BEST Live Fish Food? Beginner guide: How to Culture Daphnia at home!

[@AquascapingCube]

Do you culture any live foods at home? If yes - what kind?

[@Al3x3-hh1jk]

I'll try with mosquito larvae.

[@AquascapingCube]

@@Al3x3-hh1jk Cool!

[@rgilroy1909]

the tiniest of springtails

[@vikkirountoit497]

Great video - well filmed and easy to follow. Yes - but currently about 80% of my live food is mosquito larvae all summer from 2 pots on back deck. I have had 2 white worm cultures for several months but one has crashed and the other is slow to produce so I don't feed from it often - haven't got that system down yet. I have a small blackworm culture that produces slow but steady and my fish love them. I have 2 daphnia cultures that I'm just starting to pull from - very fun! Oh and I have scuds too. Live food is a really fun part of the hobby for me.

[@Gooseberry09]

I grow sea monkeys

[@Jumajaju811]

Finally a straight forward video with clear instructions! ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@h32022]

I thought culturing live foods was going to be complicated but this video was very straightforward and easy. Thanks!

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Saxonwomen]

Brilliant video thank you, I have 4 tanks & feed mostly live food of all types it costs me a fortune every week I was thinking about breeding my own I have some Dafnia & also fresh yeast going to do a jar today 😊 thanks for the tips

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! That is awesome, go for it!

[@ImagesOfCountries]

Excellent narration... clear and understandable... 👍

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad you liked it :) Thank you!

[@reefhugger100]

Thank you for this video. It’s very clear and complete.

[@AquascapingCube]

Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@katakaze]

this was such an informative video, ive just spent the past 30 mins trying to find information about changing the water of daphnia tanks but very few places have that info, really happy you even elaborated on the molting :) speaks to your experience and thoroughness. subscribed! thank you for sharing!

[@AquascapingCube]

Fantastic, thank you and welcome :) Glad it was helpful!

[@MV-ue5ro]

Thank you that was very clear , I will try soon

[@AquascapingCube]

Great, good luck! Glad it was helpful!

[@ubermausse306]

You can find daphnia in practically any natural body of water. I found mine in a puddle on an ATV trail, all you need to do is collect a water sample from that spot and most likely you'll see daphnia. Also, if your main tank has greenwater, use it for your daphnia culture when you do a water change, it's already perfectly established water and it'll feed them beautifully!

[@AyushShresthaAYS-dv8vd]

I would avoid taking daphnia from the wild because it might have diseases. Or am i wrong?

[@ubermausse306]

@@AyushShresthaAYS-dv8vd it's entirely possible but not very likely, depends on where it's cultured from i suppose! If the water is crystal clear with no smell, and the area surrounding it is clean with no dead creatures or decaying trash or chemicals around, it should be fine.

[@rux2213]

Thank you for the helpful information

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TMW-Guppies-Kerala]

Using daphnia from past 3 years without crashing ❤

[@AquascapingCube]

Wow, that is impressive! Good job!

[@livm1]

Can you guide me how to do

[@TMW-Guppies-Kerala]

@@livm1 I use yeast

[@benjamindover5676]

I raised them in 20 or so garbage cans outside in a back- alley for 20 years. I raised Moeina, Mgma, red worm larvae, and duckweed together. But by far, the most valuable food source was mosquito larvae. The egg rafts were great for feeding newly hatched fry when I was away as they would hatch over several days. I pumped the wastewater from my 500 tank tanks to the back alley. The filthier the water the better. I just overflowed the cans. I didn't worry about overflowing the cans and losing the live food. They grew so fast. I raised fish that most everyone could not because I fed the best live food available. Add newly hatched baby brine shrimp, micro worms, and duro worms to the feed twice a day,.

[@AquascapingCube]

Very true. Live food beats absolutely everything! I always feed Daphnia, BBS and Enchytraeus. Sometimes mosquito larvae, but only when I can get them.

[@ikwilgeenaccount4496]

I'm gonna try this. I know my guppy's will love it! Thank you!

[@AquascapingCube]

They will :) Have fun!

[@ikwilgeenaccount4496]

@@AquascapingCube Thanks!!

[@MiniatureArtWorkshop]

Great advice! It's very relevant!

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful :)

[@atifniazi]

Most straightforward ✅

[@AquascapingCube]

Thanks!

