This is how I set up my Daphnia Farm.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5394376137_07d5557944.jpg
The main key is the green water aquarium.
You need:
Any size aquarium
Good strong lighting 6500K or stronger and at least 1.5watts per gallon (1 or 2 15W G.E. Plant and Aquarium bulbs will do. [Lighting on the cheap])
A backpack power filter (any size will do)
An aquarium heater
Play sand
Organic dirt from a safe source (I get mine from my yard but I grow everything organically even my lawn)
Fish: Poecilia wingei (Endler’s livebearer) or Gambusia affinis (Mosquito fish)
(You can add snails to. They can be good indicators of bad water when you see many of them at the top of the tank)
Start off by adding the dirt. No need to wash it as long as you have sifted out the larger particles like rocks, sticks, and any other things that aren’t dirt. Keep in mind we are using dirt not compost. The difference is the amount of organic material in dirt is lower than that of compost and is more stable and will produce less toxic gas.
I use about 2” of dirt to 1” of sand for the substrate.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/5056/5394971798_aa668c08be.jpg
Add some tap or cultured water, but make sure not to expose the dirt directly to the water.
Add the filter and the heater and set the light on for 10 to 14 hours a day.
Set the temperature to 75 deg. F. or 24 deg. C.
Make sure the Ph is at 7.5 to 8.5 (9 is passable but I only have problem when the Ph gets this high)
Set up the light close to the filter so that the algae circulating from the bottom is bathed in light. This way you get even distribution of the light source.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/5298/5394971876_2c5ce04db8.jpg
Now let it sit for a month without fish. When the month is up, change out most of the water and refill it with cultured water.
At this time you can add the fish. I use Endler’s guppy’s (other fish species can be used this is just what worked for me) because they are a bullet proof fish that will eat anything that may eat the free floating algae and they will eat other algae that will compete with the free floating algae for nutrients.
You then can add a starter culture of free floating algae that you can get from Wards or get a daphnia culture from EBay that comes with green water food. (The green algae might start on its own if not you may need to get a culture).
As far as maintenance goes its quite easy. Feed fish once a day but not much (keep them hungry so they pick at the algae and other organism that will grow in the tank). Scrape the sides of the tank monthly and siphon out crud on the bottom every 6 months (be careful not to expose the dirt or suck up sand, only get the crud that’s on top of the sand).
As far as water changes…You harvest water for the daphnia and you replace the water…Simple.
It can be good practice to add some Acid Buffer every once in a wile. This keeps the Ph low since algae can raise the Ph to 9 and over. I use this plant safe acid buffer.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5394376293_f3355c4b5f.jpg
I use this plant safe acid buffer since when it breaks up the calcium, magnesium, alkaline stuff etc. It releases CO2 which plants and algae love. This said do not agitate the water to much by using an aquarium pump or let the power filter cause too much of a waterfall effect. This will out-gas your CO2.
Never use acid buffer in any daphnia tank or right before harvesting green water!
I keep the daphnia in several containers. I leave one culture alone and harvest future seed stock from it. All I do is siphon off some green water into a container add some seed daphnia and in about a week and a half (under good lighting [light increases production] and temp kept @ 69 to 70 deg F.) You can harvest. You could also wait till the water turns from green to brown as well. I let one go for 2 months without feeding before it crashed. Before it did the amount of daphnia was staggering, and I used the dead to seed a totally new culture.
I am open to questions and or criticism (you can be harsh I take criticism well).:happy:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5394376137_07d5557944.jpg
The main key is the green water aquarium.
You need:
Any size aquarium
Good strong lighting 6500K or stronger and at least 1.5watts per gallon (1 or 2 15W G.E. Plant and Aquarium bulbs will do. [Lighting on the cheap])
A backpack power filter (any size will do)
An aquarium heater
Play sand
Organic dirt from a safe source (I get mine from my yard but I grow everything organically even my lawn)
Fish: Poecilia wingei (Endler’s livebearer) or Gambusia affinis (Mosquito fish)
(You can add snails to. They can be good indicators of bad water when you see many of them at the top of the tank)
Start off by adding the dirt. No need to wash it as long as you have sifted out the larger particles like rocks, sticks, and any other things that aren’t dirt. Keep in mind we are using dirt not compost. The difference is the amount of organic material in dirt is lower than that of compost and is more stable and will produce less toxic gas.
I use about 2” of dirt to 1” of sand for the substrate.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/5056/5394971798_aa668c08be.jpg
Add some tap or cultured water, but make sure not to expose the dirt directly to the water.
Add the filter and the heater and set the light on for 10 to 14 hours a day.
Set the temperature to 75 deg. F. or 24 deg. C.
Make sure the Ph is at 7.5 to 8.5 (9 is passable but I only have problem when the Ph gets this high)
Set up the light close to the filter so that the algae circulating from the bottom is bathed in light. This way you get even distribution of the light source.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/5298/5394971876_2c5ce04db8.jpg
Now let it sit for a month without fish. When the month is up, change out most of the water and refill it with cultured water.
At this time you can add the fish. I use Endler’s guppy’s (other fish species can be used this is just what worked for me) because they are a bullet proof fish that will eat anything that may eat the free floating algae and they will eat other algae that will compete with the free floating algae for nutrients.
You then can add a starter culture of free floating algae that you can get from Wards or get a daphnia culture from EBay that comes with green water food. (The green algae might start on its own if not you may need to get a culture).
As far as maintenance goes its quite easy. Feed fish once a day but not much (keep them hungry so they pick at the algae and other organism that will grow in the tank). Scrape the sides of the tank monthly and siphon out crud on the bottom every 6 months (be careful not to expose the dirt or suck up sand, only get the crud that’s on top of the sand).
As far as water changes…You harvest water for the daphnia and you replace the water…Simple.
It can be good practice to add some Acid Buffer every once in a wile. This keeps the Ph low since algae can raise the Ph to 9 and over. I use this plant safe acid buffer.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5394376293_f3355c4b5f.jpg
I use this plant safe acid buffer since when it breaks up the calcium, magnesium, alkaline stuff etc. It releases CO2 which plants and algae love. This said do not agitate the water to much by using an aquarium pump or let the power filter cause too much of a waterfall effect. This will out-gas your CO2.
Never use acid buffer in any daphnia tank or right before harvesting green water!
I keep the daphnia in several containers. I leave one culture alone and harvest future seed stock from it. All I do is siphon off some green water into a container add some seed daphnia and in about a week and a half (under good lighting [light increases production] and temp kept @ 69 to 70 deg F.) You can harvest. You could also wait till the water turns from green to brown as well. I let one go for 2 months without feeding before it crashed. Before it did the amount of daphnia was staggering, and I used the dead to seed a totally new culture.
I am open to questions and or criticism (you can be harsh I take criticism well).:happy:
.