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Re: [Killietalk] Daphnia food



Hi Ed,

Your timing is perfect since I was about to write how I keep daphnia 
indoors.

Like George, I use a powdered mixture; soy flour, brewers yeast, 
paprika, powdered spirulina, and dried peas.  I process it all to a 
powder in my food processor.  I originally found the recipe for daphnia 
chow at:
http://www.well.com/~debunix/fish/LiveFoodCultures.html
The daphnia chow works great, and you can certainly see the little guys 
get very active when you feed them with the chow.

The setup is a 10 gallon tank with a seed culture, and put in some 
snails (rams or pond snails are good).  Put a light on the tank... 
brightness doesn't matter too much.  I just use a screw in fluorescent 
bulb in a clamp-on light.

Now this is where I vary from most people.  Some people add airlines to 
their daphnia setups, usually bubbling without an air stone.  Others 
don't add air.  I place a fan above the tank, blowing at about a 45 
degree angle to the water.  I've never heard of someone using a fan for 
their daphnia setup, but it works well.  It mixes the water, increases 
gas exchange, and doesn't get daphnia trapped at the surface of the 
water.  My inspiration to try a fan was the wind/breeze outside, and how 
it affects my daphnia tubs outside.

I feed enough daphnia chow to lightly dust the surface of the water. 
Usually I do this once a day.  If, when I go to feed them, I can't see 
to the back of the tank clearly (the 10 gallons are put on end, with the 
skinny end out) I don't feed them that day.

I hope someone else gives the fan idea a try and lets me know how it goes.

Good luck.

Mark
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Mark Pearlscott, LMP
Treatment Massage, The Injury & Pain Relief Clinic
4500 9th Avenue NE, Suite 300-34, Seattle, WA 98105
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(206) 234-9929

"Assisting You to Wellness."
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BrandtEdL at aol_com wrote:
> Hi all, I received a daphnia pulex culture as a holiday gift.  There  were 3 
> bags and I put them into different tanks.  #1 - no air, plants and  yeast for 
> food; died.  #2 - fed to fish.  #3 - in a 5 1/2 gal tank  doing well with a 
> sponge filter and algae flakes - doing well.  
>  
> I realize there was something on this site as to alternate foods to keep  the 
> daphnia going without the use of green water ( which I have none ).   Any 
> suggestions.  
>  
> Ed Brandt   (P.S. - this time I'll save a hard copy of any  information I can 
> get. )
>  
> Thank you, All
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