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Daphnia stuff from the web.........



DAPHNIA (water fleas) Temp: 40-85F (Ideal 72F)
Lighting: Not important
pH/Hardness: 7.0/use spring water 

These freshwater crustaceans propel themselves through the water with awkward
jerking movements. Daphnia are greedily devoured by nearly all tropical fish.


Culture Procedure:
 Daphnia can be easily cultured if suitable water conditions and food is
provided. This can be more of a challenge than you might think! Daphnia can
rarely be successfully cultured in city tap water. It usually contains metal
ions and other contaminants that are lethal to daphnia. Use only spring water!
If this is not feasible, unpolluted water from a nearby pond or stream may
prove satisfactory. Water from long established, freshwater aquariums may be
used as a last resort - it may work for you.
Mash a piece of hard boiled egg yolk half the size of the eraser on a pencil
and add it to a 5 gallon aquarium filled with spring water. Do not aerate.
Remove any scum that forms on the water surface. After 3 to 5 days, a
bacterial bloom should be established (which the daphnia will feed on).
Now the tank is ready to receive your daphnia culture! We urge you to prepare
your culture tank within a day or so after you order the daphnia. Do not wait
until the culture arrives! Immerse the daphnia culture into your tank gently -
do not pour through the air! Air can easily be trapped beneath the daphnia's
carapace and they will rise to the surface and die.
Feed the daphnia sparingly with egg yolk squeezed through a piece of cloth
only when water clears. Dry active baker's yeast is also a good food -
sparingly! After feeding, the water should become clear within three to four
days. If it does not, you are feeding too much. This could result in the water
becoming depleted of oxygen and cause your daphnia to perish. Do not expose
the tank to direct sunlight or strong artificial light.
The daphnia specimens we provide you with are essentially all females. They
have a breeding pouch from which young female daphnia are born live. Inoculate
fresh culture tanks every few weeks. It is important to do this because once
the population of daphnia becomes too crowded or the water too old or not
acceptable to the daphnia for whatever reason, the females start producing
male offspring and they only ephippial ('winter eggs') are produced. These
eggs will not hatch until they have been subjected to several freeze and thaw
cycles, so your culture just fades away.
There is probably no other live food form that is more universally devoured by
freshwater and marine fish than daphnia. Well established cultures reproduce
very quickly and can quickly become crowded in culture tanks. We urge you to
set up a fresh daphnia culture tank once a week to ensure a continuous supply
of daphnia specimens. 
 
 172212  DAPHNIA MAGNA  $5.95  

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