# Raising Daphnia - Questions!



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I have some baby apistos, they are about 3 weeks old. I have been feeding them bbs until now, and have tried mixing in crushed flake food, but they don't seem to like it much yet.

I was thinking of feeding them daphnia for a while longer since i have heard they grow very fast and are relatively easy to care for.

If i could get some tips on raising them, that would be really helpful.

I was wondering if there was anything else that daphnia will eat on a daily basis other than GW?

Also, what is the best way to get a GW culture going?

And which species will be best for the baby fry (they are about the size of my pinky nail)?

Thanks in advance


----------



## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

> what is the best way to get a GW culture going?


Here is one method.

A setup with intense light seems to work well. 
120Watts over 10 gallons of water. 
Substrate: 1/2 inch of soil with a light covering of gravel. 
Add a few plants not too many and none you care about.
The emersed form of marsilea seems to work well.
Crush a few snails, add some ferts and a bit of CO2 initially to kick start the process.
Adding MTS and scuds will keep other forms of algae (and the plants) from getting too luxurious and competing with the GW.


----------



## rhodophyta (Jan 23, 2006)

One of the best species of daphnia for aquaculture is Giant Russian daphnia if you can culture it in the low seventies. If your house temps are almost eighty, then Moina would be a better choice. Newly born daphnia are larger than baby brine shrimp, but putting several large adult female daphnia in with the fry should provide food. The adult daphnia will leave the fry alone while contributing to water quality by filter feeding on any fine food particles or bacteria floating in the tank water, but each daphnia will produce up to forty babies about every five days. To do daphnia you really need a source of hard water since to get massive production, you have to do daily water changes on the cultures. Daphnia is a great way to feed fish in a planted tank since you don't get those burn spots on leaves from flake food, and if they are in the tank long enough before being eaten, they will polish the water allowing more light to reach those precious plants.


----------



## Bill Weber (Jul 17, 2005)

Check www.Dallasdiscus.com
He has a nice wright up on raising Dalphina.


----------



## Felf808 (Mar 21, 2006)

i have a 5gal with 2x18w and onyx sand. it looks like it's snowing in there. the last time i checked, the ph was about 8.8 because of the onyx. you could probably get the same results by simply leaving the tank in direct sunlight.


----------

