Re: [GSAS-Member] More live food cultures?

["SUSAN WELENOFSKY" <welenofsky@comcast.net>]

Yeah, they do either eggs or clones, daughters I think. Hopefully I will be 
able to get them year-round then, but the population has taken a big dive.

Susan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Betty Goetz 
  To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat 
  Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 2:30 PM
  Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] More live food cultures?


  Actually, daphnia don't die off totally with arrival of winter. I've
  watched them jumping around under the surface ice in my cultures and I've
  netted daphnia every month of the year. They are filter-feeders of sorts
  and I wonder if they are more versatile in their feeding than the
  traditional bacteria/yeast/algae food sources usually recommended. Some
  sources indicate that they eat protozoans.

  Susan is right in that in a stressed population a crop of little black egg
  cysts (ephippia) are formed which are resistant to drying out and
  freezing. A rapidly expanding healthy population produces a different kind
  of egg (not black/more numerous and visible in the females' body as little
  round eggs). The kind of egg being produced is an indication of whether
  the population is stressed or not. It's actually a very interesting life
  cycle.

  Betty Goetz

  > They eat bacteria and algae. I think some tree leaves would be good,
  > however, they are starting to die off right now as the weather gets
  > colder. The little black specks in their bodies and floating on top of the
  > water is their eggs.
  >
  > Susan

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