[@mohamedazeef6654]

thankyou for a clear cut instruction vid that is easy to digest. amazing vid. im gonna try this and hopefully i have success with it so i dont have to rely on fishfoods that spoil so fast. keep it up my guy. if there is a way to do this with brine shrimp please make a vid for it too

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@healiaquastar]

The way they jump is so cute haha 🐰

[@AquascapingCube]

So true :D

[@strengthbydesign]

That’s brilliant, thank you, I will give it a go

[@AquascapingCube]

Great! Have fun!

[@soniareynolds4320]

Thanks for sharing this info. You make it sound so easy to do. I hope to try soon 😊 I usually buy now and again for treat for fish

[@AquascapingCube]

No problem! I'm glad you liked it! Sure, just try this - it really is that easy :)

[@Likearollingstone174]

Excellent video!

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you very much!

[@MoondyneJoe]

Thankyou for this tutorial, I have been growing brine shrimp since I got into the tropical fish hobby 9 months ago and in the interests of feeding the best and most natural food I can find I have wanted to give daphnia a go but finding a local source in the bush of Western Australia is a little hard, I will give Amazon a go and see what I can come up with. Would you recommend in the main tank as I invisage having 2 tanks for alternate feeding putting some soils down and maybe a few plant's etc, Thank you once again Tony from Rural Western Australia 🇦🇺🦘

[@AquascapingCube]

Your approach sounds great! Yes, feeding natural foods especially when you are alternating them is the best! Good for you for making the effort! All the best from Poland!

[@MoondyneJoe]

@@AquascapingCube Thankyou it's not hard when you love animals and want the best for them, it's a privilege to be there stewards.

[@angelaf8597]

Thank you! I think I will try this :D 🤩

[@AquascapingCube]

Great! 👍🏻 Have fun!

[@jerenej1341]

Superb helpful! Thanks buddy

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad it helped!

[@ivancho5854]

Have you tried to co-culture the Daphnia with other creatures, like snails? Also I've heard that feeding them mulm from when you do a water change on another tank is beneficial. Any thoughts? All the best. 👍

[@AquascapingCube]

Never tried, but it sounds quite good. Problem with yeast is that it pollutes the water quite fast, maybe mulm is the answer here! Thanks for the idea, I think I will try it!

[@ivancho5854]

@AquascapingCube I haven't tried daphnia, but I've heard that both spirullina and green pea powder cause less problems than yeast. If using mulm the culture needs a long duration of light for algae growth, which makes sense. Good luck. 👍

[@JoseRodriguez-hb8zx]

Excelente gracias por los datos... Saludos desde Tierras Altas Tortuguitas Buenos Aires Argentina 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻🇦🇷

[@AquascapingCube]

Gracias ;)

[@miashadows]

I have white worms, scud, snails, and daphnia for my pea puffers! But my daphnia just arent producing much, I think maybe a restart would be good. Thanks!

[@AquascapingCube]

Wow, Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

[@HoneySparkles2]

CUTE!! Want to keep for pets. ❤❤

[@LeFelix-b3f]

Try with brine shrimp instead (sea monkeys)

[@LeFelix-b3f]

Try with brine shrimp instead, if you know what sea monkeys are then they're just the same

[@KojakShorts]

When you say you should rinse the water that the daphnia are in before giving them to fish, what do you mean? I understand that you want to avoid putting yeast in your tank, I’m just not sure how you avoid it. Thanks!

[@vikkirountoit497]

Something I do is wait to pull daphnias until water is clear from food being mostly eaten. Then I pull 25% of water along with daphnias through a coffee filter during a water change. Feed the daphnias to fish and add yeast with 25% water addition. I hope others reply for more ideas.

[@AquascapingCube]

I take the Daphnia from this container with big pipette and then pour everything through dense sieve. This way you get Daphnia on your sieve and you can rinse it with clean water.

[@fredfred2363]

Siphon old water from the daphnia tank through a sponge or fine filter. Then only dirty water comes out, leaving the daphnia in your container (bucket).

[@AaronLeflur]

Very nice video. Thank you

[@AquascapingCube]

Glad you liked it

[@TheBeny2000]

Cool! It really looks easy…

[@AquascapingCube]

It is! :D

[@stevegee8010]

Or if you culture greenwater at the same time, their natural food, you won't even need to buy yeast. Also less chance of crashing.

[@AquascapingCube]

True!

[@ghost1026]

whats green water

[@stefanr7207]

​@@ghost1026blooming algea.

