Brine Shrimp

[JON]

I have 6 Tiger Barbs, and 2 Green Tiger Barbs. I always have fed them varieties of fish food. From flakes to crumbles to treats like bloodworms, and occasionally a tubefex worm cube. I read today that i should also be feeding them some Brine Shrimp. What exactly are brine shrimp? How hard would it be to raise some myself? I have extra tanks! A 1gal, (soon) a 10 gal, and a 20 gal. Also, would a 20 gal be a good starter saltwater tank? I have never had one before. Thanks!

 

[Argento13]

There are brine shrimp hatchers or you can make your own. Someone here should know of a website that tells you how. I used to have it but not anymore. As for you "should be feeding brine shrimp" i do not believe this. A good flake food contains all the nutrition they need. Tetra for example have been making fish food for over 100 years and have put thousands of hours of study into such. Im not saying brine shrimp is not good food for it is. Im saying that it doesnt contain anything your fish cannot get from a quality flake.

 

[wetmanNY]

Once you see your Tiger Barbs tear into shredded spinach, you'll be sure to give it to them again, after they've eaten all of it. I use frozen spinach, briefly boiled and packed into ice cube trays,and kept frozen in ZipLoc bags, to be defrosted for servings.

There are easier livefoods to cultivate for barbs. Even blackworms can be cultured.

 

[kveeti]

If you want to try brine shrimp, just for the fun of it (also depends on your definition of the word fun), here is a website that has the instructions I used:
http://www.geocities.com/bryan_cass/shrimp.htm
Note, it is a geocities site and has popup ads.

Anyhow, I used a well rinsed upside-down clear 2 L plastic Coke bottle as my container, with the bottom cut off, suppored in a plastic 1 L (quart) yogurt container.

edit... adding this in after val's post (thanks, val) - Welcome to Aquaria Central

 

[val]

Welcome...

to Aquaria Central, Jon, home of the tastiest bloodworms and brine shrimp on the internet

Feeding live foods is a matter of preference and you only need do it if you want to. I love keeping fish, but not so much caring for them, so it is enough for me to do regular water changes, etc, than to worry about feeding and breeding flies/worms/bugs etc. However, everyone I know who does feed live foods swears by this...

Val