brine shrimp, spinach, algea food questions

[BigHaig]

Hey all,
a few questions about brine shrimp and spinach for a reef tank.

1) I cannot even see the brine shrimp with a magnifying glass, how do I know
they are hatched after 48 hours in water/salt/light/air flow? I see stuff,
but don't see it moving.

2) Can you raise brine shrimp to be bigger, so instead of feeding feeder
fish, use larger brine as feeder? How can you raise brine shrimp? Keep
them in water with air flow and light?

3) How long do you microwave spinach before placing it in the tank? Should
it feel soft and mushy? Or hardened?

4) Can I place a 1 litre coke bottle full of tap water in the sun for a few
days, then feed the "green" algae / water to the tank?

Thanks for you help!

[Marc Levenson]

Hi BigHaig,

Read below....

BigHaig wrote:

> Hey all,
> a few questions about brine shrimp and spinach for a reef tank.
>
> 1) I cannot even see the brine shrimp with a magnifying glass, how do I know
> they are hatched after 48 hours in water/salt/light/air flow? I see stuff,
> but don't see it moving.

After 48 hours, pour your hatched brine shrimp into a container and let it sit
for 10 minutes. All the orange stuff swimming around the surface (if a light is
on above it) is the food. All the brown junk on the skin of the surface and any
at the base of your container is waste / empty eggshells. You don't want to
pour that into your tank.

> 2) Can you raise brine shrimp to be bigger, so instead of feeding feeder
> fish, use larger brine as feeder? How can you raise brine shrimp? Keep them
> in water with air flow and light?

You could go to that much trouble, but you'd be feeding your livestock a diet
that lacks any nutrition. Like someone preparing you potato chips for you to
eat from now on. It's a nice snack or treat, but not what your life should
depend on.

> 3) How long do you microwave spinach before placing it in the tank? Should
> it feel soft and mushy? Or hardened?

You could wash some fresh lettuce leaves carefully, then clip one or two onto
the glass of your tank for any herbivores to eat. Sheets of "nori" (dried
seaweed wraps) are a better choice, and available in any oriental food store (or
aisle) as used for Sushi Wrap.

> 4) Can I place a 1 litre coke bottle full of tap water in the sun for a few
> days, then feed the "green" algae / water to the tank?

If we could do that, everyone would. Better to harvest your own phtyoplankton
culture, which isn't hard to do.

Marc


--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[skozzy]

If your eyes are good then you should be seeing the baby brine shrimp
dancing around, if you can't see them then I would say they havn't hatched.


"BigHaig" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hey all,
> a few questions about brine shrimp and spinach for a reef tank.
>
> 1) I cannot even see the brine shrimp with a magnifying glass, how do I
know
> they are hatched after 48 hours in water/salt/light/air flow? I see
stuff,
> but don't see it moving.
>
> 2) Can you raise brine shrimp to be bigger, so instead of feeding feeder
> fish, use larger brine as feeder? How can you raise brine shrimp? Keep
> them in water with air flow and light?
>
> 3) How long do you microwave spinach before placing it in the tank?
Should
> it feel soft and mushy? Or hardened?
>
> 4) Can I place a 1 litre coke bottle full of tap water in the sun for a
few
> days, then feed the "green" algae / water to the tank?
>
> Thanks for you help!
>
>