THEFISHGUY.ORG REEF FORUM

This procedure removes the outer layer of the brine shrimp egg which is indigestible. This method sterilizes them as well as increasing the number of hatching.

1. Soak 1 tablesoon of brine shrimp eggs (6 grams) in a container with 10 oz. of cold freshwater for 1 hour to rehydrate them. Gently aerate the water and eggs, and try to avoid having the eggs stick to the sides of the container.

2. After 1 hour of hydration, add 6 oz. of non-scented household bleach (5% chlorine) and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. The eggs will change their color from brown to grey and then to orange and will then sink to the bottom when decapsulated. Continue to mix the eggs until the mixture turn orange. Side note: It may take longer than 3 to 5 minutes for the eggs to turn orange so color is more important than time.

3. Over a sink pour the decapsulated egg mixture through a brine shrimp net or other fine mesh filter to retain the eggs, and gently rinse the eggs with cool tap water until the smell of bleach in undetected. Dipping the decapsulated eggs for a minute or so in water that has dechlorinator (sodium thiosulfate) added will nuetralize any trace amounts of chlorine that is still around.

4. Place the brine shrimp eggs in aerated salt water to hatch them. The decapsulated cysts can be refrigerated in saturated brine water and stored for 2 months and later hatched when needed. They can also be fed to the fishes or invertebrates without the need to hatch them first.