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Re: Live Foods Digest V3 #222 daphnia feeding




> From: Paul Salverson noted that ...
>
> Although I have many cultures going right now, I am quickly running out of
green water.
> I know that there has been some discussion of feeding daphnia everything
from strained baby foods to yeast.
> I have tried strained peas, by adding water to the jar and creating a
diluted mixture and pouring it into the containers, is this the correct
procedure. I don't think it stays suspended for very long till it settles to
the bottom,
>
> is this natural, do they have to grab it on the way down?

Daphnia will feed from container bottoms and sides. However you are probably
correct in suggesting that suspended food is more efficiently eaten and
there is less danger of polluting the culture container. If your culture is
in a fish tank, this is where a hard airline tubing can be of use. Several
correspondents on this and other lists have warned about pounding the
daphnia with aeration which is too heavy. Still some current can keep the
blended items, baby food or even just the green water more in solution.
Leave a few snails around to clean up extra which settles. If you have
cichlids, loaches, sunfish or Bettas, you will know what to do with any
extra snails. ;)

The larger bubbles will get the water turning over. Smaller bubbles can
lodge under the shell edges of daphnia, stranding and starving them on the
surface.

Knowing how much air to use is something of an art. Start gently and watch.
It's a little like feeding - begin modestly and see what the system can
take. If small tweaks upward with the air help, go with them. The daphnia
should not look like they are participating in "The Perfect Storm"
but I am surprised by how much water movement some people effectively use.

Outside cultures are harder to aerate.  However mother nature does at least
provide a lot of wind for gas exchange.

You may also need to set up some larger fish (odd numbers, extra males, a
grow out tank...) in yet another greenwater tank. If you aren't doing this
already, set up the tank (20 to 55 gallons is not unrealistic, space and
money permitting) as you would for plants (timer on a light and so on).
Don't put any plants in however. The light and fish waste should keep a
productive system going. If the light bulbs are fairly new (within 3 months)
enough greenwater will be generated that 50% daily water changes are
possible! Don't use a filter - but do have something (a hard airline tubing
, outside filter without any media in it) moving the water.

Good luck and all the best!

Scott