| |
| |
|
Pets Information |
|
|
|
How To Grow Daphnia For The Aquarium
The benefits of feeding live food to fish in a community tank are many: live food will improve vigor and color, and more closely resemble the food found in the fish's natural habitat. Live food is easily obtained. Some drawbacks include the transmission of diseases or parasites to the aquarium, it is time consuming to maintain the cultures, and a lot of space needs to be devoted to raising live foods. The cost of equipment and supplies needed to maintain cultures is also a consideration for the beginner. In this article I will discuss how to raise Daphnia. This article will be part of an on-going series on live foods. You can find many more related articles at http://www.kingdiscus.com. Daphnia belong to a group known as the Daphniidae, and are close relatives of the freshwater shrimp, and the brine shrimp (Artemia). Their generic name is generally referred to as "water flea." This common name is derived from the jerky movements of Daphnia in the water. The over 150 different species can be found in North America, with a similar amount of species growing in Europe. Some of these species find common ground on both continents. Daphnia are a small crustacean, and are great to use as a fresh food because they will exist in the tank water until eaten by the fish. Daphnia can also be sterilized if it is felt necessary by placing in a 5% solution of Clorox for 3 to 5 minutes. Very few micro-organisms can survive this. Be sure, however, to rinse them thoroughly before feeding! Daphnia can be raised both indoors and outside. Many people raise daphnia in a small children's wading pool. A more controlled environment, however, is done indoors, and can be done year round if one lives in northern climes. This can be as simple as a couple of two liter bottles, to a 20 gallon tub purchased from a store such as Menard's. The ideal situation is to have as much oxygenated surface area as possible, so if there is room for a larger container, by all means use it. A shallower environment suits daphnia best for prolific growth. Setting up the environment for daphnia is quite simple. Many methods are used for collecting the water to use for the culture. The best advice I have heard is from Joe F. of Circle City Aquarium Club in Indianapolis, IN. He gave a presentation at the August meeting of Southwestern Michigan Aquarium Society, and recommends using tank water saved from a tank change. Joe has been raising live foods for a long time, and has had good success. His video presentation was top notch. PH levels for successful Daphnia cultures should be in the range of 6-8, and should be more alkaline than acidic. If raised outdoors, no aeration is needed. If raised indoors, aeration should be adjusted to produce large bubbles. Small bubbles in the daphnia culture will cause the bubbles to become lodged in the carapace of the culture, and they will die. Water temperatures for Daphnia magna are not a high requirement, but the optimal temperature should be in the 64-72 degree range. they are very tolerant to changes in temperature, and can withstand fluctuations down to freezing. In fact, Daphnia can be frozen and kept in the freezer, and then revived when needed. Moina withstand a higher fluctuation in temperature than do D. magna. Lighting should be in the neighborhood of eight or more hours light per day and light intensity equal to or greater than 850 lux. A simple light and a timer can accomplish this indoors. Feeding the Daphnia is where most aquarists fail. Daphnia feed on dissolved organic matter, yeast, various groups of bacteria, microalgae, and detritus, or mulm. Organic fertilizers, such as fresh cow manure. It is not recommended by our breeder, though, because of the antibiotics and supplements fed to dairy and beef cattle. A much better mixture is a combination of one tablespoon each of spirulina, soy flour, and active dry yeast, added to a pint of water. This mixture should be added so that the water is cloudy, but you are able to see the bottom clearly, and observe the Daphnia swimming in the culture. This mixture should be added carefully every two or three days, being careful not to over feed. At this time, you should see an abundance of Daphnia, and they can be harvested to feed your fish. Harvesting is quite simple - simply use a small aquarium net, observing that the smaller Daphnia fall through the netting to grow further. In this way, the adults are harvested, and can be fed to your fish. The younger Daphnia can go on to produce still more fish food. Harvested Daphnia can be kept in the refrigerator for several days in clean water. Daphnia are high in protein, and a very good diet for tropical fish. Some aquarists feed them exclusively. They provide up to 70% protein to your tropical fish, and are an excellent source of live food for the aquarium. Much can be written on the culturing of Daphnia. This guide is only meant to help the beginner to live foods to establish a colony, and feed live food high in protein to their fish. A series of article on live foods is forthcoming, and can be viewed at http://www.kingdiscus.com. Alden Smith is a published author, and has been marketing on the internet for 7 years. Read more articles at his website, King Discus, an active gathering place for discus breeders and lovers of discus fish. His wife Betsy is the administrator of All The Best Recipes a site rich in free online recipes and cookbooks.
