# How to make green water....



## desjardo

Anybody know how to make green water easily? I have daphnia on way and would like to get the water started.


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## Supernova26

Put a non cycled tank with water in the sun and be generous on miracle grow. that works for me all the time.


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## JenThePlantGeek

Ammonia + Light

Miracle Grow works. Bunny food pellets or rotten lettuce also work if you want to add infusoria to the mix.


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## frasertheking

yeah just throw some pellots in a bucket in the sun and give it a few days:thumbsupnce its going you can just keep ttaking some from the first batch and seeding new tanks


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## desjardo

Cool. Someone told me I could use my PMDD drops. Is this true? I was considering filling a fish bowl with tap water and adding bunch of my pmdd then sitting beside planted tank until its green. Then I can dump into the 5 gal and be off to the show.
Why miracle grow? Does any fert work?
LOL - Would my cat food work?
Sounds like anything that will rot.
Also its winter here so is heat a requirement for the green water?(Tanks stay around 70 plus without heaters)


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## JenThePlantGeek

You need something with ammonia, and Miracle Grow has urea which is a form of ammonia. PMDD might work, but I think they use nitrate instead. I'd guess you would have a bigger bloom with ammonia. Most ferts made for the outside garden or for potted plants would have urea in them.

Cat food wouldn't work for infusoria. Infusoria is a plant-eating mix of critters, and bunny food has alfalfa and other veggies in it. Use rotten lettuce, a handful of plant trimmings, or other similar plant-based matter if you don't have bunny food. Bunny food is just the "cleanest" way to go.

As far as temp, seems like between 70 and 80 gives the best results from my experience. A warm window sill is just about perfect.


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## KDahlin

Daphnia magna like cooler temps. I grow them in my house and start to encounter die off if the temps get much over 75. Moina, on the other hand, can handle warmer temps much better.


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## Arakkis

you can always find someone with a pond and get a starter culture of green water, just slap on a light and set it for 24 hour cycle


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## plantbrain

The more light the better, the more fertilizers, like a jobe plant stick or Miracle Grow the better, PMDD is not nearly as good. NH4 is the key.
Also, as mentioned as well, a starter culture of some green pea soup pond water is great.

Make sure to add ferts every 1-2 weeks to the culture and keep it in the light.
Aeration can help.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## adamsaulnier

Why would you *want* to create green water? What benefits does it give?


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## ath3ist

adamsaulnier said:


> Why would you *want* to create green water? What benefits does it give?


he wants to use it as a food source for the daphnia


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## B16CRXT

glad I found this! I'm about to attempt to raise a lot of Amano Shrimp larvae. Two of mine are berried. I expect them to hatch in a week or so. I'm going to get my hands on another small 2.5 gallon tank to raise them in, and try to grow some green water in an old pickle jar. Can I just put plant trimmings in it, and stick it in a window sill? Should I put the lid on the jar, or should I run an air line to it to oxygenate the water? TIA!


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## waterfaller1

B16CRXT said:


> glad I found this! I'm about to attempt to raise a lot of Amano Shrimp larvae. Two of mine are berried. I expect them to hatch in a week or so. I'm going to get my hands on another small 2.5 gallon tank to raise them in, and try to grow some green water in an old pickle jar. Can I just put plant trimmings in it, and stick it in a window sill? Should I put the lid on the jar, or should I run an air line to it to oxygenate the water? TIA!


Good luck with this. Nobody has been successful so far that I have heard. The larvae have to be moved to saltwater, then back to fresh.


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## B16CRXT

I know. I bought some oceanic sea salt mix yesterday and a hygrometer. Just need to pick up another small tank to raise them in. I found this great little web page about how to raise them:
http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/breeding_yamato.htm


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## paronaram

How did it go with Amano shrimps?
I am on my 8th day, about 85% larvae is gone 
If I can get 5 grow to shrimp size, I will be happy


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## B16CRXT

It didn't. I lost one of my pregnant amanos, when the other one released her eggs before I could capture her and move her to the larvae tank. She died shortly after for some reason.  I'm all out of amanos. anyone know where I might buy some more?


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## paronaram

Here in NY City Petco (petco dot com) always get's them.
Last time I got 5 Caridina japonica (Amano shrimp) and sales guy was telling me that it's a ghost shrimp.  Make sure you look over sales person shoulder, and see what it catches for you from the shrimp tank!
Locate a Superstore, they do carry them.

They even have Bamboo shrimp (wild)

Good Luck!


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