# Raising Fairy Shrimp



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Mike finally got his fairy shrimp eggs in the mail yesterday. I'd never heard of them before he ordered them, and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm going to use this thread to journal this adventure.

Supplies:
1 gal bowl with lid/lED lights (set on a 12/hr timer)
1 gal of spring water
turkey baster (for feeding purposes)

YEAST SOUP (aka shrimp food)
1 pack of activated yeast
1 c sugar
clean soda bottle (for storing the "yeast soup")
Here's the recipe for the yeast soup, we found it online. According to the instructions, it's also good for daphnia, probably will work with brine shrimp too.

Yeast Soup: To make yeast soup, dissolve one packet of dried yeast (either bakers or brewers yeast), 
one teaspoon of sugar, and a big pinch of crushed fish food flakes in 1/3 cup of hot water (around 100 degrees). 
Mix well, and let it sit for about an hour to activate the yeast. 
Be sure to use a container tall enough to allow the yeast to bubble up. (An old plastic frosting container works well.) 
Store your “soup” in the refrigerator or another cool place. 
This will be enough food to feed your shrimp for weeks. Also good for Daphnias.

*****Note, this stuff rises to twice it's original volume, so be sure the whole thing doesn't take up more than 1/2 of the container.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Are you raising them for pets or to use for fry food. Since I used mine for fry food-I didn't need to make the food. Mine hatched pretty fast and it was easier than I thought it would be. If they didn't cost so much I would use them instead of brine shrimp-since the fairy shrimp are freshwater. Sure wish you could reproduce them in the tank without the eggs needing a dry out period....lol...That would be neat....

Who did you order yours from-I got mine from www.arizonafairyshrimp.com

Look forward to following your adventures in Fairy shrimp culturing....


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

We're one day in. I'm not seeing any swimmers at all, but the general rule on critters like this is 48 hours. If they don't hatch by tomorrow night, then we'll have to scrap this attempt and buy a new batch. 
The yeast soup has settled in the fridge and looks like a weird gross mess lol

These were supposed to be a mix between live food for our fish, and pets, we were going to see if we could keep them going, but according to my research, they only lay "Summer" eggs when there's a low male count. Those are the ones that hatch continuously.

Blargh.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

They were all fashionably late. Just shy of 48 hours in, and everyone hatched. Mikel fed them a bit of their "soup" and are were happily swimming.

Today, we moved them into the window sill. This helps keep their tank a little cooler, and gives them some natural sunlight, which may end up as green water. 2x the food source. He thinks he may've gotten some "defective" ones, because a few of them are swimming in tight circles. I had to explain that they're looking for food. lol

I don't remember if they need an aerator or not though. I think that's my only concern here. Aside from that, they're healthy and active. And Mike noticed that they (like brine shrimp) swim upside down.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Oldfishlady said:


> Are you raising them for pets or to use for fry food. Since I used mine for fry food-I didn't need to make the food. Mine hatched pretty fast and it was easier than I thought it would be. If they didn't cost so much I would use them instead of brine shrimp-since the fairy shrimp are freshwater. Sure wish you could reproduce them in the tank without the eggs needing a dry out period....lol...That would be neat....
> 
> Who did you order yours from-I got mine from www.arizonafairyshrimp.com
> 
> Look forward to following your adventures in Fairy shrimp culturing....


Mikel bought his from some eBay seller who had a reputation for not sending things out when he should've. But he didn't find that out until the day AFTER he bought them. The guy shipped them to us in a pill capsule wrapped in tinfoil.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Nightly Update!
Our shrimp are big enough to see without pressing our noses to the side of the bowl. Still almost impossible to photograph at the moment though. i have a video, but they look like little white debris as they swim around.

Mike's been feeding them a drop of the soup a day, and they seem to be doing well.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

By the way, these are what we're raising. They're called red tailed fairy shrimp.


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## rubinthebetta (Oct 9, 2012)

Cool!


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Day 10: The shrimp are big enough for me to see from the computer desk (about 3 ft away). I think the fishbowl helps. They are thriving on one big feeding every other day. I'm thinking about trying some crushed spirulina flakes, and haven't figured out water changes yet.


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## zmonkeyr (May 2, 2013)

*need help with my Fairy Shrimp*

i have tried MANY times to raise fairy shrimp  no luck.. cant get past 2 weeks and by then they are still WAY too small to see without a flashlight and putting my face up against the tank  the water starts to smell and they all die (at about 2 weeks) i made the yeast soup.. few dropps a day (like 3 dropps) and they are all Healthy looking active (still tiny) about a day before they are all "gone" any ideas?? 1 gallon clear plastic "tank" with a lid


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## zmonkeyr (May 2, 2013)

also, im actually only trying to raise them for "pets" not food..


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## slarty (Jun 28, 2013)

*Hi*

HI ZMONKEYR. I have exactly the same problem. They are fine for a week to ten days. I check em last thing before bed and they look healthy and "happy" then next morning half of them are having a chat at the gates with St peter! Try again I guess.


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