Many fish larvae require zooplankton after yolk sack absorption in order to thrive.
In this blog we provide an easy protocol to produce Moina and Daphnia in tropical countries.
Feel free to try it and improve your hatchery success!
Your F4F Team.
Fig 1. Daphnia magna
Culture Steps
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Water Preparation
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Let water stand in a tank or pond for 2 days.
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Fertilization
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Soak chicken manure in a sack for 1–2 hours.
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Apply the manure at a rate of 20 g per ton (1000 l) of water.
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Inoculation
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Add starter culture of Moina or Daphnia.
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Water Depth Management
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Maintain water depth at 40–50 cm.
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Observation
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Zooplankton will appear in 2–4 days.
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Harvesting
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Harvest nauplii on the 5th to 8th day.
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Use siphoning or draining into an 80–100 micron plankton net.
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Fig 2. Moina macrocopa
Fig 3. Shallow tanks are great for culturing zooplankton
Fig 4. Ponds that are not used for fish production can be used to source your zooplankton starter culture
Table 1. Feeding scheme of larvae at different days after hatching
| Days after hatching | Food Given |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | none |
| 3-5 | Artemia nauplii/ egg custard |
| 5-10 | Moina/ Daphnia |
| >10 | artificial feed * |
* size: 0,2 - 0,3 mm; CP > 50%
Tips for Success
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Avoid overfeeding or excess manure to prevent water quality issues.
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Always use clean containers and tools to prevent contamination.
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Regularly monitor zooplankton density.
- Carefully introduce small amounts of artificial feed on day 5 and increase slowly.
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