# brine shrimp to feed a betta?



## chicken (Aug 22, 2007)

Baby brine shrimp are pretty nutritious. My daughters' bettas enjoy them as part of their diet.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

thank you 

how often does she feed them? is it an every day thing or once a week thing?


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I feed them every morning, then feed something else at night.

There are lots of DIY directions for making a hatchery, or cheap ones you can buy, but I'm thinking about trying this one, cause it looks so simple.


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## Zac (Dec 16, 2010)

Does your local shop carry live bloodworms? IMO easier to feed and store in the fridge.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

You can grow daphnia too, a bit easier than brine shrimps.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

the seller i am going to buy the brine shrimp eggs from has a video on their site that shows hatching the eggs in a 2 litre bottle with just a pump and airline to keep the eggs moving around. seems easy enough for me.  hopefully it will work out.

my lfs doesn't sell anything live or frozen,

i was looking on ebay for different food options and they had daphnia too but it looked like i would have to use them within a week of them being shipped. i doubt they will even show up in 2-3 weeks. 

i ordered a kh/gh test kit a month ago, it is still not here...


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I feed brine _ALMOST _exclusively.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

and that provides enough nutrients?

i am just thinking about my dogs here. i feed them raw and i have to provide them with a certain amount of variety in order to cover all the nutrients needed.

i worry that feeding almost exclusively brine shrimp my betta would miss out on necessary nutrients. 

what do you feed along with the shrimp?


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Honestly there is a TON of misinformation and controversy about brine-shrimp, so I wont get into that, but lets just say There is a respect US wholesaler in town who feeds his stock on exclusively Brineshrimp. Another local store feeds their livestock Brineshrimp and bloodworms only.

I feed my wifes betta Brine with a small amount of high quality flake mixed in. 

FYI are you sure you get get stuff shipped in any sooner? I could get you 2 years worth of brine shrimp shipped overnight for $8 a pound plus the shipping charge. I have a guy that sells bricks that are a little over 2 pounds and will last you a long time!

Another option you have is to start a whiteworm culture. 

IME fish go crazy when brinshrimp (or other live/frozen foods) are fed. They will swallow anything at this point. I mix in a bit of highly nutritious, but less tasty flake food which is swallowed in the 'frenzy'.

This is also a great technique to get picky fish to start eating other types of foods.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

thanks 

i just want to make sure i give him all that he needs. if brine shrimp exclusively will do that then i am fine with that. i just wasn't sure if that would be enough. i think i would do what you do and slip in a pellet with the shrimp.

anything shipped by fed ex/ups it goes to st. john's and sits there until wednesday and then it is picked up and driven here. so, if something shows up in st. john's on thursday, or even wednesday afternoon, it stays there for a week. if it could come through canadian shipping and go by express mail it *might* get here in a week, depending on where it is coming from. i order soap from halifax and it is shipped in a 1-2 day envelop and it gets here within a week. i really do live in the middle of nowhere! 

how do you start a white worm culture?

oh, do i have to rinse the brine shrimp in fresh water or can i put them straight in the tank from the salt water?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Check the live food sticky
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/82387-live-foods-best-natural-food-fish.html

Yes, you have to rinse the brine shrimps in freshwater.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

LOL

Many people will say that BrineShrimp should not be fed exclusively, but many in SLC Utah will disagree  Everyone is going to have their opinions on how the food should be prepared. 

I PERSONALLY DON'T RECOMMEND FEEDING ONLY ONE TYPE OF FOOD. Suplimenting different foods has it benifits, depending on what you are suplimenting and why.


HARVESTING:

Using a fine mesh net to scoop them out and then directly add them into the tank (when feeding live). This is how we do it. Risning them wont hurt but IME its not a necessity. 

Check this out for white worms:
http://www.w9xt.com/page_live_foods_white_worms.html

You can breed a lot of shrimp if you do it right and soon, you will be freezing and selling all the extras!


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

where do i get the white worms to start them in the container? can i order them online? will they die in long shipping?


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

mindy said:


> where do i get the white worms to start them in the container? can i order them online? will they die in long shipping?


I dont know, I dont use them, though I am considering it.


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## JamesHockey (Nov 10, 2010)

mindy said:


> where do i get the white worms to start them in the container? can i order them online? will they die in long shipping?


Aqua bid, I got 3 types of worms for 7 shipped


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

JamesHockey said:


> Aqua bid, I got 3 types of worms for 7 shipped


thank you. do you know how long they can live while being shipped?


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

They should be fine for a week. You could also try to culture flightless fruit flies. My betta didn't like them, but lots of people swear by them. All kinds of places (including Aquabid) sell them and the worst thing that will happen during a week long shipping delay is that you'll have some fully developed ones to feed when the container shows up.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

thank you

i was talking to someone at aquabid about white worms. i am not sure how fast they would get here but hopefully they would survive. they said they shipped for 6 days to montreal and were fine. for me, i am looking at around 2 weeks if not longer.

i am looking forward to doing this for him. well, sort of... i think the shrimp will be ok, but i think the white worms are going to give me the willies.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I have Grindal worms I bought from the SnS here. They are super easy. I crushed dog kibble up and sprinkle it on every day to feed the worms. To feed the fish I float the plastic I keep on the peat moss on the water and the worms float off. It doesn't stink, the worms look like tiny white earthworms. Perfect. I keep the substrate moist and don't feed the worms and no worms. Feed them and in a couple days there are plenty to feed. They were fine this winter and fine in 90* heat. My culture does have mites but the tetras think that is just fine.

Hey Mindy, I know you from dog related forums. I got into live food because it seemed wrong to be feeding my fish soy and wheat when I cooked for Sassy and Max gets raw! The fish are thriving, I have two tank raised cory babies in the tank now.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

So we're all also "crazy" dog owners too? LOL! My mastiff gets a mix of BARF and grain-free kibble.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

haha! that is great! all the crazies always gather in the same places  

Kathyy, i feel the same way you do. i would feed the cats and ferrets raw too if they would take to it.  i really am excited to be able to do this for my betta. and, once my 20 gallon is cycled i am sure its new inhabitants will enjoy the live meals too!

my boys eat exclusively raw. i am not able to give my samoyed kibble at all. his belly just doesn't do well with it.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Clancy is iron-clad. The boy can eat anything (curry is a favorite, LOL!). We raw fed our Newfs when I was kid, but my sister (who dog sits my boy during the day and feeds him breakfast) doesn't want to deal with it. 

My butcher does a great pet food that Clancy loves (ground organ meat + all the trimmings from the steaks). He gets that, yogurt, pumpkin, and sometimes a good kibble or one of the foods from The Honest Kitchen (it's like a raw food base for dummies, LOL!). 

But his favorite thing in the world is ox tail.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

what a lucky dog! 

a newfoundland dog is on my future-dog-to-own list. i can't wait. 

oh! i won my auctions on aquabid (white worms) and ebay (brine shrimp) so within a few weeks i should be up and running and feeding a much healthier diet. hopefully everything gets here fast.


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