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keeping daphnia and moina alive over winter (i.e. indoors)



Doug,

     I keep three 10 gallon tanks of D. magna going indoors year round. I use 
the Charlie Grimes method. Each tank has a large box filter with smallish 
gravel in it for a biological filter bed. The tanks are otherwise bare. I 
have the filter going at a steady clip and a glass top on the tank. I change 
up to 2/3s of the water each week and don't worry about the daphnia I loose 
in the change -- unless the culture is low and then I fish some out to return 
to the tank. I feed just about every other day a heaping tablespoon of baby 
formula sweet potato mush. I mix the tbsp in a pint of water, stir it up and 
divide it pretty equally between the three tanks. It usually takes a day to 
clear so feeding is every 48 hours. I harvest lots of daphnia and it all has 
a pretty deep orange color. I have used green water and it is easier but the 
daphnia just eat it faster than I can grow it. I would have to set up a big 
container for just the green water. To get good green water fast, I leave a 
strong plant flourescent light on 24 hours a day and put 8 small goldfish in 
a ten gallon tank and feed well. The tank has a bio-box filter like I 
mentioned above. In 2-3 weeks it is green. I hope this helps.

Robert Ellermann
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