Bresser MicroSet 300 Série Mode D'emploi page 15

Saltwater brine shrimps
Accessories:
1. Brine shrimp eggs (20d)
2. Sea salt (20c)
3. Hatchery (23)
4. Yeast (20a)
CAREFUL!
These eggs are not fit for human
consumption.
Winter eggs of Artemia salina
Artemia salina are species of brine shrimp typ-
ically found in salt lakes — bodies of water with
a higher salinity than even the ocean. During a
drought, a salt lake can become a hostile habitat
for organisms, and entire populations of Artemia
salina sometimes die off. During drought condi-
tions, to ensure that the species will repopulate
the salt lake when the drought ends, Artemia
salina lay thick-shelled eggs called winter eggs
that can survive for up to ten years in a dormant
state. Winter eggs can withstand heat, cold and
chemicals. These eggs hatch when favourable
conditions return to their ambient environment.
The eggs provided (20d) are of this type.
Hatching winter eggs
To hatch the brine shrimps, create a solution with
an appropriate salinity and temperature. First,
fi ll two containers with a half litre of freshwater
each, and let them both stand for about thirty
hours. Next, pour half of the provided salt (20c)
into one container and stir the solution until the
salt dissolves. Pour some of this solution into the
hatchery (21). Place a few eggs close to the lid.
Position the hatchery somewhere with plenty of
light but not in direct sunlight. The ambient tem-
perature should ideally hover around 25 °C. As
water in the hatchery evaporates, gradually add
freshwater from the second container. After two
to three days, the eggs will hatch brine shrimp
larvae, called nauplii.
Observing Artemia salina under a micro-
scope
Using the pipette, move some larvae from the
container to a microscope slide for examination.
When viewing the larvae, you'll notice that they
swim through the solution using hairlike limbs!
Each day, examine a few more. You can even
view the entire hatchery under the microscope
if you remove its lid. The larvae will mature in six
to ten weeks, depending on the temperature of
the water. Soon, you will have an entire gener-
ation of saltwater brine shrimps that reproduce
frequently!
Feeding your Artemia salina
Feed your brine shrimps often to keep them
alive. The best food is dry powdered yeast (20a).
Give them some every other day. Be careful not
to overfeed them, as doing so can cause the
water to stagnate and poison the brine shrimps.
If the water does begin to stagnate (you'll see
it darkening), transfer the brine shrimps to the
fresh saline solution you have prepared earlier.
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