What can you tell me about sun corals?

katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Could you give me tips?
Right now I'm using a 1L bottle with an circular air stone that covers the bottom of the jar.
The brine shrimp eggs that i purchased are 100% artemia cysts, I also purchased Artemia food. The direction on the brine shrimp egg package says that I need to acheive a specific gravity of 1.015 using rock salt. Can I use freshwater aquarium salt? Its rock form? haha I dont know if thats the same thing.
I also read the time it takes for brine shrimp to hatch depends on the amount of light and the temperature of the water. I also read that it doesnt need to have light or a heater it'll just take way longer for them to hatch.
Any other advice you can give me? A 1L bottle should be fine for me since my tank is only a 10g and I dont need that much brine to feecd the tank. Plus this will be alternated between my homemade food and mysis shrimp.
Any other tips you can give me?
Also how does your sun coral stay open most of the time? Do you have daylights? I thought they only stay open at night time?
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
I thinkl I might have to put another airline hose into the jar because some of the eggs seem to be going under the air stone and not suspending in the water colum.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
I was thinking about it, but then I thoiught it would be better to use as a feeding tank for the sun coral.
I might still use it I dont know yet.
Right now im just experimenting with this, lets just see how it turns out!
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144478
I was thinking about it, but then I thoiught it would be better to use as a feeding tank for the sun coral.
I might still use it I dont know yet.
Right now im just experimenting with this, lets just see how it turns out!
I'll be anxious to see if it works....so make sure you let me know...LOL
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
It should work. I will tell you if it does also.
Its frustrading trying to get all the eggs to be suspended in the water colum in this jar though.
But right now I'm justc trying to see if I can acctually hatch the eggs.
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144404
Could you give me tips?
Right now I'm using a 1L bottle with an circular air stone that covers the bottom of the jar.
That's great.
The brine shrimp eggs that i purchased are 100% artemia cysts, I also purchased Artemia food. The direction on the brine shrimp egg package says that I need to acheive a specific gravity of 1.015 using rock salt. Can I use freshwater aquarium salt? Its rock form? haha I dont know if thats the same thing.
I just use the saltwater I make up for my tanks. It's at 1.024-025. I used to be careful about SG, but it simply doesn't matter. Water & aeration is all you need to hatch them.
I also read the time it takes for brine shrimp to hatch depends on the amount of light and the temperature of the water. I also read that it doesnt need to have light or a heater it'll just take way longer for them to hatch.
True. I hatch mine at room temp and in a window that gets late day sun. No additional light.
Any other advice you can give me? A 1L bottle should be fine for me since my tank is only a 10g and I dont need that much brine to feecd the tank. Plus this will be alternated between my homemade food and mysis shrimp.
I assume you know how to siphon off the shrimp after hatch? Are you going to grow them out or feed the newly hatched ones to the tank? When I feed the tanks NHBBS, I turn off the pumps for about 10 minutes but not much longer - otherwise all the shrimp head to the top of the water to the light. I just turn off the pumps to give the fish time to gobble up the shrimp.
Any other tips you can give me?
Be sure to add new eggs every day for a continuous hatch.
If you are going to grow them out, you'll need a separate container with an air hose (no air stone) with just a few bubbles a second in the container with the shrimp. Just enough to keep the water moving and food off the bottom. You don't want to contaminate the hatching container with foods.
You will probably have to change the water in the hatchery about once a week. I just siphon off the brine shrimp, dump the water and fill with new water and new eggs.
You don't need to change water in the growout container, though I would add fresh RODI water for evaporation.
Also how does your sun coral stay open most of the time? Do you have daylights? I thought they only stay open at night time?
I have HO T5 lights on from about 8:00 AM until about midnight every day. They don't stay open only at night - that's an old error being spread on the internet.
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144496
It should work. I will tell you if it does also.
Its frustrading trying to get all the eggs to be suspended in the water colum in this jar though.
But right now I'm justc trying to see if I can acctually hatch the eggs.
Some eggs won't float - they're probably bad, or they simply haven't rehydrated yet. Just give it time.
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Here's a picture of my laundry room "hatchery."
I grow brine, phytoplankton, and pods.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
WOW thats a nice lab you got going on there.
I was just going to wait for all the brine to hatch in the jar, and feed the jar itself to grow them. I figured it would be easier then sitting and waiting for the shrimp to hatch so the "sack" doesnt explode and i dont have nutritious brine.
How long does it usually take to grow the shrimp into adults?
