# How to get daphnia?



## javalee

Hi all, 

I posted "powerhead stirring up mulm in 29g" and am having some cloudy water issues that may be green water, but not sure yet. But since I have so many wonderful species of invertebrates in this tank, I was wondering about how you can get daphnia. 

I live in Louisiana, and my family has ponds. I'm disabled and can't go collecting, but can you see and identify these guys with your naked eye? Think someone could get some from some pond water? I have a cousin who keeps natural tanks and has a pond and would be interested too?

My tank is really thick with plants, but would they survive all my fish, tetras, angel, guppies, barbs, and ram?

If ordering a culture is my best option, i'd like info on that too.

Thanks,
Javalee


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## mistergreen

No, the fishes will eat them up faster than you can say "daphnia".
try aquabid.com . You'll find lots of options up there. 
You're lucky, I happen to have a link on culturing daphnia..
http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/month.200309/msg00217.html

you can also leave an a tub of aquarium water outside until you get green water and then throw in the daphnia. You just have to worry about mosquitoes.


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## sb483

Dallas Discus has one of the lowest prices if you choose to order by mail.


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## Muirner

Javalee - I had green water in my 55 NPT when i set it up. It took about a week or two for it all to clear but i did it with fast growers. I used Cabomba aquatica mostly because i like how it looked but Bylaxia did real well for me too. In no time my green water started to clear. Now as far as i can tell it's gone.


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## javalee

Thanks everyone for the responses. I guess I can't have my own colony of Daphnia as they would just be a healthy snack for the inhabitants. Too bad. I like invertebrates and odd critters. Thought it would be a nice solution with a fun side to it.

Muirner, I think you're right. In fact today, it doesn't look as thick as it did yesterday. I had some house plants floating in there and took them out along with a lot of the water lettuce, salvinia, and duckweed, trying to get more nutrients and light to the rooted plants, and that's when I noticed a greenish hue to the water, not pea soup yet, just a bit cloudy.

However, the floaters are mighty healthy and making a comeback already. I'll just let them continue to cover the surface and thrive. That might do it. With the water lettuce roots hanging and the intense light in there, all that green is actually kind of pretty. Just want my poor stem plants and tiger lotus to get some light too!

Thanks everyone.
Javalee


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## Valley

OK I've never tried this since I've never had green water but I've heard that you can take a fresh willow branch and stick it in the water with the top in the air. Leave it for 3 days (no more or apparently is starts to rot) and it's supposed to suck up all the stuff green water is living on. Like I said I've never tried it but it from a gardeners (dry garden) point of view it makes sense. As a side note it should also help with any plants still trying to develop roots. Good luck with the green water. I hear it can be a real bear.


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## dirtmonkey

Most kinds of willow will root and live a long time in water. I've taken cuttings (meant for the garden) and never got around to taking them back out for months- they just keep growing more roots and leaves. I haven't tried leaving them in water in the winter dormant season though. Right now would be a perfect time to get those cuttings in most of the US.


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## aquabillpers

I've purchased daphnia and worm cultures from http://www.lfscultures.com/ on several occasions and I have been quite satisfied. I am about to order from them again.

I did purchase one daphnia culture from Dallas Discus last year, because the price was quite low. I was disappointed. I ordered Daphnia pulex and received a culture with it, (probably) D. Moina, and other organisms, including one that was long, thin, and fast . That culture never did well. I tossed it after four months.The vendor did not respond to two emails.

I've also had good experiences with Aquabid, although I think their vendor rating system is unreliable.

Bill


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## Jimbo205

I would love to hear more about Daphnia. I am currently hatching brine shrimp eggs (nauplii) for my baby Endler Fry. But I would also love to learn more about Daphnia. 

If the Daphnia would eat my algae and then my fish eat the Daphnia, well that would be perfect!

I would love to hear from someone that has done this!


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## mistergreen

Jimbo205 said:


> I would love to hear more about Daphnia. I am currently hatching brine shrimp eggs (nauplii) for my baby Endler Fry. But I would also love to learn more about Daphnia.
> 
> If the Daphnia would eat my algae and then my fish eat the Daphnia, well that would be perfect!
> 
> I would love to hear from someone that has done this!


You wouldn't want to raise daphia in the same tank as fish... You'd have to raise them separately.
The fish would eat the daphnia faster than you can say daphni*


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## Jimbo205

So if I did this separately would it look and smell clean? I have an extra 10 Gallon Tank. Although if I add any more heaters onto the electric bill, well I am willing to try this now that the weather is warmer. 

Is this any more difficult than Hatching Brine Shrimp Eggs? 

I mean, this does sound really, really interesting but I am honestly trying to keep this hobby obsession under control. I don't want my wife to flip and come home to find out that she 'cleaned house' and put it all out on the curb. You know? 

