: This temperature range will lead to the suffocation of nauplii and the hatcher’s stinky smell. By that, we mean the hatching process has failed.
From 26.5 to 28.9 Celsius degrees or 80 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit: This is the favorable range for the well-being of brine shrimp’s eggs. You can utilize a 25-watt light or a submersible heater to raise the water temperature to the wanted level. Besides, you should cover the tank with a lid to prevent the water temperature from dropping.
#6 Lack Of Air Bubbling
You must be sure that the oxygen is adequate to support the health of the shrimp’s eggs. Therefore, remember to eliminate the stubborn tubbing to facilitate smooth airflow.
#7 Reusing Hatch Water
Hatch water consists of low-priced materials, like tap water, salt, Epsom salt, or baking soda, so there’s no need to save a few cents by reusing the hatch water.
Moreover, the already-used hatch water is the ideal environment for some biological matters that will consume the oxygen needed for the growth of newborn brine shrimps.
Reusing hatch water is also a time-consuming move. While you need less than one minute to set up a tank with new hatch water, you will spend up to 10 minutes removing the waste from the used water to reuse it.
How To Hatch Brine Shrimp Eggs Properly?
Step 1: Add a cup of water to a mason jar. Next, mix a pinch of baking soda with a teaspoon of salt into the water.
Step 2: Place the mason jar in a glass bowl filled with water.
Step 3: Put the glass bowl containing the mason jar on a coffee mug heater. The optimal temperature for the growth of brine shrimp eggs is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 26.5 degrees Celsius.
Since the thickness of the bowl and the jar will reduce the effect of the heat on the water, you should set the temperature at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 degrees Celsius. Then, add brine shrimp eggs into the jar with the ratio of a spoonful.
Step 4: The brine shrimp eggs need at least 24 hours to hatch. If you notice that the eggs hatch, you can use a coffee filter to take newborn shrimp out of the water.
Bottom Lines
Although the brine shrimp not hatching problem hinders household aquarium owners from feeding their fish, this issue can be handled easily. You can devise various effective solutions when you spot the exact causes of the unhatched eggs.