Coulkd there ever be to much current for the brine, that could hurt them or kill them?
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144528
WOW thats a nice lab you got going on there.
LOL, hubby tells me the neighbors are gonna turn us in for a meth lab.
I was just going to wait for all the brine to hatch in the jar, and feed the jar itself to grow them. I figured it would be easier then sitting and waiting for the shrimp to hatch so the "sack" doesnt explode and i dont have nutritious brine.
After 24 hours the yolk sac is consumed by the shrimp.
How long does it usually take to grow the shrimp into adults?
2-3 weeks.
Coulkd there ever be to much current for the brine, that could hurt them or kill them?
Not baby brine. My baby brine cultures resemble what cooks would call a rolling boil. The adults, however, should not be moved with that much current as they are unlikely to find the food moving by too fast.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Fortunatly I am a cook as my part time job haha so I know what you mean.
Also I'm in school for biochemistry, so if I really wanted to set up an ellaborate brine hatchery, mine would really resemble a meth lab haha. (due to the fact I can get my supplies from the lab)
How do you know if the yolk sack got gobbled up? I'm sure you dont time when the brine are going to hatch ect.
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144557
Fortunatly I am a cook as my part time job haha so I know what you mean.
Also I'm in school for biochemistry, so if I really wanted to set up an ellaborate brine hatchery, mine would really resemble a meth lab haha. (due to the fact I can get my supplies from the lab)
Cool!
How do you know if the yolk sack got gobbled up? I'm sure you dont time when the brine are going to hatch ect.
I don't grow mine out, so I feed within the first 24 hours. It's rare that one gets past my siphon but it happens. The newly hatched brine shrimp are a very distinct orange color. Once they use up the egg sack, they are white. You can see the difference easily.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Okay, next question lol.
How do you syphon yours out?
The stuff I read said use a coffee filter and just scoop them out, is that what you do?
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144586
Okay, next question lol.
How do you syphon yours out?
The stuff I read said use a coffee filter and just scoop them out, is that what you do?
LOL, no to scooping. Use a piece of airline hose put one end in the brine shrimp hatchery, and the other end in a container covered with coffee filter, paper towel, napkin, anything that will allow allow the water to run through but catch very tiny particles. I use an old fashioned handkerchief.
Turn off the airstone and allow the brine shrimp to settle.
The egg shells will float and the brine shrimp will congregrate near light. It will help if you do this in a very well lit area or have a flashlight handy. If you shine the flashlight on the side of the jar, they will all congregate in the light beam. You'll see an orange moving blob.....those are baby brine shrimp.
Start a siphon with the tubing near the brine shrimp and the other end in the filter. Pull the brine shrimp out, rinse them in RODI water and feed the tank.
Pour the water in the siphon container back in the hatchery, add some eggs and turn it back on.
You really, really, really want to avoid the egg shells as they can be harmful to your fish if eaten.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Sounds good!
Can I add any vitamins to the water now, so they soak in it? Or do I have to do it later on when they hatch?
I dont know if its just me but the eggs are starting to be more visable than when I first put them in, and it seems like I have a lot more floating i nthe water colum now. Does this mean I'm making good time?
Currently well all day they've are under my desk lamp.
Also how long would they live in my tank for when adding them?
Do they murk up the water quickly if I were to over feed?
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144639
Sounds good!
Can I add any vitamins to the water now, so they soak in it? Or do I have to do it later on when they hatch?
No, they eat nothing but the yolk sac for the first 24 hours after hatch. You'll just foul the water.
I dont know if its just me but the eggs are starting to be more visable than when I first put them in, and it seems like I have a lot more floating i nthe water colum now. Does this mean I'm making good time?
It does and that the eggs are hydrating.
Currently well all day they've are under my desk lamp.
Also how long would they live in my tank for when adding them?
Until a fish finds them and eats them.
Do they murk up the water quickly if I were to over feed?
In the display tank? No, absolutely not. Frankly, once they go in the display tank, you are finished dealing with them - the fish will gobble them up faster than you can imagine.
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Sounds good!
Thanks for all your help!
I only wish my sun coral would open up and show itself. Its such a pretty piece. Nice orange/pink colour.
Hopefully I can keep it alive!
 
R

roxannej

Guest
Originally Posted by Katsafados
http:///forum/post/3144677
Sounds good!
Thanks for all your help!
I only wish my sun coral would open up and show itself. Its such a pretty piece. Nice orange/pink colour.
Hopefully I can keep it alive!
You're welcome. Just be patient with the sun coral. It will send out a few tendrils one day, then a few more the next, then eventually open fully.
 
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