Hobby Artemia Hatchery

[Geoffrey Rea]

Anyone using the Hobby Artemia Hatchery? Seems like a clever and tidy option for hatching small amounts of brine shrimp.


Just wondering what the hatch rate is like and does the baffle system actually work?

 

[Kalum]

Yup got one and used it a few times, works a lot better than I expected tbh and hatch rate I was getting i'd guess at about 60-70%, but the sheer ease of it made up for the lower hatch rate

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Thanks @Kalum will get one to try then. Never need large amounts at once anyway so a lower hatch rate isn’t a problem.

Taking away the use of an air pump makes things really simple. Using a baffle to separate hatched shrimp from cysts, then a hole to let in light above the collection cup to attract them is so simple, but really ingenious. Looks like a good solution to hatching small batches.

 

[Kalum]

I set up a cheap DIY hatchery and grow out tank to get them a bit bigger for my apistos but like you say with the air pump etc it's a pain to run and store

The artemia eggs can't get into the bit where the white cup sits as they need to swim there so it works well to separate them

I found I got about 2-3 days worth before no more would hatch, light amount after 12-16 hours, main amount hatching in 24-36 and a smaller amount after this, but this is very dependant on temperature so you can play about with higher temps and faster bulk hatching

 

[mort]

I use one of these in the summer as well. It works well for small batches as mentioned above but they are slower to produce than the more usual methods. I'd advise you use the bbs quickly because if you add to many they can fowl the water and it kills them all off.

You can also did something similar which is just basically a small tub (I used a little betta show tub which had a divider, looks like a breeder box but without the holes), with a divider down the middle that doesn't go completely to the bottom. You cover one half in black plastic and pop the eggs in that side with a makeshift lid, and when they hatch they swim to the other lit side.

 

[Wookii]

Anyone using the Hobby Artemia Hatchery? Seems like a clever and tidy option for hatching small amounts of brine shrimp.

View attachment 160003
Just wondering what the hatch rate is like and does the baffle system actually work?

It works quite well, but the hatch rate is low. It is super convenient though.

Don’t you have like, 30 Green Neons, and a load of barbs though? It won’t produce enough for a full feed for that many fish.

I’d suggest the JBL Artemio Set, with some decent quality cysts. That produces enough for two decent feeds on consecutive days. It’s a bit more involved to clean, but once you get into a rhythm of using it, it’s very easy and very consistent.

 

[brhau]

Confirming these work really well for small scale. My hatch rates are very high (90%ish). Speed depends on how warm it is, but I tend to see yield between 14 - 20 hours. I harvest several times during that window and store daily amounts in petri dishes in my fridge. I don't like storing them for very long, so I hatch every 3 days.

Cheers

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Don’t you have like, 30 Green Neons, and a load of barbs though? It won’t produce enough for a full feed for that many fish.

Simplified stocking now, gave the Odessa Barbs away during the rescape. Just the 50-60 Green Neons and 30 White Cloud Mountain Minnows to feed.

Try to feed a varied diet @Wookii so never relying on one thing, small batches sounds great and can always run a second to alternate supply.

Thank you for all the reviews and info folks 🙏🏽

Looking forward to trying it out now. It’s in the post already.

 

[veerserif]

I have one of those, picked it up after reading Diana Walstad's guide on brine shrimp egg hatching. On her recommendation, I disinfect before each use with a bit of bleach solution, it apparently keeps hatch rates high. I never need more than small batches so it's nice to have.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

That was fast:



Will have a play and see what repeatedly gets a good yield. Starting with this:



With the lid on the box air temp remains 22C plus consistently throughout the day according to the thermometer in there for the last 24 hours.

Water is very hard here and went in at 26C



1 1/4 Teaspoons of shrimp/salt mix to 700ml of water



In at 11:30am so will check on it in 24 hours



Once again, thank you for all the replies folks. Interested to see this work as it is heaps more practical.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Liking this, so practical. Photo after 24 hours: