Daphnia are a major segment of the food chain, converting greenwater, bacteria, tiny veggie pieces and smaller creatures into fishfood. Hatcheries (even for panfish and sportfish) have been known to line a refurbished pond with lime and somewhat rotted manure. The pond is flooded. When it turns green Daphnia are added. When the green begins to clear (indicating that the Daphnia have bloomed) spawning pairs of the desired fishes are released to that pond in the knowledge that their fry will feed well.

If you have access to a seasonal pond in your area, with the fall rains filling some which were empty, their resting eggs or cysts (much as with brine shrimp in mineral laden waters or fairy shrimp) may have hatched for a fall crop. Those Daphnia are safer than Daphnia taken from places with wild fish. Wild fish carry a number of parasites, some of which can also be carried by Daphnia. That is true of most live foods where there are fish.

If your pet fish have been with you for a few years, you probably could use their greenwater. There will possibly be a little in your pond, brought in on the fur of visiting raccoons and the like.

If you look in the really old aquarium literature, stuff like the Innes Book, you will find frequent mention of collecting expeditions to fields, farms, forest preserves and parks for Daphnia. Most of those ponds (as the US moves from a population of 100 to 140 million to today's 300,000 million have been "developed" or filled in for one purposed or another. Those days were before brine shrimp and air transport. Europeans (also increasingly short of vernal pools) can buy cultured Daphnia in shops, something Americans can't do, except in really rare cases.

Living in Ohio, you are somewhat near to what has to be almost the largest assembly of aquarium clubs in any state. A lot of their fall auctions are over, but you might catch one - or a monthly meeting and be able to get a starter culture. Call around and ask who has one.

For Ohio clubs and their schedules please see:
http://home.neo.rr.com/ohaquariumclubs/1006cal.html
I notice there are still a few weekend auctions in November.

I'm sorry that Google search of Guppylog didn't work for you. You did click on the little circle for www.guppylog.com ? ;)

Even when one raises up a lot of those references, one still has to sort through them. The selection, which I would recommended to you, in good part because of the references in it, is Daphnia (by Rose)
http://www.guppylog.com/story/2005/5/3/121238/5547

There is a guy from well north of you in Ohio who has showed up a lot on the Net aquarium mailing lists. Certainly one of the most accomplished live foods people around this part of the world, he goes by McDaphnia and I included one of his posts there. Dan's e-mail (if still current) should be there if you wish to contact him.

If you can not get a hobby culture locally, e-mail me off list very quickly or in the second week of November (I think regular GL members can get e-mails that way. I have editorial options and get spoiled.) Or let me know in response here and I'll e-mail you off list.

Heavy rains have washed out some of the backyard cultures and I need to clean up some other cultures and drop the water levels. (Gee - water changes and tank maintenance even there.) If the predicted El Nino moderation of our winter really happens, it is remotely possible that I can harvest up until Christmas. And by then the much more modest indoor cultures should be cleaned up and producing.

Ohh Blast! It suddenly occurs to me that I long ago promised Angelhologram a Daphnia, greenwater and a plant start! I really apologize Angel. I will try and get that off before we leave town.

slipnutz89, I hope those references cited (rats, forgot to select Auto Format back then - again) will be of some use. Please check them out, check out local clubs (if any) and let us know how you are doing.