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Re: Choosing a Daphnia culture
I would not suggest picking a wild strain of Daphnia unless nothing else is
available. Cultures long in captive cultivation have adapted and been
selected to be easy to keep. There are lots of different strains. I have kept
over a dozen and would recommend two as the best. My top pick is the Russian
strain maintained in Detroit by Jim Langhammer and widely distributed to
members of the American Livebearer Association. If you have a cool
air-conditioned area available, the Daphnia magna strain available from
Carolina Biological Supply is good. It does pulse more. Pulses are great
population booms inevitably followed by crashes, so it is important to
subdivide cultures at such times. I would suggest at least a ten gallon tank
as the culture vessel. Twenty longs or 29's would be better. Tens have the
advantage they are very cheap. Keep the cultures and their nets separate from
the fish if possible and safe from outside pests.
-- Dan McMonigle