Daphnia Culturing

[whuntley]

Right on Keehoe. It works.

I just bought some low-temperature dried Daphnia from a source in the eastern US suggested by Tony Terceira (Ken's Fish -- Ken Menard) and sprinkled some on my outdoor tubs. Even though it is still too cold for Daphnia, one tub is showing a good population of some kinds of cladocerans after about a week.

Beside the original Ostracods that probably were in that tub, there are now definite signs of some kind of Daphnia or Moina swimming in the truly cold water. Outside temp was below 0C when I got up, so it will take a while before I can grow them outdoors in any quantity.

I remember starting a culture of Daphnia some years ago from a commercial container of dried Daphnia. The freeze-dry process may be too destructive of the resting cysts, but Ken's stuff, done at low temperature but without the extreme freeze-dry process seems to produce live starters, FWIW.

Wright

[ruyle]

I just bought some low-temperature dried Daphnia from a source in the eastern US suggested by Tony Terceira (Ken's Fish -- Ken Menard) and sprinkled some on my outdoor tubs. Even though it is still too cold for Daphnia, one tub is showing a good population of some kinds of cladocerans after about a week.

Wright, just ordered a 1/4 pound of this from www.kensfish.com. Hope
I can maintain a population through the summer

Bill

[shortman]

Interesting this shop has some very nice stuff

http://www.kensfish.com./kensspecialtyfood.html

-LOW TEMPERATURE DRIED DAPHNIA
-GOLDEN PEARLS
-Naturose Astaxanthan Powder

I gonna make some order.

[shortman]

I no longer culture Moina but instead, diverting my attention to Daphnia magna and freshwater rotifer.

Ronnie,

Good news for you, Rotifer culture are now doing well and soon I should be able to pass you another jar that I split. And for those that are interested I will prepare another jar to distribute.

You can use a 30x power lens to look for them and yes rotifer does move.
They stay at the wall of the container and with enough light power you can view them with nake eye.

[shortman]

Poh San and Ronnie,

Here is how it look like in my plastic container

[whuntley]

I just bought some low-temperature dried Daphnia from a source in the eastern US suggested by Tony Terceira (Ken's Fish -- Ken Menard) and sprinkled some on my outdoor tubs. Even though it is still too cold for Daphnia, one tub is showing a good population of some kinds of cladocerans after about a week.

It must still really be too cold for Dapnia or there were no resting cysts. The bugs I saw are a much lighter-color version of the Ostracods that were in that tub last fall.

I'll try some in a shoebox of indoor green water.

Wright

[keehoe]

Wright, the chance of having resting egg in those freeze dried Daphnia is very slim. Daphnia need time to develope resting egg. First produce male daphnia and wait till it mature and mate for resting cryst.

Only when daphnia sense the danger then it will initiate process of making resting egg. And that takes time.

Can i have your address, i try send you some?

[whuntley]

I'm still just tinkering, and the dry Daphnia I'm using were not freeze-dried. I have found resting eggs in commercial dried Daphnia before, so thought it fun to try again.

I appreciate your offer, and my address is always in my .sig, as below. If it is any bother, don't try, Keehoe, for Daphnia are relatively easy to come by at the local clubs, if my dry-hatch methods all fail. Save international shipping for some of those spectacular Bangkok panchax o/e.

Now if Mach wants to send resting eggs of Moina from HI, that's another story. We never got them established here, I think.

Wright

[RonWill]

Good news for you, Rotifer culture are now doing well and soon I should be able to pass you another jar that I split

Kho,
Thanks and I'll look forward to a clean culture. I went through the 3 pics you posted but what am I suppose to see... rotifer? If you can, take a pic of them under the scope. Maybe that will help me better recognize the little buggers!

The magna culture is doing great! (better than expected and I'm maintaining a 3rd culture). If the one I gave you is not reproducing well, I can always start up another. [meet me soon... I have a little dirty secret to share ]

[shortman]

Wright,

We can send you some vinegar eels culture starter via air mail using breather bag.
Should be able to make it to you. And can someone pass me the Daphnia and moina I will mail together. ETA is 3 days no overnight express available here.

[keehoe]

Wright the fact that the seller claim that it is highly nutritious that makes me think they are freeze-dried. (or spray-dry)

It would takes about 2 weeks for the resting egg to be ready.

I know it is a bit crazy sending them to US. When most of the things we got were originated from US anyway. But this sound like a fun experiment.

[shortman]

Ronnie,

Take a look on this daphnia that I gotten from you yesterday after 24hrs.
Another 48hrs to go.

BTW, what is the black dot? Eye?



Here is how it look like in the culture tank.

[shortman]

Does anyone know how to identify this daphnia species




This is the baby



Thanks in advance.

[stormhawk]

Probably a Ceriodaphnia species.

And yes, the black dot is their eye.

[shortman]

Probably a Ceriodaphnia species.

And yes, the black dot is their eye.

Thanks Jian Yang.

Question:
What is the process to remove the ephippium?
Wait for it to melt?

Thanks in advance

[shortman]

Answer could be in here
http://fins.actwin.com/nanf/month.9909/msg00050.html

Extract from the messages body

Hatching ephippa (resting eggs): Ephipia are the resting eggs that can
withstand freezing and drying conditions. They are black, saddle-bag
shaped, and pretty hydrophobic, about one (1) to two (2) mm long and
look like specks of pepper, some of which will float on the surface of
the water and others which will sink to the bottom of the culture
container. What is nice is that they will also withstand a three to
five minute sterilizing bath in a 5% Clorox solution, which very few
microorganisms will do. Just rinse them afterwards and put them in some
aquarium water and place in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Fill
a two to ten gallon aquarium with hard alkaline water the same
temperature as the water in the refrigerator. Aerate lightly and add
the ephippa (resting eggs). Allow the water to reach room temperature
naturally and slowly. Once the Moina have hatched, aeration is
optional. Tank should be lit a minimum of 12 hours a day or leave on 24
hours a day. Another hatching method is to place the ephippa (resting
eggs) and a little fine peat moss in a ten gallon tank with less than a
half inch of water. Allow the water to slowly evaporate. After the
tank has been dry for at least a week, completely fill the tank and
lightly aerate. Usually only a few of the eggs will hatch at an
attempt. This is nature's insurance policy that the Moina are not wiped
out by fickle weather. Each time you repeat this processes, a few more
eggs will hatch. No matter what you do, or don't do, a few eggs are
sure to hatch. Almost impossible is it that nothing, other than using
rain water, distilled water, R O water, or deionized water, would make
things go wrong.


but I am no very sure.

Regards

[shortman]

Guys,

The Daphnia that I get from Ronnie is still doing well and collected some to feed the fry. Not so sure what I did right or wrong, it is still going strong.

Only feed them with green water.

BTW, Jian Yang the portion of Daphnia is from you bag of Daphnia you want me to return you back.

Ronnie, I gonna try the larger species.

Thanks

[stormhawk]

Kho, you can keep the daphnia.

I'm collecting a new batch tomorrow.

[shortman]

Thanks and I'll look forward to a clean culture. I went through the 3 pics you posted but what am I suppose to see... rotifer? If you can, take a pic of them under the scope. Maybe that will help me better recognize the little buggers!

Ronnie and PohSan,

Sorry Ronnie take longer than I am expecting same excuse due to work load.

Under 10x lens


40x lens


100x






The above image is copyrighted.

[RonWill]

Beautiful! I like the 2nd last image best... and it seems these critters have 'eyes'!

Kho, thanks for taking the time to get this done and it was worth the wait