Feed daphnia only to fresh water fish – they will quickly die if introduced to a marine environment and may contaminate the water. They can be added to the aquarium complete with the water they are supplied in or you can filter them through a net and add just the animals.

Water salinity is the result of dissolved salts in a body of water. Possible salts include sodium chloride, bicarbonates of magnesium and calcium sulphates. Daphnia lives in optimum salinity levels of 1.5 to 3.9 ppt, optimum temperatures of 18 – 22 o C and a pH between 6.5 and 9.5.

Daphnia sp., widely known as water fleas, are hardly new to the aquarium scene. The reason for this is simple: Daphnia are extremely nutritious and fish love them.

freshwater

Do not use municipal tap water because Daphnia are extremely sensitive to the metal ions it contains. (Daphnia are so sensitive to metal contaminants that they are used to monitor the water quality of streams and lakes.) Over time, debris will accumulate at the bottom of the container.

Use green water high in algae. Daphnia thrive in green water that has algae, so don’t remove it if it starts to form in your container or tank. The Daphnia will feed off the algae in the water and can use it as a food source.

An individual Daphnia lifespan depends on factors such as temperature and the abundance of predators, but can be 13–14 months in some cold, oligotrophic, fish-free lakes. In typical conditions, however, the lifecycle is much shorter, not usually exceeding 5–6 months. Daphnia spp.

Adults range from less than 1 mm to 5 mm in size, with the smaller species typically found in ponds or lakes with fish predation. The ecology of the genus Daphnia may be better known than the ecology of any other group of organisms.

Where to Buy Daphnia Eggs and Live Daphnia. Daphnia and moina starter cultures can be readily obtained by any home aquarist (primarily online). Sources for daphnia starter kits and starter cultures abound, from ebay and amazon to many aquarium and scientific supply companies.

Growing Daphnia Tips

1. You can grow daphnia in almost any type of container.
2. Always age the water in your container before adding the live daphnia culture.
3. The pH of the water can range from 6.2 to 8.9 .
4. Change 20% of the water at least every 2 weeks.
5. The ideal temperature for growing daphnia is usually 72 to 85 degrees.