How to Raise Brine Shrimp for Profit

Brine shrimp are ideal for feeding young fish, called fry, which are born live. Brine shrimp are the right size for fry, though fry-hatched eggs are too small. Raise brine shrimp with an eye for the potential market, which includes serious fish owners and breeders.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 10-gallon fish tank
• Epsom salt
• Acrylic
• Silicone
• Airstones
• Brine shrimp eggs
• Aquarium lights
• Dried algae
• Wheat flour

1. Acquire a 10-gallon fish tank to start growing brine shrimp. Make a concave bottom area by taking a waterproof, durable material such as acrylic, and attaching it to the tank's bottom. Seal the material against the edges of the tank with silicone.
2. Fill the tank with water and add salt to create the optimal salt water environment. Add 3/4 cups of Epsom salt to every gallon of water, or 7 1/2 cups for a full 10-gallon tank.
3. Set up an aeration system using an airstone that produces large air bubbles. Small bubbles can harm young brine shrimp. Also, set up multiple airstones to keep the entire tank aerated to the degree required by brine shrimp.
4. Purchase brine shrimp eggs either as part of a kit or by themselves. Add 1/4 tsp. of eggs for every gallon in the tank, or 2 1/2 tsp. for the full tank.
5. Raise the temperature higher than room temperature to encourage faster hatching. Use aquarium lights or a heater to increase the temperature to 80 degrees to get the eggs to hatch in just one day, compared to one week for tanks at 65 degrees.
6. Hatch the eggs and feed the brine shrimp dried algae, wheat flour or fish meal. Allow the brine shrimp to lay eggs before harvesting them to use for fish food, which takes about 50 days.
7. Take out the new eggs and dry them to use another time or allow those to hatch and harvest the adults.