>
> BTW, for anyone collecting daphnia and cyclopes from the wild, be
> careful, I've heard that cyclopses can carry all sorts of nasty parasitic
> worms and stuff, esp. in the tropics...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bearo
>
True enough that they can carry some parasites, but we've found
it's generally minimal here in Canada. What's more worrisome is the
accumulation of toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals in their
carapace. Just try to collect from an area that's relatively free of
agriculture or 'pollution' factories. I've fed wild collected Daphnia
and copepods to my fish for years, and they haven't died yet. However, I
haven't tried it with my plants (I don't have any Utrics right now) so
I'll have to see!
Good growing,
Chris