Simple Brine

Simple Brine


For about a century, brine shrimp (Artemia spp.) have been among the most important of all aquarium foods. Not only are they extremely nutritious, and fish love them, but they are also incredibly convenient to use. This is because it is relatively simple to store and hatch their cysts.

Cysts are unlike eggs in that they do not hatch until environmental conditions are favorable for the hatchling’s survival. Thus, they do not hatch–but nevertheless remain viable–under poor conditions. Brine shrimp cysts are capable of tolerating some pretty rugged conditions, including hypersalinity, extreme temperatures or even complete desiccation. 

One problem, with the use of cysts in aquaria, however, is that they are maybe a bit too tough. This presents a wide variety of issues. For example, the young shrimp wastes a considerable amount of energy (in the form of its nutritious yolk sac) in order to break free during hatching. Also, the cyst shell (i.e. capsule) fragments are tough and practically indigestible; thus, they can cause choking or intestinal blockages when consumed by some animals. Worse yet, the capsule surface can harbor potentially harmful microbes.

Decapsulated cysts solve all of these issues. Decapsulation is a process that essentially dissolves away the capsule, leaving the tiny embryo intact and viable. Sure, there are some minor downsides to decapsulated cysts; they can’t be stored dry and must be refrigerated. That however is an arguably tiny price to pay for a product that is much better for your prized livestock in terms of palatability, nutrition and safety. And it’s why AlgaeBarn is proud to offer Simple Brine!

Yes, Simple Brine (like most decapsulated Artemia cysts) can easily be hatched out in a so-called brine shrimp hatching cone. But you can really appreciate its benefits by adding it directly to the tank. Yes, this product is in some ways more convenient than dry cysts in that you may skip the hatcher and put it right into your system! This allows for three really awesome hacks. Try one of them, or two… Or try them all!


As they are

Many reef animals release their eggs into the plankton, and many other animals readily consume these floating eggs whenever they can. In this respect, Simple Brine is a very naturalistic substitute for this valuable food source. Indeed, it is so tasty and palatable that many corals and small fish eagerly rip the unhatched decapsulated cysts right out of the water column. And note that since the embryonic shrimp haven’t spent any energy hatching, the unhatched live cysts are about as wholesome as brine shrimp can possibly be. 

Just remember here that a little bit goes a very long way. To facilitate feeding, it is best to mix the cysts into a cup of tank water; you can then pour them out slowly, in smaller increments and in a more controlled manner overall. This particular method works well for feeding reef planktivores such as small wrasses, firefish, Chromis, and many SPS corals. Especially when mixed with the uber-nourishing fresh fish eggs in Dragon Roe!


A little of that

Everyone’s reef tank is a little different. That’s why everyone’s feeding regimen varies somewhat. Some hobbyists are so hardcore about foods and feeding (they should be!) that they take on the extra work of making their own specially formulated foods at home. 

Most often, these are frozen foods made with gel binders. These recipes allow for most anything to be added, including Simple Brine. While Simple Brine is quite nutritious on its own, it can certainly be used to spice up anyone’s specialty food mixture. In fact, this is an excellent way to include the rich fatty acids of unhatched Artemia in the diets of larger reef fishes; even huge fish like groupers will eat the miniscule cysts if you sneak them into a big, fat, juicy frozen cube with chopped meaty items.


Ghost feeding
Once placed in a suitable environment, brine shrimp cysts hatch in about one day. This can be a pain when you want and need live food now.   However, there are circumstances where this delay can work to your advantage. For example, consider those days when you’re away from home and unable to feed manually. Sure, you can put some flakes in an autofeeder, but for animals like seahorses, mandarins, jellyfish, NPS corals, etc. that need a steady supply of live food–good luck with that.  

But… If you have some Simple Brine… You can just place a small amount of cysts in a fat-mouth jar, set the jar in the sump in an area of moderate water flow (i.e. enough to keep the cysts aerated without blowing them out) and you’re good to go! They will hatch tomorrow and provide your animals with at least a one-day supply of live zooplankton. Just be sure to apply only a very thin layer of cysts at the bottom of the jar so that all receive oxygen (and are thus fully induced to hatch).


Advantages of Using Decapsulated Brine Shrimp Cysts

For one, cyst shells are not introduced into the culture tanks. When hatching normal cysts, the complete separation of brine shrimp nauplii from their shells is not always possible. Unhatched cysts and empty shells can cause mortalities in fish fry, as pieces of the shell or chorion can be lodged in the digestive tract of the fish.
In some cases, improved hatching percentages (by as much as 10%) can also be achieved from using decapsulated cysts. This is because less energy is required for the embryo to "burst" through the thin hatching membrane surrounding the embryo.
The decapsulated eggs are also thoroughly disinfected, thereby reducing the bacterial load of the hatching medium during incubation.
Lastly, the unhatched cysts (following incubation) are still edible and easily digestible by your fish. In fact, the energy content found in unhatched brine shrimp cysts is higher than that of a hatched, live baby brine shrimp. This is a very valuable course of action when brine shrimp cyst hatching quality is poor.


Instructions and Information:
The Simple Brine that are unused must be stored in a refrigerator always, but do not freeze them.
Hatching Simple Brine is...well, simple.

  1. Place the desired amount of cysts in a small container with clean saltwater that is well-aerated with an air pump.
  2. Now, wait 24 hours or less for the cysts to hatch. Keep your hatching container at room temperature while you wait.
  3. It is recommended that you feed the shrimp within 24 hours of hatching because this is when they are most nutritious. Use a net to remove the shrimp from the container, and then feed. Do not pour the hatching water into the aquarium. 

Key Benefits:

  • All stages of Simple Brine, unhatched eggs and nauplii are crammed with nutrition for your fish and coral.
  • Unhatched eggs are just as safe to feed to fish and corals as the nauplii or hatched shrimp.
  • Because this cysts are decapsulated, they have a high hatch rate and are pathogen-free.
  • Simple Brine are relatively easy to hatch and harvest because they are decapsulated.
  • ​Even finicky or stressed fish love to eat brine shrimp nauplii because of their attractive swimming movements.

Frequently Asked Questions


How long can Simple Brine be stored?
Simple Brine has a shelf life of approximately two months, so long as it is kept refrigerated.

Can I put Simple Brine directly into my aquarium?
Yes!  The water in the Simple Brine contains a proprietary solution that is designed to increase the hatch success rate of the brine eggs and to provide them with an optimal environment of moisture and nutrients.  You will need to separate the decapsulated eggs from their saltwater solution beforehand, but the Simple Brine eggs may be introduced directly into your system for either an instant or delayed-hatching feeding.

How many decapsulated eggs are there in Simple Brine?
Simple Brine contains roughly 100,000 eggs per gram, meaning Simple Brine contains approximately 10 million decapsulated eggs (100 grams) in total!




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