Daphnia feeding and filter

**edloh** · 27th Oct 2012, 11:04

Hi!

I feed my fishes a packet of live daphnia once a week.

I would just pour all the daphnia in and let them eat at their own time. When doing this I usually turn off my filter (power head, top filter type) as I am afraid that the filter will suck much of the daphnia in.

However when I do this, the filter would be off for about 6-8 hours as that the about the time when hardly any live daphnia are left.

Any comments or advise? Am I doing the right thing?

**astro** · 27th Oct 2012, 12:48

The daphnia water smell of urine. Best to strain them using a brine shrimp net instead of pouring it straight into the tank

**edloh** · 27th Oct 2012, 13:45

Thanks Astro! Actually that is what I do, I scoop them up in a net and put them in.

However is it necessary to turn the filter off? Can the filter be turned on with the daphnia in the tank?

**tetrakid** · 27th Oct 2012, 14:50

It is not good, for the fish or the filter, to pour a whole packet of purchased boons into a tank.

By doing that, one will be putting in a mixture of dead boons with live ones, the dead ones being discoloured and rotting, which means disease organisms. Morover, it makes it hard for fish to enjoy their boon meal if they are mixed with foul dead boons and foul water.

A good way is to transfer the packet of boons into a container of fresh water and scoop the healthy boons with a net to feed the fish after they have congregated at the water surface. The foul dead ones would have sunken and remained at the bottom. Healthy boons will congegate at the surface for oxygen, as they need plenty of oxygen to survive for hours.

**felix_fx2** · 27th Oct 2012, 19:08

Originally Posted by astro

The daphnia water smell of urine. Best to strain them using a brine shrimp net instead of pouring it straight into the tank

OT: you actually smell? The water looks dirty enough leh.

I dilute the boon into larger container. With cleaner water, and air stone.

**jemswira** · 27th Oct 2012, 20:59

Heh just a thought. Anyone tried cultivating the boon in a filter itself? Like in a compartment of the sump filter/OHF/HOF? This thought made sense in my mind. Heh. Anyone else tried/thought of this?

**astro** · 27th Oct 2012, 23:14

@felix, the pungent smell is so strong. U must have a nose block hehehe

**felix_fx2** · 28th Oct 2012, 11:52

Originally Posted by astro

@felix, the pungent smell is so strong. U must have a nose block hehehe

The times I buy not like public loo smell. Your ones "special"? Hehe.

You replying me also SMS lingo, asking for infraction huh?

**wilsonguppy** · 31st Oct 2012, 20:03

Baby brine shrimp is more nutritious than daphnia.

**Draka** · 1st Nov 2012, 10:57

Originally Posted by jemswira

Heh just a thought. Anyone tried cultivating the boon in a filter itself? Like in a compartment of the sump filter/OHF/HOF? This thought made sense in my mind. Heh. Anyone else tried/thought of this?

Haha if only these guys were that easy to keep

**tetrakid** · 1st Nov 2012, 21:19

That kind of notion can easily make those experienced with boon culture 'vomit blood'. Lol.

Originally Posted by Draka

Haha if only these guys were that easy to keep

**Draka** · 1st Nov 2012, 22:54

Haha have you managed to successfully culture them yet?

**tetrakid** · 2nd Nov 2012, 10:53

Sorry for the late reply. I am only interested in cultivating those "Big Bad Boons" or "Russian Reds" (D. Magna).

But since they apparently cannot survive in this climate and sample live cultures are not available here, the search is still on. Hopefully one of these days, I can see some bright biologist researcher come out with a local strain of big bads.

Originally Posted by Draka

Haha have you managed to successfully culture them yet?