the air lift system seems to be much better at moving and recirculation
the water in the stock tanks and preventing the lower levels from going
anerobic which promotes massive crashes in the greenwater cultures.... I
have been considering somthing similar for the Moina and Daphnia culture
tanks...
With many of the fish it seem that a steady diet of artemia napuli
seems to be detrimental. The Moina seem to be higher in protein than the
(70% of dry matter) Daphnia and a better choice for small fish as a first
live food. IT also seems like obligate cold water fish seem to be less
susceptible to handling shock when fed Moina as compared to artemia rich
diets. I had a few cold water killifish that would go into shock the
moment I tried to net them out of a tank......
I nver though of gloves. I hated bagging my out door fish and
Moina/Dapnia for club auctions. My fingers would be numb to the point
that I couldn't tie knots on the baggies...
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2004 16:23:57 -0500
> From: "Scott Davis" <unclescott_at_prodigy.net>
> Subject: Re: NANFA-- Spring must be here in Indianapolis
> "My" Daphnia (pulex? magna? adequate to the task...) has done pretty good
> under the ice in mild winters in Northern Illinois. Tried keeping them in a
> leftover plexiglass display case (among other containers). That was pretty
> ill advised as demonstrated by events a year later, however that mild year
> one could see the daphnia boogying all winter long.
>
> Was able to flip a three inch ice cap off of one of those half whiskey
> barrels and get a wonderful harvest late one December. Several of those
> containers have been in business for some years. A lot of the leaves are
> lifted out in the fall with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. If enough are left to
> fuel the culture but not smother it, those daphnia seem quite, maybe even
> more productive in cold weather. Less food seems to be needed for metabolism
> and can be used for reproduction and growth. A little extra green water from
> time to time can do wonderful things.
>
> By the way, a fishhead friend suggested using cheap surgical gloves around
> that cold water. The ones I had were so cheap they tore too easily, but they
> still did a credible job of keeping hands dry and therefore not numb. Next
> year will buy slightly better gloves.
>
> Some female Daphnia will be seen carrying resting eggs/cysts but that is
> evident in the back up cultures indoors as well. If there is plenty of food,
> there will still be lots of young.
>
> Interesting your comment about photoperiods. Even the indoor backups will
> have a few cysts in the summer though.
>
> More recently I've become a little gun shy about leaving the outdoor
> cultures full. Usually halloween is a good time to have drained them by
> 3/4ths. Some warm years have seen them productive to New Year's Day - if one
> can catch a day with a little warming so the ice cap can be removed.
>
> This last year, my very fallible memory seems to remember a really nasty
> cold wave about mid-October. The weather people called it correctly, but it
> was a frantic time draining and harvesting from seven vessels and gingerly
> carting the old 40 gallon breeder tank into the cool corner of the fishroom.
>
> So yes, try the "regular daphnia." It should be more productive at your
> cooler winter temperatures than in the 70s anyway.
>
> You are welcome to a starter of the stuff we've been passing around the CKA
> for a couple dozen years. Because it is kept in a shaded area, there have
> been few problems with pond predators joining the community. Nais or
> something similar, two sizes of Ostracods and a cyclops seem to have
> hitch-hiked in (on the whiskers of varmints?) and show up from time to time.
>
> I've had a few bloodworms from the indoor culture flying around the fishroom
> all winter long.
>
> If you want just the Daphnia, a little seiving and pickin' can be done.
>
> Whatever species and strain it is, it seems well adapted to Northern
> Illinois weather and, if out of the summer sun and fed a little more
> greenwater, most years (lately) will keep on chugging right through July and
> August.
>
> All the best!
>
> Scott
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/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
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/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org