# When to start a daphnia culture outside?



## Ajm200 (29 Mar 2022)

I’m learning a lot from your advice on live foods but still have questions.  Thank you for all the help.

I have a open topped waterbutt outside that housed an uninvited but welcome supply of daphnia and other little live foods until Hubby decided to and move it a few weeks ago.
I  refilled it with dechorinated tap water and some spirulina powder hoping some of the critters were stuck to the sides but there aren’t any signs of life yet.

Feeding the water with a bit of yeast, spirulina and paprika is far cheaper than doing the 20 mile trip to our nearest fish shop that has an reliable supply of live foods.  All local MA stores have had supply problems and empty fridges lately 

When would be a good time to reseed it with daphnia and copepods from my accidental indoor culture or shop bought bags?   Is it warm enough now if risk of frost is over?

I can lightly feed the tank until the infusoris going again but there’s algae on the sides so it’s probably OK in that respect.
I know an established Daphnia colony can lay eggs to survive difficult conditions and  should survive frosts if i can get them going

Thanks


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## dw1305 (29 Mar 2022)

Hi all, 


Ajm200 said:


> When would be a good time to reseed it with daphnia and copepods from my accidental indoor culture or shop bought bags? Is it warm enough now if risk of frost is over?


As soon as possible, the cold doesn't bother them they are UK natives. 

cheers Darrel


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## john arnold (29 Mar 2022)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> As soon as possible, the cold doesn't bother them they are UK natives.
> 
> cheers Darrel


I dont have a garden anymore, can these breed indoors ok do you know?


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## dw1305 (29 Mar 2022)

Hi all, 


john arnold said:


> I dont have a garden anymore, can these breed indoors ok do you know?


<"Yes you can">. I used to keep an inside culture (for about 15 years), but I don't have many fish now (and a lot of alternative live foods), so I don't bother anymore.  

The secret to avoiding "boom and bust" is don't feed yeast and put a <"small amount of hay"> (or any other form of dried grass) in with the culture.

cheers Darrel


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## Ajm200 (29 Mar 2022)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> <"Yes you can">. I used to keep an inside culture (for about 15 years), but I don't have many fish now (and a lot of alternative live foods), so I don't bother anymore.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the good advice again


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## dw1305 (29 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


Ajm200 said:


> Thanks for all the good advice again


I'm <"really tight with my money">, so I know all the ways to get free fish food etc. The <"caudata.org">  post was the link in the chain that made all the difference, I went from continual boom and bust to relative stability straight away.

cheers Darrel


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## Ajm200 (29 Mar 2022)

Brilliant thank you.  Have found a second waterbutt free locally so I can set up two cultures and maybe use some of the water too


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## Simon Cole (3 Apr 2022)

I have done them both indoors and outdoors. I use lots of 99p buckets, old tubs, washing bowls, and those 50 litre black planting tubs. I get a nice bumper culture of mosquito larvae and small bloodworms later in the year, which smaller fish and especially small varieties of corydoras really benefit from. I use a light dusting of spirulina and let it sink down. I will not touch yeast.


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## ScareCrow (3 Apr 2022)

I started poly-culturing live foods last year in an attempt to have a self sustaining source of live food. I added a few handfuls of beech and oak leaves to a water butt. Then some Asellus aquaticus, black worms, bladder snails and after a few weeks some daphnia. The idea being that the A. aquaticus, bladder snails and black worms eat the leaves and in turn produce waste that infusoria eat. The infusoria are the food source for the daphnia. It worked reasonably well, I got enough daphnia to harvest once or twice a week. I was lazy though and didn't try harvesting the black worms or A. aquaticus. 
The numbers of daphnia have dropped over the winter but I expect this is due to the lack of food as the other organisms have slowed down, so less infusoria have been produced and I've also not provided anymore leaves.


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## john arnold (20 Apr 2022)

Nice info everyone


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