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Daphnia, yeast, and stuff



>Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 11:20:21 -0500
>From: George Slusarczuk <yurko at warwick_net>

>On the other hand, Daphnia and other small aquatic crustaceans are
>filter feeders. *Any* suspended particles are "eaten" -- filtered out.
>Some species reputedly can avoid indigestible particles. Thus yeast --
>live or dead -- will be consumed if suspended in water, as will other
>food, if *very finely* divided (micronized). There are reports of
>raising Daphnia (and Artemia) on micronized rice bran. That's as dead as
>dead can be!

How's this for dead?  I was told that LFS recommends using sweet patato
baby food as a daphnia food source, so I ran out and got some strained
sweet potato baby food.  I mix a spooful in about 4-5 times its volume of
water, stir, and pour into my daphnia culture until it's slightly orange.
I have an air stone in the culture, so things are kept in suspension.  The
daphnia love it.  Only problem is, the daphnia turn orange and if I
slightly overdo the food, they disappear!  Of course, they reappear as the
food is eaten.  Next, I'm going to try strained peas.

On another note, I made a concoction of Fleischman's yeast, sugar, and
chopped up lettuce in water and let it sit in the sun for a couple of
weeks.  It stays white, but is more opaque than just yeast and sugar in
water.  It smells foul, but the liquor (filter some of the mess through a
coffee filter) is rich in something the daphnia love.  Yeast, infusoria,
and other critter, I'm sure.  I just add more water and a little lettuce
from time to time to keep it going.

--John




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