All this discussion of methodology and culture is getting me a bit irritated. [Guess I'll just vent my spleen here instead of the Chill Out forum. ]
When I moved to the Owens Valley, I wasn't keeping fish for that first year, so Daphnia were something I looked for, but not a priority item. This summer, I really needed them, so looked in every puddle, spring and ditch for signs of them.
Nothing!
I even tried to catch some from one lake at least 90 miles south of here, but they were not to be found (tho reported to be there by a killy friend). My suspicion is that measures to control the avian flu and/or the other mosquito-borne diseases may have been more effective at killing all the Daphnia near the valley floor.
After watching Mach Fukada's valiant attempts to get Moina established in CA by sending many, many bags to WCWs, I have concluded that local bugs may be easier to keep going. To my knowledge, no one has kept the HI Moina going for very long, here. I have no idea why, but they don't keep replicating like they do for him. [Wish I had some to try. ]
As spring is really here, it rains instead of snows, I'll start looking again. The fisheries folk at the local Fish and Game office have been no help, as they don't observe down to that level very often, I guess.
I need to try collecting in the Pleasant Valley Reservoir or Crowley Lake, next. Daphnia are never found in waters with many tiny fish, like pupfish, chubs or baby trout. Small fish eat all of them. Rich waters with lots of big fish will probably be more productive, as the big fish eat all the little predators. [Have to watch out for those F&G folk, tho, as they take a dim view of netting trout. ]
There were great clouds of them in Lake Mead when we were there for the Desert Springs work party, last spring -- also 50 lb. carp and 5 lb goldfish! Didn't think to collect any, tho, as I didn't know, then, how rare they are here.
Any suggestions for things I haven't thought of to try?
Anyone had a culture dry out on them? I'd love to have some of the bottom scrapings to see if I could get them going from the cysts. I once got a culture started from some dried Daphnia from the LFS. I suspect it was a fluke, tho, and not likely to repeat, especially now that freeze-drying is so common.
I'm going to Portland, to WCW, in two weeks, so will try to score a few live-food cultures, there.
Next weekend is an excursion to Death Valley to see what is billed as the best wildflower spring in many, many years. It has been much wetter than normal, so will haul my digital camera along.
Your suggestions gratefully accepted.
Wright
Daphnia-starved in the high desert.
01 760 872-3995
805 Valley West Circle
Bishop, CA 93514 USA
Bookmarks