> jladonski_at_fieldmuseum.org
If you want to culture zoo plankton for kids in grades K through 4th I
recommend you use Daphnia magna. The first thing is to obtain two ten gallon
aquariums. Or if the daphnia is feed stock for another aquarium, a rigid swimming
pool, a ten gallon aquarium with a sponge filter, a light for a ten gallon
aquarium, an air pump, a florescent shoplight and a two way air valve are the basic
supplies needed. Buy several feeder gold fish and put them in the ten gallon
tank with the light on and when the water turns green (and it will turn green)
fill the rigid pool up with water (maybe 50 gallons) 24 hours before hand and
after the rigid pool has sit with the air bubblier in the middle, do a 50%
partial water change on the (green) gold fish tank water and pour the old green
water into the rigid pool. You will need to use the air pump running the
sponge filter to run a small bare airline bubblier in the rigid pool as well. Put
the fluorescent shoplight over the rigid pool (two 40 watt bulbs) and add the
starter culture for the Daphnia magna to the rigid pool. (one teaspoon of
miracle grow plant food should be put in the pool at this time and every two weeks
from then on). Keep the gold fish aquarium green by slightly over feeding the
goldfish and leaving the light on the gold fish tank on all the time. Every
three days or so (when the goldfish tank turns a dark emerald green). Do a 50%
partial water change on the goldfish tank and pour the water into the rigid
pool (BTW you will have to remove the same amount of water from the rigid pool
as you put in on each water change day) Keep the lights on both tanks and/or
tank and pool on all the time and within few weeks you should have plenty of
daphnia. If you only want enough daphnia for use as a show-and-tell type prop,
use another 10 gallon tank instead of the rigid pool and follow the same
instructions as for the rigid pool.
Moon
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