I just don't want to dose any Excel to control the algae because I am afraid of what it might do to the fry and the shrimp.


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## mistergreen

hah, you got the aquarium bug bad....
Daphnia only eat suspended algae like green water. They don't eat hair algae or blue green algae if that's what you mean.

A really easy way is when you do a water change put the old aquarium water in a bucket and leave it outside in the sun and you'll get green water in no time... You might be get more green water if you put in extra nutrients like the liquid ferts for a planted tank.

When you get green water, purchase your daphnia and move the bucket to a shadier spot so the water doesn't get too hot. Then dump in the daphnia... When the water gets clear, that means the daphnia has eaten all diatom/algae. You just need to make more green water.

oh, you have to use old aquarium water or the daphnia will die.


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## John P.

They do great on #1 baby food (carrots, squash, green beans) for me. Only add enough to make the water cloudy.


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## BillD

Here is how I grow daphnia, in massive quantities, every spring. Over the winter, when my pool cover is frozen over and covered with snow, my dog defecates all over it. When the spring thaw comes the water gets a little green, and the cysts, stuck to the winter cover from the previous year, hatch and begin to multiply. Right now I have, probably, millions. I run a garden hose from the pool to the basement, where my fish are, into a garbage can, and drain the cover that way. I scoop daphnia by the thousand, out of the garbage can, and dump them into the tanks. The overflow goes into the floor drain. With the daphnia, there are also, bloodworms, several other midge larva, and the occasional glass worm. This is short lived, however, as the pressure mounts to get the pool open when it gets warm. This is the 12th year from the original culture. I keep daphnia in front of my fish 24/7 during this time. Sometimes it takes a few days for the fish to eat them all. So, if you have enough, they might be able to clear the green water before they all get eaten. They are a good food, but the fish need to, and can, eat a lot of them as they are about 90% water.


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## dymndgyrl

[smilie=l: [smilie=l: [smilie=l: 

LOL, Jimbo, what will your wife say when you tell her you need to build a pool and get a dog!!!


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## BillD

She'll probably like the pool and dog part. It isn't necessary to disclose the true reason for getting them.


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## Jimbo205

> [smilie=l: [smilie=l: [smilie=l:
> 
> LOL, Jimbo, what will your wife say when you tell her you need to build a pool and get a dog!!![/QUOTE] The answer to both is NO.
> 
> I already have only 4 children. All done.
> 
> We put up a temporary pool each year, and need to level out the yard for the pool. After day 5 the pool leans to one side and all 30,000 gallons drain through the 'garage' and away from the house (thank goodness).
> 
> I love dogs, but that would just the the 5th one to clean up after. I would either need to work less days of the week so I could spend all my time working on the yard, or make more money to pay someone to 'fix' the yard.
> 
> I'll keep my 'experiments' to the basement and on the small scale for myself.
> 
> It is fun to hear about how others grow their food. Sounds really cool.


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## BillD

I stumbled on to the pool idea, the first spring we had the dog. She's a Golden but won't go near the water. In the winter the snow cover makes everything the same. That first spring the water on the pool cover pool was extremely green, and after a less than successful trip to the pond for daphnia, I threw the few (less than 100) daphnia I had into the green water. A week later the water was still as green and thick as pes soup. two weeks in, still the same, but when I dragged a fine net through the water and it came up with the entire bottom covered with daphnia. A week later it started to clear, and there were brown clouds visible that were daphnia, by the thousands. So, I have kept it up from that original culture.


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## Jimbo205

Cool.


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## DataGuru

LOL
I have daphnia out back in a big trashcan. Got them 3 years ago from Dallas Discus and they come back strong every year. I also have a 700 gallon swimming pool out on the back patio. I dumped a bunch in there earlier this spring and they're very happy. Just some mulm in the bottom and various plants. If you want some, I can send you some with your plants.


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## Jimbo205

I think I asked this before, but will they eat the algae in my 2.5 Gallon tank and then get eaten by my 2 or 3 Endler Fry?

Thank you. I will need to prepare. 

I need to figure out what I am going to do with my tanks next. Some are bursting at the seams with plants (but all the same type), and the big one I can't figure out what to scape with. 

I need a plan.

My plan for now is to share my extra plants with a friend and make some room in my tank(s). 

The next step is to think of the next plan. (Kind of like Pooh Bear. Think, think, think.....tap, tap)


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## mistergreen

They'll get eaten by the endler before the daphnia can do anything.. You'd have to raise them by themselves. And you'd have to feed them green water or dead plant stuff or yeast or protozoans.
I think the dead plant stuff actually feed the protozoans that in turn feed the daphnia.


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