Captain’s Party Mix +30 oz Daphnia Magna, Moina, Copepods, Paramecium, Infusoria

Start your live food journey with Captain’s Party Mix, an all-in-one live culture containing five of the most popular freshwater live foods used by professional breeders and hobbyists alike.

Instead of purchasing multiple cultures separately, this convenient 30 oz starter culture contains a dense mix of:

• Daphnia magna

• Moina

• Freshwater Copepods

• Paramecium

• Infusoria

Each organism occupies a different niche within the culture, creating a diverse ecosystem that provides live food for fry of all sizes while allowing you to separate and establish individual cultures if desired.

Whether you’re raising bettas, killifish, ricefish, rainbowfish, livebearers, tetras, corydoras, or shrimp, Captain’s Party Mix provides a constant source of nutritious live foods from first-feeding fry through juvenile growth.

Perfect For

• Fish breeders

• Betta breeders

• Medaka ricefish

• Killifish

• Livebearers

• Gouramis

• Tetras

• Rainbowfish

• Amphibian larvae

• Classroom science projects

Care Guide

Water Conditions

• Temperature: 68–78°F (20–26°C)

• pH: 6.8–8.0

• Use dechlorinated or aged water

• Gentle aeration is recommended but not required

• Keep out of direct sunlight

• Bright indirect light is ideal

Feeding

The culture thrives on microscopic suspended food.

Feed lightly every 2–3 days with one of the following:

• Green water (preferred)

• Spirulina powder in water slurry

• Yeast solution (very small amount)

• Powdered food in water slurry

Only feed enough to create a very light green or cloudy tint.

Do not overfeed. Overfeeding is the most common cause of culture crashes.

Maintenance

• Top off evaporated water with dechlorinated water.

• Replace 20–30% of the water every 1–2 weeks.

• Keep gentle aeration if possible.

• Remove dead leaves or debris promptly.

• Avoid soap, chemicals, or copper exposure.

• Split the culture once populations become dense.

Harvesting Guide

Since this is a mixed culture, each organism can be harvested differently.

Daphnia Magna

Harvest using a fine mesh aquarium net.

Feed directly to:

• Adult fish

• Juvenile fish

• Larger fry

Harvest no more than 25–30% of the population at one time to allow the colony to recover.

Moina

Moina are smaller than Daphnia and reproduce much faster.

Harvest with a fine mesh net or turkey baster.

Excellent for:

• Fry over one week old

• Small community fish

• Shrimp

Harvest every few days as populations increase.

Freshwater Copepods

Copepods tend to congregate near surfaces and plants.

Harvest using:

• Pipette

• Turkey baster

• Fine mesh sieve

Excellent for:

• Nano fish

• Fry

• Shrimp

• Small predators

Avoid harvesting the entire population.

Paramecium

Because Paramecium remain suspended in the water column, harvesting is simple.

Use:

• Pipette

• Eyedropper

• Turkey baster

Collect water from the middle of the culture where Paramecium are most concentrated.

Feed directly to:

• Newly hatched fry

• Bettas

• Gouramis

• Killifish

• Rainbowfish

Infusoria

Infusoria are microscopic and remain suspended throughout the water.

Simply collect several milliliters of culture water using a pipette and add directly to fry tanks.

Perfect for fish during the first few days after hatching.

Separating Cultures (Optional)

Captain’s Party Mix can easily be divided into separate cultures.

Simply:

1. Fill a clean container with aged water.

2. Add food appropriate for the organism you wish to culture.

3. Isolate chosen species and transfer to a new container.

4. Allow populations to establish over several days.

This allows you to maintain dedicated cultures of Daphnia, Moina, Copepods, or Paramecium while keeping your master culture intact.