Algae powder for Daphnia, etc.

[AEWHistory]

Okay, since Daphnia are technically inverts, I figured I'd post this here, but I'm not sure this is the right places, so mods feel free to move this.

I've got a collection of Daphnia: moina, pulex, magna. Things haven't been going well and I'm trying to find good ways to keep the colony going. For some reason, making greenwater seems to be beyond my skillset.... which makes me quite possibly the most idiotic person in New Jersey.... and there's some stiff competition here. So I figured, what about Algae powder? Wouldn't that do the trick until I get my act together?

Also, does anyone happen to know how to get the daphnia that have produced eggs to hatch? I think some of my colonies went into sexual production and then died out, which sucks....

Thanks!

[Lupin]

I have never known greenwater to be impossible to obtain.lol An overdose of foods and then liquid fertilizers to an ol' bucket of water with intense lighting pouring on it is all you need.:grinyes:

[AEWHistory]

Yea, you'd think..... that's why I feel so stupid. All I need is some flippin' single celled organisms!!! :swear: However, doing this in the winter, from inside my house, might be part of the problem... it might be the entire problem, I don't know. That's why I'm curious about the Algae/Spirulina powder. I'll keep on keepin' on with the Greenwater tho. It's good to know that it is easy... and crappy to know that I'm a dolt after telling so many people that I wasn't.... :headshake2:

Just kiddin' :)

Thanks!

[Bettacreek]

Don't feel bad, I can't grow greenwater either. I end up with a bucket full of crystal clear water and a thick coating of algae on the sides. :/ Can't say anything about spirulina powder, I crashed my magnas and pulex trying to use it and yeast, but I have heard that others have used it with success. I did have some success with the moina, they lasted awhile, I just tossed them into a 5g tub with a handful of MTS snails. I didn't feed the moina, I only fed the MTS. So, that can work for a short period of time if you need to for whatever reason. I've also heard of people using pureed peas (pea baby food) mixed in water.

[OldMan47]

I gave up on greenwater too. I have a small green water culture going but it will never feed my daphnia. What I am using is a mix of soybean meal, finely crushed spirulina flake food, brewer's yeast from the health food store and a little paprika. I used an empty spice jar with a shaker top to feed the powder to the daphnia. The rest of the mix is in a sealed quart mason jar that ought to last at least a year. In less than 2 weeks, I managed to go from a failing culture to a thriving culture in a 10 gallon tank. I feed a few shakes from the shaker twice a day. When I did a 50% water change on it yesterday, I removed enough daphnia with a brine shrimp net to feed 3 tanks of fish. I can now feed that much every 3 or 4 days. The tank is unheated and has no filter. It just has an air stone going to keep things in the tank moving and oxygenated. When I do a water change on that tank, it gets used tank water from one of my fish tanks because the daphnia are so sensitive to chlorine.
I got a lot of the ideas and information here http://www.caudata.org/daphnia/#cult1

[Arakkis]

I got tons of green water to the point I have to feed them to my golden clams. For alternate food for daphnia and stuff, you can use yeast(champagne yeast works well), phytofeast(reed mariculture formula), and bacteria(I used to use duck poop in a kiddy pool, since the ducks like to poop in there it made that very easy to feed)

[Bettacreek]

Nom nom, duck poop water. Fish keepers must be crazy... lol.

[Arakkis]

the more natural the food, the more nutritious it is
lol

[Lupin]

Will sun lamps be more convenient in winter season?

[Arakkis]

yes that would help

[shawnhu]

I have green water in my tank that I don't know how to get rid of. A starter culture of Daphnia would be awesome for my green water. A 50% water change will only last 2 days until the green is back to where it was.

[steffish]

Just a note from the "competition"-
No green water here either.
I keep clear containers on south & south-west facing windowsills and top up with used tank water. One container is crystal clear water with algae on the bottom & sides and what I THINK are rotifers? swimming around. The other container is also crystal clear except for the luscious stand of hair algae!
Maybe we need dirtier tank water!
I have been keeping a small culture of moina since March, in a clear plastic kritter keeper. No air. Just a couple strands of java moss. Feeding crushed flake food. Siphon out some bottom gunk with airline tubing, skim the surface crud, & top off with conditioned tap water on no schedule.
I think you have to trick the eggs into thinking it's spring, so they'll hatch.