Required Supplies
One 2 liter soda bottle cut in half and inverted as a cone.
Aquarium salt (non-iodized), 25g per liter of water.
Air pump with airstone or rigid air line for deep aeration.
Bright desk lamp for light induction (brine shrimp swim to light at harvest).
Brine shrimp eggs — look for high-hatch-rate eggs labelled above 80%.
Setup Procedure
Fill inverted bottle with 1 liter dechlorinated water. Add 25g salt and 1 teaspoon eggs.
Insert air line to bottom so the stream keeps eggs suspended continuously.
Place lamp directly above. Temperature should reach 26 to 28°C.
Hatching completes in 18 to 24 hours. Longer hatches reduce nutrition.
Harvesting Nauplii
Remove air line and let contents settle for 5 minutes. Egg shells float, unhatched eggs sink, live BBS swim to the light near the bottom drain.
Drain into a 150 micron sieve and rinse with fresh water 10 seconds to remove salt.
Feed immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Daily Production Tips
Run two hatchers on alternate days for continuous fresh BBS.
Decapsulated eggs reduce shell contamination but cost more. Worth it for delicate fry.