Daphnias, here and now

[JM29]

Hi,
Here, in western France, automn is generous.
Together rain and fall of dead leaves are triggering daphnias.

Even a forgotten bucket can become a daphnia paradise :

So my aquatic caudates (Axies, firebellies and ribbed newts) are happy

 

[stanleyc]

I love feeding my newts daphnia. So fun to watch them hunt, if you can call it hunting.

 

[Niels D]

For some reason my Daphnia pond is almos completely dried up while it's raining constantly. This happens each year no matter how much rain has fallen. At the end of January it starts to refill, resulting in an explosion of Daphnia. Still it would be nice if it would remain full throughout the year. Does anybody know how this is possible?

 

[stanleyc]

For some reason my Daphnia pond is almos completely dried up while it's raining constantly. This happens each year no matter how much rain has fallen. At the end of January it starts to refill, resulting in an explosion of Daphnia. Still it would be nice if it would remain full throughout the year. Does anybody know how this is possible?

Totally just a guess, but soil isn’t saturated right now? By January after months of rain, soil is saturated? Only guessing, but I wish I had Daphnia ponds.

 

[JM29]

For some reason my Daphnia pond is almos completely dried up while it's raining constantly.

Hi,
Several possible explanations :
- your pond is dug on clay and mudcracks, after a dry summer, take time to shut ?
or :
- your pond is dug in a sandy soil and won't fill again until all the land around is saturated ?

 

[Niels D]

No it's completely filled in spring and the beginning of the summer. It's a sand / peat soil, but even while the area is saturated (this is the Netherlands) it's level lowers. It's starting to refill at this moment. Maybe because of all the flora in and around the water is inactive and using almost no water then...