How to Prepare Brine Shrimp As Food for Zebra-fish

This Instructable gives a step-by-step guide to setting up brine shrimp funnel tanks in a Zebra-fish lab. These instructions are intended to aid students, professors, and researchers that work or take part in a lab that uses Zebra-fish as a model organism. Photos were taken by Phillip Christian Dunger, in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Zebra-fish lab.

1. 2 Liter Funnel Tank & Stand (https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/large-hatchery-cone-stand-175-oz-bse)
2. Brine Shrimp Cysts*
3. Tubing and Straw*
4. Sea Salt (Any Pet Store)
5. 1000 mL Beaker
6. 1.7 cc Scoop
7. 5 mL/ 1 Tsp Scoop
8. LED Stand Light (Amazon or Walmart)
9. Multi-outlet Extension Cord
10. Aerator (https://www.amazon.com/AQQA-Adjustable-Ultra-Quiet-Hydroponics-Freshwater/dp/B0BCWML974?th=1)

*Comes with order of the tank.

Clean interior of the funnel tank and lid of the funnel tank with paper towels and water. Then place the tank in the stand, small side down with the valve facing toward you. It is best to place these components in a cabinet that can be closed with a cord coming out of it.

Note: Do not use detergent as this could have adverse effects on brine shrimp and Zebra-fish.

A stand light should be placed in a way that it is shining on the entirety of the tank. This light should remain on at all times during brine shrimp hatching. The aerator should be connected to a flexible hose and at the other end of the hose, a rigid straw is attached. Both the light and the aerator will need to be connected to the power source discussed in the next step, when ready.

Plug in extension cord and run it into cabinet. Suspend the outlet end of the extension cord, using either screws or shelf brackets. Plug in the aerator and stand light into this cord and ensure each of the components work properly. Do not run electrical components until you are ready to begin hatching the brine shrimp.

Add between 1.5 and 1.8 Liters of water to the cone (water can be added directly from a system or using a measuring device). This water should be from the same system as the Zebra-fish to ensure you do not contaminate tanks while feeding. Next, add 1 tsp of salt. The last ingredient for this mix is 1.5 scoops of brine shrimp cysts.

Note: Scoop size used is 1.7 cc, and amount of brine shrimp cysts can vary based on how many Zebra-fish need food.

Place the lid onto the top of the funnel tank (It reduces splashing). Place straw, that is connected to aerator via flexible tubing, into the hole in the middle of the lid. Make sure the straw goes all the way to the bottom of the funnel tank, as pointed out in the photo above.

Allow brine shrimp to hatch over the course of 24-48 hours. The light and aerator should remain on during this entire time. Different labs may have multiple tanks set up for feeding several times a day. However, you must keep track of what tank was used when to ensure the appropriate amount of time has been given for hatching.

After waiting for the brine shrimp to hatch, you are finally able to feed your fish this delicious and nutritious meal. Remove the aerator and allow funnel tank to settle for 8-10 minutes. Turn the valve and allow around 10 mL of mixture to flow into the beaker, then close the valve. Dispose of this initial mixture. Turn the valve again until half of the mixture is in the beaker and close the valve. Divide the mixture evenly between fish tanks (use a graduated cylinder for accuracy if needed). Divide the other half of the mixture among the remaining tanks .

Note: It should be a simple math calculation to determine the volume of brine shrimp mixture to pour into each tank.

Clean Zebra-Fish tanks regularly, as the use of Brine Shrimp as food can lead to dirty tanks. Be sure to keep an eye of the filters and the strainer for your Zebra-fish tank system and keep both of these components clean.