# How to keep daphnia?



## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

wow, really? No one?


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

According to Hellweg's book, feed daphnia

1 part powdered spiraling algae
1 part powdered chlorella algae
1 part soy flour
2 parts wheat or rice bran, powdered
1/4 part powdered paprika
1/4 part bakery's yeast
1/2 part powdered infant formula


Mix it all up and store in the freezer. Feed daily by sprinkling a sufficient amount on the surface of the water. Add live phytoplankton if possible.


Jenna


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

You can use aeration but it needs to be gentle. Sponge filters are good with daphnia.


Jenna


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## ykh (Jul 21, 2006)

I have success with another strain of daphnia called moina. I keep multiple culture in several plastic take out containers. I only feed with green water and they are doing well, no aeration.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

So the population crashed and I sorta just gave up on it. Came back later today and found tons of tiny tiny little daphnia.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Greenwater is the key. And a good supply of it. They can clear a green tank in no time.


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## ykh (Jul 21, 2006)

Most likely the eggs hatched. When you have a culture crashed, do not throw away the gunk/sediment in the bottom, they usually have eggs in there.



takadi said:


> So the population crashed and I sorta just gave up on it. Came back later today and found tons of tiny tiny little daphnia.


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## Edub (Mar 23, 2011)

I've been keeping magna for about 2 months now, by no means am I an expert but heres what works for me...

I keep mine in an old pickle jar with a tinfoil lid that's got holes punched in it. I keep them inside usually out of direct sunlight unless it's really nice outside and I put them out for a few hours. They do not like high temps, so be sure to keep them in the lower 70s. I feed green water, which I also have in an old pickle jar outside (top off w/ tank water every so often,) and finely crushed aquatic turtle food sticks leftover from my turtle keeping days. I assume you can also use algae pellets for fish, the ingredients are pretty similar. I feed maybe once a week, I let the water in the daphnia jar clear up before I feed again. Don't over feed, the water should just be hazy not gross looking.

My population has exploded. I'm starting my new culture today so I always have a backup. This will also be the first time I do any type of water change with my daphnia, but with a more heavily populated colony I imagine you would change their water more often. Still, daphnia can live in pretty crummy water in the wild so I don't think theyre super picky about it. Keep the sludge on the bottom, it usually has a lot of eggs in it.

DO NOT use tap water with daphnia, chlorine kills 'em pretty quick. I've also heard the dechlorinator chemicals we use to make water safe for fish are bad for daphnia, so only use well aged tank water or spring water or something. I use tank water because I want them to be used to tank parameters already when I feed them to my fish. Also, don't use air in your daphnia tank unless its just friggin huuuuge. Even then go for large, slow, lazy bubbles. The small air bubbles can get trapped between their shells and kill them, this can even happen when you pour them from one jar to another so BE CAREFUL.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Do you do water changes for the daphnia?


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## klaus07 (Nov 23, 2011)

daphnia do no need the type of water changes fish and plants need. If you are using fresh aged water you will eventually kill your daphnia. The best water to use is old tank water, deficient in heavy metals like copper. Daphnia are used in toxicity testing because they are very sensitive to heavy metals. Also daphnia have chitin for an exo-skeleton which is built with calcium. If the daphnia take too much calcium and magnesium out of the water or your water is too soft, this will also crash your culture. Lastly, if your culture blooms .....feed it to your fish...a booming culture will only continue to bloom if you keep harvesting it. Feeding daphnia is not a problem. They are filter feeders and whatever is small enough and disslved in the water will be eaten by the daphnia. 

I have a shoebox of pulex going now for the last three months.


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