Culturing Your Own Live Food

[wuvmybetta]

You could try culturing white worms or grindal worms. They're easy as pie and you wouldn't even have to use your 3g, just an old plastic shoebox will do.

 

[Qays]

You could try culturing white worms or grindal worms. They're easy as pie and you wouldn't even have to use your 3g, just an old plastic shoebox will do.

I would still use my 3g to get some daphnia

Do you think i could find these at an LFS?

but i would be interested in knowing how to culture worms. thanks

 

[Ptarmigan]

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[Qays]

I dont want a huge supply of daphnia.

Ok, that is just as well, because you wont get many out of a 3gal !

Ok here we go with your questions :

>-Temprature

room temperature

>-Can i have the 3 gallon tank just half filled?

Yes

>-Does the lid need to be on?

No

>-lighting needed?

No, ambient light is enough

>-filteration

definitly not, will filter out all the daphnia, they are not strong swimmers, but a very gentle air-powered sponge filter might be ok, but even that will filter out some of the microscopic food that the daphnia will want

>and water changes - are these neccary? if so how often should i change the water and how much?

A liittle, a cupful now and again, see "food"

>-FOOD what shall i feed them? (i want somthing easily accessible)

You may want that but the daphnia want something else
A cupful of green water /infusoria from time to time

Some people use a tiny drop of week yeast suspension, but it is too easy to foul the tank by introducing too much.

>-Can i use normal tap water - and does it need to be conditioned

I dont know how normal your tap water is !
I never use conditioning chemicals so I cant answer that bit. My tapwater would be ok if left to stand (to de-gas the chlorine ) for a day or two, but as said elsewhere, mine re in rainwater.

>-Do i need any gravel for them?

Not required, but can help.

PS. You'd get a greater yield of food from that tank if you used it to raise whiteworm

Thankyou so much for the post!!!!

my only question now is - where do i get green water / infusoria...

and how often do i need to put in more green water / infusoria

 

[Ptarmigan]

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[Qays]

my only question now is - where do i get green water / infusoria...

Well, now we come to the bad news , LOL, you get a 3gal tank and put it outside in the daylight but not strong sunlight and,,, do you want me to go on !!?!!
Jars, bottles, supermarket food/water tubs/bottles, will also work.

and how often do i need to put in more green water / infusoria

When the daphnia have cleared up the previous green water, ie. it goes clear

So, i get a jar, put some water in it, and wait for algae to grow... then i stick it in the tank?

I was on the chat, and CFC said, Liquid Fry Food will work! Do you agree? can i just feed them liquid fry food 3 times a day (a few drops) and they will be happy...

 

[Ptarmigan]

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[Qays]

I was on the chat, and CFC said, Liquid Fry Food will work! Do you agree?

Yes, with care it will work, see below,

can i just feed them liquid fry food 3 times a day (a few drops) and they will be happy...

Gosh, NO ! More like 1 drop a week, or even a month !!

Liquifry is dead when it comes out of the tube, not all of it will be caught by the daphnia before it sinks to the bottom ( like the yeast method ), when on the bottom it will decay and promote (if your lucky ) infusoria to start growing for the daphnia to eat. if you are unlucky (by adding too much) you will just foul the tank and nothing will grow.

so, 1 drop of liquifry is ALL i have to feed the daphnia? and nothing else? thats sounds easy!

 

[Ptarmigan]

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[ramaseseniblikxviii]

a few tips- keep the water hard if you can

dont put aquarium snails in there

for food, drop a few boiled green veg in a blender and reall mush em up, then strain it until all the liquid is out and add a few mls of the liquid to your tank.
it should promote algae growth and the daphs seem to eat it too

 

[Qays]

a few tips- keep the water hard if you can

dont put aquarium snails in there

for food, drop a few boiled green veg in a blender and reall mush em up, then strain it until all the liquid is out and add a few mls of the liquid to your tank.
it should promote algae growth and the daphs seem to eat it too

Liquifry is pretty much the same thing. So im using that, its doing well so far!

 

[ramaseseniblikxviii]

Exelent , its really a shame people dont grow more of there own cultures, a tank full of daphnia is almost as enjoyable as keeping a tank full of fish!

 

[Qays]

Exelent , its really a shame people dont grow more of there own cultures, a tank full of daphnia is almost as enjoyable as keeping a tank full of fish!

Yeah! Mines on top of my desk shelf, so i have to stand on my desk to see them. and everytime i go to feed them, i end up staring at them for 10 minuites (standing on your desk for 10 mins looking at a load of tiny bugs isnt easy to explain when someone walks in) But theyre great, i end up sticking some in a fish tank and watch them run for their lives Kinda sad growing them to kill them

Im culturing them because im sick of needing to go to the lfs for live food! now... what to grow next...

 

[Ptarmigan]

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[qwikimpss]

One thing I do during the summer is leave a 5 gallon bucket outside fille 3/4 of the way with water and then scoop out mosquito larvae. I've never had an issue with disease since I maintain the bucket and there is nearly an endless supply. My fish love them!