Live Food Culture

[tlindsey]

Ordered a culture of Daphnia last week unfortunately they didn't survive due to the temperature that day.
I decided to go to a metro park lake which is about 3 minutes from my home.
Found a safe place on the edge of the lake scooped up a little substrate, plants, and water.
Hopefully I have atleast a few coepods aka cyclops but daphnia would be a plus.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Well, daphnia are about as ubiquitous as it gets in north american waterways. Im sure you got some of at least one species plus many other micros. You following father fish now lol?

One idea ive had for a tank is to simply seed a blank tank with a few bunches of macroalgae taken from the shenandoah river. Who knows what would eventually grow out of the abundance of aquatic insects, larvae, eggs, other microorganisms...

 

[tlindsey]

You following father fish now lol?

Just trying to add variety of food for pipefish .

 

[tlindsey]

Well just took a look in the vessel of what was collected with my magnifying glass and seen copepods yay. Also noticed a leech so my work will be cut out for me to weed out predatory insects and leeches. Think I see a small clam possibly a snail.
Going to definitely setup a small aquarium for this project.

 

[tlindsey]

father fish

Just looked at his vid on resurrection jars I'm not doing that lol.

 

[tlindsey]

Going to order Prazipro to rid culture of any flat worms or leeches. Also someone on YouTube recommended using Praziqauntel dewormmer for cats and dogs.

 

[duanes]

In my pond in the back yard, daphnia would automatically appear every spring, and as temps warmed and I scooped them out they'd disappear.
I also collected gammarus and introduced them to the pond, and along with dragonfly and mosquito larvae were a constant, although not overly abundant source..

My favorite brine shrimp cultures were these simple dishes, no aeration, no heat, nothing but salt and water. I'd start one every other say or so, then toss the leftovers in something that held water outside. In a week or 2 it'd be bringing with adults, even though it seemed used up when I tossed.

I use anything that holds water, and grows algae to throw the apparent used up culture in.

I also liked the dragon fly larvae for culling fry in the pond, they seemed to get all the weak and deformed ones, leaving me with plenty of robust individuals, in the fall.

Good luck with those pipefish, they are quite the challenge.
There is a species here in Panama, but I haven't run across it yet, if I did, I'd definitely set up another tank.

 

[tlindsey]

My favorite brine shrimp cultures were these simple dishes, no aeration, no heat, nothing but salt and water

My favorite so far too Duane. Rotate 2 and have a fresh batch every day. Just scooped up infusoria and the little pipefish are going nuts.
I can only see them with a magnifying glass.

Good luck with those pipefish, they are quite the challenge.
Thanks Duane.

There is a species here in Panama, but I haven't run across it yet, if I did, I'd definitely set up another tank.

I hope you find them you probably wouldn't have any problems with keeping them.

 

[tlindsey]

Today observed the collection from the lake and noticed flat worms at the surface. Removed 6 manually but if I continue to see more I'm going to trash the collection.
I may collect lake water only or collect water from the creek.

 

[tlindsey]

After a few days every thing died except what I wanted and that was copepods. A snail also survived but will keep it.
Went to the creek and lost a brine shrimp net what was not funny the glass vessel cracked to pieces so used the bottom to collect a sample of algae and water.
I was looking for fish but didn't see any in the riffle of the creek.
I will look tomorrow with my magnifying glass and hopefully nothing unwanted in the collected creek sample.