jameson_uk
Member
I ordered some Daphnia kits and I am looking for some advice on how to get the best out of them.
The kits came with a 4 litre ice cream tubs and some pellets (which it says contains bacteria but I am not entirely sure what these actually are).
I am not sure how well these kits are doing and it appears the number of daphnia is actually dropping.
Container
Everything says bigger is better but I don't have too much space to keep them and a toddler on the loose means they need to be reasonably protected. I am guessing the ice cream tubs are OK but not ideal. Would I be much better off getting something like one of the cheap 24 litre acrylic tanks from P@H? Also in terms of setup I have read a few articles about adding a small amount of substrate and / or plants. Is there any need to do so as most articles seem to only have water,
Placement / Light
There seems to be a lot of conflicting info about placement. Some say in direct sunlight, other says ambient light and some have said that light isn't an issue and doesn't matter. Does where I place the container make that much difference? I am guessing that outside is currently not an option?
Aeration
There seems to be a split about whether any aeration is necessary. Some articles say it will kill the daphnia as they want still water and others say to add some to stop the water going stagnant. Is adding a small air stone beneficial or not?
Feeding
As I said, I have no idea what the pellets that came with the kit are but they look a bit like some of the catfish pellets I have but I haven't seen mention of these anywhere else. I know @dw1305 has linked to this previously which suggests just adding straw which seems like the simplest way to go but any input appreciated.
Any other advise appreciated.
The kits came with a 4 litre ice cream tubs and some pellets (which it says contains bacteria but I am not entirely sure what these actually are).
I am not sure how well these kits are doing and it appears the number of daphnia is actually dropping.
Container
Everything says bigger is better but I don't have too much space to keep them and a toddler on the loose means they need to be reasonably protected. I am guessing the ice cream tubs are OK but not ideal. Would I be much better off getting something like one of the cheap 24 litre acrylic tanks from P@H? Also in terms of setup I have read a few articles about adding a small amount of substrate and / or plants. Is there any need to do so as most articles seem to only have water,
Placement / Light
There seems to be a lot of conflicting info about placement. Some say in direct sunlight, other says ambient light and some have said that light isn't an issue and doesn't matter. Does where I place the container make that much difference? I am guessing that outside is currently not an option?
Aeration
There seems to be a split about whether any aeration is necessary. Some articles say it will kill the daphnia as they want still water and others say to add some to stop the water going stagnant. Is adding a small air stone beneficial or not?
Feeding
As I said, I have no idea what the pellets that came with the kit are but they look a bit like some of the catfish pellets I have but I haven't seen mention of these anywhere else. I know @dw1305 has linked to this previously which suggests just adding straw which seems like the simplest way to go but any input appreciated.
Any other advise appreciated.