[@SlaveLikeTheRestOfUs]

Shit that you never want to introduxe into an aquarium

[@arnaldorentes5371]

Fishes devour daphnias like we do with seedless Moscatel grapes... They LOVE it.

[@AquascapingCube]

Haha, true ;)

[@Vaporweasel751]

I know this is an older video but when you say "rinse" the water to clear out the yeast before putting them in your tank.... exactly how?

[@AquascapingCube]

I take some water full of Daphnia with a pipette and place it on fine sieve. Then just run some tap water through that sieve and they are clean :)

[@phlave]

Hi, I'm expecting to receive my first daphnia packet tomorrow or the day after, so this video was really helpful! I have a couple of questions though: how do you rinse out the water with the yeast when you transfer them to your fish tank? Do you scoop them up with a net to wash them in a separate container? Same thing with the change of water: how do you actually take them out of the aquarium when you need to empty it out? Thanks!

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! In both cases I use fine sieve. I just pour water from this container through it and Daphnia stays inside. Then you can rinse them and you are good to go! :)

[@defdave101]

I have a sourdough starter in the fridge and have to throw some away each week. Would this make a good feed for Daphnia?

[@C-tip]

Nice 👍🏻

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Luncher100]

What happens if you put daphnia in a shrimp (neocaridina) only tank. Do the shrimp manage to catch them? I know the shrimp swim sometimes, but most of the time they graze and eat stuff that doesn't move.

[@AquascapingCube]

No, that shouldn't be able catch them. Shrimp will eat dead daphnia and will definitely go for their molts, but that is it.

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

I bought a used tank and the resident fish, one angelfish, two peacock eels, two male convict cichlids, and two female Kenyi cichlids. The previous owners had only the fish, a red eared slider turtle, and a sponge filter in the tank. They said the tank was too dirty and the fish kept dying. I gave them $50 for everything but the turtle. Everyone got separated into appropriate tanks. The eels and angelfish are thriving. One of my Kenyis tried to run away and got stuck behind the tank. The other is enjoyjng life in my peacock cichlid tank. I rehomed the convicts as fast as I could. They were crazy aggressive. I wish people would do just a little research before buying fish.

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, it's true, people not always realize what they get. How big or aggressive fish can get etc. What are their requirements. But this is why it is good to spread the knowledge, educate, encourage to do better. It's very nice of you that you took care of those fish :)

[@railfe_]

Interesting, free food!

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, it works great! And is super healthy for fish :)

[@smuzzywumbles9191]

The daphnia I bought from the fish shop were a slight orange colour. They said they only last about a week. It's about 6 weeks or more and have quite a few smaller ones in 3 litre tank. So they are obviously breeding, but why are they all white?

[@jacquesjonker9886]

Is it possible to add Corydora fish to get rid of the exoskeleton or not ?

[@AquascapingCube]

Not really. I clean them manually or leave for shrimp to take care of it.

[@helenprocter6919]

I keep mine outside in buckets under a tree year round. I don't feed them or do water changes.

[@fredfred2363]

What is the ideal breeding temperature? And water hardness?

[@AquascapingCube]

Thay preffer cool water, ideally between 20-22 °C. Over 26 is getting more difficult. For hardness I really don't pay atention for them :P Around 8-10 dGH is fine

[@aimimacinnes6252]

I have a small garden pond from which I continuously take a mix of mainly scud but the occasional mosquito lava and daphnia,

[@nakenyaliven9095]

Do you use a small filter or bubbler?

[@AquascapingCube]

No, there is nothing like that.

[@evalikesred]

I've tried many times & never had success keeping purchased daphnia. Not sure if it was the stress of transport or shock of new water parameters or inbred strains. I thought I was just rubbish at keeping them alive. But I've since tried wild caught daphnia & never looked back.

[@danilostahl8178]

how do they get to different bodies of water like for me I found some in a hole I dug just before it rained and after it had daphnia and tadpoles but how did the daphnia get in did it come with the rain im so confused

[@evalikesred]

Daphnia reproduce two ways, cloning themselves & also producing tiny eggs (they look like tiny seeds). Those eggs are very hardy & can withstand freezing temps & drying out for several months. They then end up on plants, animals, birds or even just moved by the wind to new bodies of water. When conditions are favourable they hatch.

[@RaviVarma-tq8gk]

How to transfer daphnia into the tank without getting yeast resudue aling with it?

