Swimming Pool Rased Daphnia

[RCW <ccc208 at swbell_net>]

I'm new to this group and am always open to learn more about the culture of
live foods.

I have been growing Daphnia magna for several years.  I've used yeast,
Micro-Food for marine invertebrates and green water when available.
However, two years ago I noticed how my 1/2 above and 1/2 below ground
swimming pool would green up in the spring before becoming warm enough to
start up for swimming.  So this year I introduced Daphnia magna in early
spring.  They thrived, multiplied exceedingly and eventually cleared the
water.  I was left with millions of Daphnia.  It's a large pool 29' round
and 4' deep.  To keep the population from crashing after the green water was
use up I would throw in some blended left over vegetables daily.  I would
also harvest every day.  Of course, I had more than enough to feed my fish.
I finally began to freeze them in large baggies with as much of the water
drained as possible by squeezing the large ball of Daphnia in my net gently.
The baggies would freeze flat much like what is available for purchase. I
have not come close to using up this frozen supply since this spring even
though I feed the frozen Daphnia almost every day.

With the rise of temperature the production tapered off.  Then I set it up
for swimming with the usual shock treatment with chlorine added as needed
through out the summer. The Daphnia helped in that I didn't have to go
through the process of filtering out the green water and using up several
bags of diatomaceous earth in the process.  The water was clean and clear
ready for start up (the Daphnia had die out because of temperature).

I introduced Daphnia this fall and already I've been harvesting some.  I
don't have green water yet but the leaves that have fallen in have provided
food for bacteria that the Daphnia have been feeding off of.  Last year I
also let the leaves fall in the pool. This introduces much organic mater and
therefore nutrients however, when the Daphnia are harvested the nutrients
are extracted from the pool. I never have to use an algaecide or any other
alga controls other then chlorine during the summer months.

I see this as a win-win by reducing my spring clean up labor and cost and
providing an economical, nutritional, and delectable food for my fish.

Bob
Tulsa, OK