Brine Shrimp
Brine shrimp are one of the most common live foods that you can use. They are something you can culture and grow yourself. To culture them you buy the eggs (cysts) in dried form.
The directions for hatching are usually on the container, but here are abbreviated instructions. You can use any type of clear plastic or glass container. Because most hobbyist do not need a large volume of brine shrimp, a 2-5 gallon size container will work well. If the container has a wide open top, you will want to design a cover with a small hole in the center to fit your airhose through. This cover will help prevent overspray. Fill it 3/4 full with saltwater, add an airstone for movement of the water, add a small quantity of eggs (1 or 2 teaspoons), keep the temperature at about 75-80 degrees and add some light (preferably sunlight). Depending on the quality of the eggs, hatching will occur in 24-48 hours.
To remove the brine shrimp for feeding, shine a light onto the bottom of the container as the shrimp will be drawn towards the light. You can siphon off the shrimp by using a tube inserted into the container and empty them into a cup. We ended up adding a small weight onto to the hose to keep it on the bottom. You can use a dropper to remove the brine shrimp. We found ours in the children's medicine section of the local pharmacy, or a turkey baster works well. With this method, you can use the dropper to directly squirt the brine shrimp in the exact location you want them to go, for example when feeding anemones and corals. Or you can also use a fine mesh net to scoop and remove them.
Aquarium Tank Brine Shrimp Hatchery from the Fishline site uses an old aquarium. 1/4 of the aquarium is without light to hatch to eggs and then the other 3/4's of the tank is lit. Unhatched eggs stay on the dark site and the hatched brine shrimp migrate to the lighted side of the tank for easy harvesting.
Baby brine shrimp have a dense, oily yolk sac. It is believed that "abnormal fat deposits in organs such as the kidney or liver can interfere with the normal structure and function of these organs. Fish with such conditions tend to be prone to disease." Use caution not to overfeed young fish too many brine shrimp as this might contribute to an excess fatty build up in their bodies causing degeneration of the liver and kidney.
Live Feeder Fish
Marine animals like Lion Fish, Groupers, most Eels, Hawk Fish, Snappers, Anglers, and the like, are predatory animals. Their life on the reef consists of hunting and eating other small fish. By giving these animals small live fish to eat it is not only good for their diets, but it stimulates their activity and can be a large part of their well being. It is a part of their natural characteristic to hunt. Besides, if you give them a good steady diet of their own, they will have less tendency to try and eat your other fish inhabitants.
Some time ago, I was working at a doctor's office that had a beautiful 150 gallon reef tank in the waiting room with two Lion Fish inhabitants. The doctor also had a 10 gallon tank in one of the treatment rooms that had small goldfish in it. Each day I noticed that the numbers of the goldfish were deminishing and I couldn't figure out why. You have to realize at this time I know nothing about saltwater fish or tanks, it was my first experience being around one. One day after closing the doctor went into the treatment room, scooped five or six of the goldfish in a net and proceeded to carry them into the waiting room. It finally dawned on me as he was putting the goldfish into the reef tank that they were dinner for the Lion Fishes. I was stunned, but found myself memorized by the change of the mood in the Lion Fishes. They immediately went from their dosile appearance to an excited, stimulated mood and the hunt was on. When they were done I swear you could almost see a smile on their faces and they were happy and content.
Using freshwater feeder fish like goldfish, guppies and mollies are the best. They are less expensive and do not carry marine diseases that can be introduced into your aquarium. If you do happen to buy brackish or saltwater feeder fishes, be sure to give them a 2-3 minute freshwater bath and remove any visible external parasites before putting them into your tank.
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