MORE RESOURCES:
Pets - Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Dealing With your Pets Allergies It is Winter time again, a time of the year when pets and humans are very vulnerable to each other. As this is obviously the chilliest time of the year, animals are much more likely to be cooped up inside the house with us. Dog Aggression: How to Recognize & Respond Many dog owners are bewildered when they hear their dog growl, bark, or take an aggressive stance. Unfortunately, many of these animals end up in shelters because the owners could no longer live with the dog. Dog Training Basics All positive commands should be spoken sharply and distinctly during training. Make sure you also use a positive tone. Ten Important Things Your Dog Wants You To Know If your dog could talk, these are some of most important things she would like to tell you.. The Background and Use of Clicker Training For Dogs Presently, and throughout the 1990s a phenomena swept through the dog-lover's community. It was called "Clicker Training," and was implemented to teach dogs (along with horses and cats) that certain behaviors would be awarded, while others were not. Do You Enjoy Watching Your Dog Wear Handmade Dog Scarfs Just To Suit Their Personality? Yes! We love our wonderful and dear Pooches! We care for them so much that we love to dress them up in all sorts of dog clothing. Take for instance, a handmade Dog Scarf. Teach a Dog To Swim You want your dog to swim?We're going to try to give some advice on how to teach a dog how to swim and some general safety issues. As always check with your vet on any medical questions. Birdie Body Language Most parrot people are aware of some of the basic body language out companions use to communicate with us. But it's usually the more negative ones! However, our buddies use a multitude of moves to express lots of emotions, both positive and negative. 7 Good Reasons for Playing With Your Cat Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you. Tips on Easy House Breaking Your Puppy If you are lucky enough to get a 7-week-old puppy, there is no excuse for any bad habits to develop over his lifetime. Puppies learn INSTANTLY when they are that young, and if you use the proper training methods, gentle but consistent, he will behave like an angel his whole life through. West Highland White Terrier - Westie Grooming Westie Grooming - When your west highland white terrier becomes part of your family, it deserves the care love and support that is given to all members of your family.As part of the package, this would include the grooming of your Westie. The Need for Pet First Aid Kits Even if you have the perfect first aid kit for you and your family, it might not help when Fiddo or Fluffy gets hurt. To help pets in an emergency, assemble a pet first aid kit. Clown Loaches Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, Botia macrocanthus Common Name: Clown LoachClown loaches are very popular aquarium fish; however they are not always easy to keep successfully since they easily succumb to ick and are sensitive to poor water conditions. This article is intended to help new clown loach owners provide a good home for their loaches. Dog Travel - Taking a Vacation with Your Dog Like most dog owners, you probably take your dog with you on weekend excursions and trips to the country. When it comes time to take a longer vacation, however, we always face the dilemma of what to do with Fido. A Dog Day Care Franchise - Is It Really Worth It? When you take into account that there are over 68,000,000 dogs in the United States alone, you can see why many people consider taking advantage of a dog day care franchise.However, before you even think about a dog day care franchise, please do a self evaluation and make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Dog Aggressive Training: Understand & Eliminate Your Dogs Aggressive Behavior Aggression behavior in a dog is a normal form of canine communication similar to human frustration or anger. Like human, aggressive behavior occurs in every dog. Glow Light Tetra - A Lovely and Peaceful Member of Your Community Tank Brings live to your community tanksMany freshwater fish-keepers have a warm spot in their heart for a little fish with a big name, the 1 ½-inch hemigrammus erythrozonus? or mush easier to say, the glowlight tetra. Like its little cousin, the neon tetra, the glowlight is an easy fish to keep in a community tank. House Rabbits are Fun and Cute Pets House rabbits are a perfect pet for many people, regardless of whether they live on a farm or in an apartment. House rabbits are small, easy to take care of, and don't require any expensive supplies like some other pets do. Cats and Their Allure: What, When, Where and Why Domesticated cats have been gaining in popularity in the United States. It is projected that by the year 2010 there will be far more cats than dogs. Dog Crate Training: The Basics Dog crate training is one of the most effective ways of modifying your pet's elimination habits. If your puppy or new pet has decided that they want to leave puddles or other unsightly messes around your house, then taking a closer look at this method may be in order.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
