Ken Cusson
----------
> From: Chris Marsden <100620.2156@CompuServe.COM>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <cp@opus.hpl.hp.com>
> Subject: algae, daphnia etc.
> Date: Thursday, August 29, 1996 2:34 AM
>
> All,
> admittedly, daphnia *does* make good food for _some_ species, but if you
> have a plant with no traps on, they eat the plant before they start on
the
> algae. My terrarium was plagued by algae for the first 6 weeks that it
was set
> up for - but now a colony of tiny critters which I don't know the name of
> (they're black, about 1/2mm in diameter and move in a jerky fashion,
fairly
> fast, over the surface of the glass and through the water) are eating it.
These
> animals are ***__excellent__*** food for Utrics. every trap of my U.gibba
is
> full, the plant has doubled in size in the last 2 days, and is growing at
an
> astounding rate, I am having to throw some away each day there is too
much.
> whenever I put algae into the tank, even big chunks, they polish it off
within
> 48 hours. As you can imagine, no damage to the plant (not enough to keep
it
> under control anyway!). These critters came from the rainwater which was
put in
> the tank, I guess it took some time for their numbers to build up enough
to make
> any difference. Too keep them alive, I either need to put algae into the
tank
> (not my favourite idea) or put a little horse manure into the tank for
them to
> feed on. Will the essence of this manure kill the Utrics?
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Toby
>
>