Meade 900X instruction manual Brine Shrimp Hatchery

NOTE: Use the color filter espe- cially when look- ing at clear or dim specimens.

ors are available in this position.

Install the filter as described above and turn the light source (U, Fig. 1) until it turns on. Set it so it shines through the filter. Take a blank slide and place a few grains of salt or sugar on it. Rotate the filter and see how the filtered light enhances the image of the salt or sugar.

The Brine Shrimp Hatchery

Brine shrimp are tiny crustaceans that are ideal for study with a microscope. Crustaceans are sea creatures with hard shells and antennae. Crabs and lobsters are perhaps the most well- known crustaceans. Brine shrimp are the major part of the diet of many sea creatures. The word brine means water containing noticeable amounts of salt. Brine shrimp are salt water creatures.

Your microscope kit comes supplied with sea salt , brine shrimp eggs (G, Fig. 1) and a shrimp hatchery (M, Fig. 1). The brine shrimp eggs included with this set are dried and will remain alive for up to five years if stored in a cool, dry place.

Perform the following procedure to hatch the brine shrimp eggs:

1.To hatch the eggs, first prepare a brine solu- tion. Pour the entire contents of the vial con- taining the sea salt (G, Fig. 1) into a quart of tap water. Add the brine shrimp eggs into the solution. Allow the solution to stand at room temperature (70° - 80°F or 21° - 26°C) for 24 to 48 hours and the eggs will hatch into nau- plius larvae (this is the first stage of develop- ment after leaving the eggs).

2.Place some of the larvae into one of the com- partments of the shrimp hatchery (M, Fig. 1).

3.Place some fresh brine solution in another compartment. Add a small amount of yeast to this new solution. Then, using the eyedropper (N, Fig. 1), transfer some of the larvae into this compartment as well. The yeast will serve as food and produce oxygen for the lar-

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