kclarke Posted August 28, 2002 Report Share Posted August 28, 2002 Hi everyone, I'm finally back. My sister enjoyed her honeymoon (even though they both took their mothers). But when they all got back we received some very distressing news regarding another family member, so have been off the net for a while. Anyway, have my Discus and love them heaps. Aquired 2 small ones for $25 each and then later bought 2 more from different parents for $51 each. The latter already had some colour and the earlier are now colouring up. All are turquoise. One of the first I bought has doubled in size while his friend has not grown as much. In fact he is bigger then the ones I bought later and is the bossiest. They are as friendly as and feed out of the palm of my hand - the only thing is that the little buggers get in the way when I'm doing a water change or test - have to shoo them away. Back to the question? I've been buying the frozen Beef Heart from the aquariast and the last lot had a lot of sinew in it, which of course the fish did not eat, and the only live food I can buy from him is tubifex worms or brine shrimp ( I've heard there is not much nourishment in brine shrimp) . So can I give them earthworms from the compost bin if I wash them or what other live foods can I give them? Thanks Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted August 29, 2002 Report Share Posted August 29, 2002 Hi Karen, welcome back, Most fish will eat a chopped up earth worm if it is chopped small enough. Use one out of the garden rather than the compost... don't know what might be in there Other foods you can try are Mossie Larva or White Worms are an excellent clean food. If you put a bucket or something in the back garden and swish a half a spoon of yeast in it, you will get heaps of Mozzie larva... Just get them before the hatch and fly off. You can get White Worm Cultures here at this address. I just got some and they are excellent value. http://www.ak.planet.gen.nz/~bio/ They also have a great selection of other live foods that would be suitable for your fish. Regards, Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 29, 2002 Report Share Posted August 29, 2002 Daphnia is another live food - it's free and fish love it. I have a couple of old baths outside filled with water. The daphnia grow in there by themselves (windblown I assume) along with mosquito larvae and other stuff. I always work on the principle 'if it wiggles, feed it to the fish'. Daphina love green water and if you add them to the container they will clear the green up very quickly. Others also feed their daphnia dried blood or yeast but I have never bothered giving them anything. I merely fill the container from the tap and then leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted August 29, 2002 Report Share Posted August 29, 2002 A handful of sheep or horse manure in the bath or tub will more than triple your daphnia output. Just don't sqeeze it too hard when you are putting it in A damp hessian sack left on the lawn overnight will give you all the earthworms you need, even in the height of summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kluyu Posted September 2, 2002 Report Share Posted September 2, 2002 I have yearned to grow some Daphnia of my own to feed very young fry. I have only followed threads about them, and then also seen the freeze dried kind sold in containers as food. I have also heard them called "water fleas" and they are supposed to be big enough to see with the unaided eye. I have looked in various puddles and drainage ditches by the road, but I don't believe I have ever seen anything in the water that I could absolutely term daphnia. You don't do anything but leave water outside? No special places, times of year or other such things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted September 2, 2002 Report Share Posted September 2, 2002 Hi Kluyu, THere's not much chance of you finding Daphnia in drains and puddles, but you would probably find Mossie larva. Ok, recognising Daphnia. Did you ever see the TV seriers Dr Who..... err Dr who ? you ask ? he he Ok, the Darleks in that series were fat at the bottom, tapering to the top with arms reaching out. He he, the daphnia always reminds me of them, but are more egg shaped with multiple fingered arms coming from its almost transparent body that swims in jerky movements under the water. Stand an egg heavy side down, make it pregnant, draw some eyes near the narrow end, stick a couple of spindly twigs in the body for arms, and you have a daphnia lookalike he he. Best place to find them. At approx 12 noon on a sunny day when it's nice and warm, look in just about any static body of water that cows, horses, or sheep have been around and you will probably find daphnia. They are easy to see, and if they are in big enough quantities they form a slightly pink to red mass just below the surface. I have seen them so thick you could have almost walked over the pond on their bulk. Like a good fishing spot. keep your daphnia spot secret, but give a few to your mates. Breeding at home. Seed a tub of aged water, leave in a sunny spot to grow some algae, dump a bit of sheep or horse manue in there, and purchase a bag of dapnia from your LFS to start it off. They will feed on the micro life and the green water. The more surface area you have the better. Daphnia consume a great deal of air and will die quickly if there is not enough. Regards, Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 2, 2002 Report Share Posted September 2, 2002 Well, you learn something every day! I have never ever looked at my daphnia and thought "Gee they look like darleks"! :lol: I will now though ... he he Exterminate! Exterminate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted September 3, 2002 Report Share Posted September 3, 2002 Kluyu, I did a rudamentary search for biosupply houses in the US that offer daphnia, here are links to two of them: http://www.livefoodcultures.com/ http://www.lfscultures.com/cultures.html I haven't collected daphnia 'in the wild' but my LFS gets them in each week so I just paid $3 for a litre and used it to seed a culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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