[@AquascapingCube]

Rinse it in fresh water. I use small sieve for that, works great! :)

[@WisdomIsMineee]

What u mean by culture crash ?

[@EricLee2201]

Can you re-fill water with tap water straight away ? or keep it overnight to get rid of chlorine before use?

[@vforvictory888]

Add conditioner

[@ivancho5854]

While chlorine should evaporate out overnight, most tap water these days contains chloramine which stays in the water.

[@ivancho5854]

@@vforvictory888 I have heard that Daphnia may be more sensitive to conditioner than chlorine or chloramine.

[@ricardorvb]

Not yet. I will buy soon

[@AquascapingCube]

Great, good luck!

[@vannarasong]

can you add spirulina powder?

[@mmctaq6537]

I used to... that, and astaxanthin. Fed to daphnia, and to brine shrimp.

[@thehomesteadingharlet688]

Brought a bottle of water home from a local forest one day when I spotted my favorite plant- duckweed! I took 10 and decided if they die they die. Well its been almost 2 years and my duckweed collection has taken many ill advised turns but they prevail! But the real surprise was these little bugs that started swimming in my jar 😅 looked them up and they're a local daphnia! I now have them and some rogue bloodworms in my tank with a few snails 🖤

[@AquascapingCube]

Haha, great story! Sounds like very natural and healthy ecosystem.

[@christmadueke9130]

thank u

[@Gooseberry09]

I want to grow daphnia as pets

[@LeFelix-b3f]

Try with brine shrimp, if you know what sea monkeys are then they're the same

[@LeFelix-b3f]

Try with brine shrimp instead, if you know what sea monkeys are then they're the same

[@ryanmejia028]

Can I use spirulina powder instead of yeast?

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, it should work no problem!

[@WisdomIsMineee]

U have not given air pump .do they need air or not ?

[@AquascapingCube]

No air pump. And they are always fine without it.

[@RexWu]

Is there a way to build a self sustaining ecosystem for the daphnia? Or will my fish eat them all?

[@AquascapingCube]

I tried in the past but always failed. I think that you would need VERY big tank with a lot of plants and not many fish. Maybe it could work then? But it's very difficult, because fish love to hunt them :)

[@RexWu]

@AquascapingCube gotcha. So separate tank it is then. Ty for the speedy response 0

[@roydodd4694]

❤❤video 😊😊

[@AquascapingCube]

Thank you 😊

[@TMW-Guppies-Kerala]

❤❤❤

[@snowman3456]

Do they not need a filter for oxygen? There are no plants so don't they need a filter

[@raptor5593]

Can i use fish food?

[@AquascapingCube]

I don't really know. But I think it might pollute water to quickly. Yeast is just super cheap and easy to use.

[@MasonsRainforest]

I have a bunch of them. Ive never bought them. I dont know where they came from 😂

[@MasonsRainforest]

I occasionally find them in all of my tanks. I have a bunch in a jar now 😂 still haven't figured out where they came from. My guess is possibly rocks i put in the tank that i collected? No idea.

[@MasonsRainforest]

Theyre fun to watch swim around in their jar. I don't feed them off since they're legitimately in all my tanks already. The ones in the jar are sorta pets now I guess 😂

[@MasonsRainforest]

I don't even feed them. They seem to eat the algea that forms. There's also detritus worms in the jar too which I'm also confused as to why there are so many because I don't typically feed them.

[@SkyfishArt]

All my wild daphnia are dying. maybe it is too hot.

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, it's very possible. In high temperatures their reproductive capacity really goes down and entire colony might just die.

[@AK1248]

Water changes aren't really required.. specially every 2 days..

[@AquascapingCube]

Maybe, but I have much better results and stability with them. When I was testing with no water changes, my colony was half the size at best :/

[@AK1248]

@AquascapingCube I started mine 6 months ago.. the container is outside and only water change in 6 months has been when it's raining.. it's now winter here with overnight temperature lows in single digit centigrade... they are still thriving.. I'm feeding them yeast twice a week exactly how you showed it... I'm guessing different strains of daphnia may have slightly different requirements..

[@Ceres4S2D1]

Yeah, actually, doing so removes some of the nutrients and planktonic creatures for the daphnia.

[@akshaymore1991]

ppl can just do a startup like this.

[@AquascapingCube]

Yes, and it works great

[@aar2v718]

Bro ew

[@AquascapingCube]

😁