Using Fresh Brine Shrimp

Question
Hi

I have a number of livebearers 'giving birth' at different times and have decided that I should actually try to save some of them from hungry parents!

I have a couple of breeding traps so I've no real problem there.  The recommendation generally seems to be to feed fry on new Brine Shrimp.  I have a Brine Shrimp hatchery & have no problem using that, my question is - The Brine Shrimp are hatched in salty water so how do I introduce them to my freshwater tanks - If I just 'pour' some shrimp in will it not upset the balance in my tank?

I'm sure the solution is simple & that I'm just missing something!

Many thanks,
Lee

Answer
Hi Lee,

You didn't specify the type of Livebearer, but that's ok.

Yes, the brine shrimp are hatched in saltwater, and if you're concerned, you can just 'rinse' a batch of shrimps by netting them out and putting them in a container of fresh water/tank water, then putting them in the fry tank.

A small quantity of salt will not disturb the fish or the aquarium, and Livebearers, especially Mollies, will actually benefit from the addition of salt.

So in summary, you can just 'pour' some shrimps in, as long as you only get a small quantity of the water in. Netting shrimps with a fine meshed net is even better.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!