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daphnia 1924 style
Hello all ,
A dear friend and fellow enthusiast came by this information in a
booklet published in 1924 titled . . . Goldfish and The Aquarium ,
subtitled . . . A practical Treatise for The Guidance of Amateur
Aquarists , by D.F.Banks , A.B.
While we seldom think about it , we do have a long and colorful history
,rich in stories about our collective quest for the choicest food for
our fishes . Caught somewhere between science and folk lore we attempt
to creat the "ideal" conditions for culture .Information is most often
handed down as a well prized secret recipe , but Mr. Banks openly
shared his secrets with us 74 years ago. Because of his efforts we have
a window into the past and we can see " how the old timers did it ".
The following is a direct quote from the section on breeding , page 21 .
Daphnia, sometimes called water fleas, makes one of the best natural
foods for fish. The Japanese use this food very largely. Many breeders
place a culture of daphnia in tubs or ponds, feed them and use as
requred. Daphnia may best be fed with lettuce water and liquid cow
manure, about half of each. Lettuce water is prepared by placing a
quantity of lettuce leaves in water and leaving until the water becomes
green. The fresh cow manure is placed in half-barrels and water added
until a fairly thin mixture results. Daphnia will eat small tadpoles
and are very fond of dead fish. If one has a culture of daphia in a
pond and happens to have a dead pussy, tie a brick around the carcass
with wire and throw in the center of the pond - the daphnia will do the
rest.