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Re: Cyclopse-Daphnia

Hi RJ,
    Here is a prior thread on indoor daphnia:

----- Original Message -----
From: Doug Dame <dameda at shands_ufl.edu>
To: <KillieTalk at aka_org>
Cc: Doug Dame <dameda at shands_ufl.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 16:08
Subject: re: raising daphnia (was: Babies making babies) <== ATTNGeorge
Davis


>
> George (and other topical experts can chip in, of course !!!) :
>
> A week ago, you posted a msg to KillieTalk entitled "babies making babies"
that was really was devoted mostly to raising daphnia indoors. I'm
interested in doing that .... and it seems like other people would be too,
give the ever-rising price of brine shrimp eggs .... and so am hoping you
could elaborate a bit on:
>
> * the lighting and other conditions for your 15 gal "green water tank".
Other than the few fish, do you do anything to actively stimulate the green
stuff? Have you had any green water crashes / do you think it'd be
worthwhile for me to perhaps keep two smaller (10 gal) green tanks, in case
one crashes unexpectedly?  Any particular reasons why std. glass aquariums
should be preferable to rubbermaid-type containers for this purpose, or vice
versa?
>
    The 15 gallon tank is lit by two 48" flourescent 40 watt bulbs in a
shoplight laying directly over two 15 gallon tanks.  The light goes entirely
over the green water tank.  Tank is open at the top.  I do not try to
stimulate the green water other than feeding the fish flake food.  I have
had only one semi crash in three years (please don't jinx me).  Two tanks
sounds great because you might try to fertilize a bit.  However, oftentimes
I pour the final daphnia right into tanks so I don't want to be putting
fertilizer, ie nitrogen products into my tanks on purpose.  I think the
glass is better because you can actually "see" your green water in the tank.
I think I have avoided some crashes by going lightly at times removing water
if it has thinned too much.

> * how many 2-liter bottles of daphnia are you maintaining, for what kinds
of harvests ? How often do you harvest, and how much?
>
    I have 18 cut-off two liter bottles going.  They sit on a work bench
with a double flourescent over head about 2 feet away, on 17hrs/day.  I
don't think the light matters much, because they already have the green
water then.  When a dapnia bottle is populated well and clearing the green
water, I harvest half by draining through a net or pouring directly into
killie tanks.  The waste water is collected to dump on the garden outside.
I harvest between next day to three days depending on the vigor of the
culture.  Any longer than that I toss the particular bottle, fill half with
a vigorous culture and fill with green water.  The harvests from a bottle
will provide food for one to three days for a pair of killies in a shoebox.

 > * are the daphnia bottles bubbled ? lighted ? filtered? water changes?
how often do you add more green water? how much?
>
    Bottles are still, no bubbles.  Tried that once with no discernible
benefit.  Think I answered the others above.

> * any particular type/s of daphnia that have worked well?
>
    Pulex and magna have worked well for me.  Moina has tended to have a
slow burn out rate.  Try to keep your different daphnia separate!  If you
have success with the moina, I would love to have a starter culture.  The
magna are huge (maybe a 1/4 inch!).

> * any other questions I should have asked but was too ignorant to think of
??<g>??
>
    This took longer than expected .  Gotta run off to the real job.  The
one that interferes with my killie time but pays the rent.



George Davis

Wilmington, DE

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