If you have a pond or freshwater aquarium with algae problems, you might be asking, “do daphnia eat algae”. The answer isn’t as straightforward as yes or no because there are so many different types of algae. Daphnia love to eat algae as long as it’s the kind of algae that they can manage!
What are daphnia?
Daphnia are small (0.5 – 3mm), almost transparent, freshwater crustaceans with two feather like antennae and only a single compound eye. Their bodies are enclosed by a carapace and within the carapace they have leaf-like limbs they move to produce a current of water that circulates oxygen and nutrients to their mouth and gills. I reference circus skills because daphnia are commonly know as water fleas! They aren’t fleas though- they have this common name because of the jerky way that they swim. Daphnia use downward strokes of their large antennae to move around and can be surprisingly quick.
What type of algae do daphnia eat?
Daphnia are very small, this means that they are unable to eat large algae such as hair algae. They are very good at eating unicellular algae though. So if you have a pond or aquarium with single cell algae problems, daphnia are a good natural control option.
What does unicellular algae look like?
This type of algae is tiny and cannot be seen without a microscope. However, when you have a lot of single cell algae in a volume of water, it makes your pond or tank look a little like with pea soup! It will turn your water very green in quite a short period of time.
How do daphnia reproduce?
The eggs hatch in the brood chamber within the carapace of the female daphnia and the juveniles are released in approximately two days when the female molts – they go on to reach maturity in around 6 to 10 days.
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