Daphnia magna

Quantity: 50ml

Quality: Tank bred under lab conditions.

Suitable for: Fry and small to medium fish.

Nutritional values: A great source of protein, lipids, fibre, and carotenoids. Great for triggering predatory instinct as they are free swimming.

Difficulty level: Easy

Food: Chlorella culture, spirulina powder, infusoria, paramecium, soy- pea- wheat- and rice flour. Baker’s dry yeast (Yeast easily fouls the water and thereby making the culture crash. Flour water is less of a crash-prone food).

Reproduction rate: Extremely fast (mostly asexual by parthenogenesis, up to 100 eggs every 3-4 days).

Water parameters: Temperature 15°C to 26°C, pH 6,5-9. Use aged water; Tap water that you leave to off-gas chlorine for 24-48 hours before use. Frequent small water changes 10-20% every 2-3 days).

Air pump: Not needed. An air hose (no stone) with one bubble per second is good for circulation if your tank has a small surface area.

Lighting: Bright indirect sunlight or artificial light source for 8-12 hours daily, will boost algae growth for grazing.

Tank size: 5+L larger Is better. More surface area than depth.

Substrate: No need.

Size: 1-5mm

Colouration: Red, brown, grey and green tones, depending on oxygen levels and food sources.

Age expectancy: Up to 80 days.

Tips: Keeping snails (like Radix balthica, or Ramshorn snails) in a daphnia tank will aid to stabilize the eco-system and will help you against overfeeding. Adding paramecium will help to stabilize a culture but can also function as a food source for your adult daphnia.