Ziss Aqua ZH-700 Brine Shrimp Hatchery – Live Fish Food System

How to Hatch Brine Shrimp with ZH-700

1. Assemble the hatchery

• Place the hatchery in its stand so the bottom valve is accessible
• Insert the rigid airline tubing into the lid
• Connect airline tubing from an air pump to the hatchery
• Ensure the bottom valve is fully closed before adding water

2. Fill with water

• Fill with ~700ml of water, leaving ~2–3 cm from the top
• If using tap water, add a dechlorinator

3. Add salt

• Add 1 tablespoon of salt per litre
• Marine salt preferred (best hatch rate) or aquarium salt
• Mix by using the air pump (do NOT manually stir heavily)

4. Add brine shrimp eggs

• Add up to 1 tablespoon of eggs
• Do not overfill — too many eggs reduces hatch success.

5. Start aeration (critical step)

• Turn on the air pump
• Adjust airflow so eggs are:
  – Constantly tumbling
  – Not settling at the bottom
  – Strong bubbling is required — this keeps eggs oxygenated

6. Maintain temperature

• Ideal range: 23–28°C
• Use one of:
  – Small heater (preferred)
  – Warm room
  – Desk lamp
• Warmer = faster hatch
• Cooler = slower hatch

7. Wait for hatching

• Typical time:
  – ~24 hours at optimal temperature
  – Up to 36 hours if cooler
• Do not harvest early — most eggs hatch near the 24-hour mark

8. Prepare for harvesting

• Turn off the air pump
• Wait 5–10 minutes:
• Egg shells float, unhatched eggs sink
• Baby shrimp gather in the water column

9. Use light to concentrate shrimp (key Ziss method)

• Darken the room
• Shine a light at the bottom valve area.
• Wait 2–5 minutes:
• Baby brine shrimp (phototactic) swim toward the light
• This separates them from shells
  

10. Harvest

• Open the bottom valve slowly
• Drain shrimp into:
  A Ziss SF-0, SF-1 or SF-2 collector/feeder
• Stop valve before shells enter the flow
• The Ziss valve is designed to draw shrimp from the bottom while leaving shells behind

11. Feeding

• Put Ziss collector/feeder into tank and either;
• Feed directly (contains salt) or
• First rinse with fresh water (recommended for sensitive fish)

12. Clean immediately after use (critical for reliability)

• Rinse hatchery with hot water
• Scrub if needed
• Do NOT use soap
• Cleaning between batches is essential to maintain hatch rates

13. Troubleshooting (common issues)

• Too many eggs → low oxygen → poor hatch
• Weak airflow → eggs sink → fail to hatch
• No light during harvest → shrimp mix with shells
• Skipping cleaning → bacteria → failed future batches
• Temperature too low → delayed or poor hatch