Live Greenwater for Daphnia, Moina, Copepods, and Fish Fry
Hydralife is the sole U.S. producer of multi-species freshwater greenwater. Here is what sets our product apart from anything else on the market.
Ultra-Dense Concentration
Cultivated in professional photobioreactors at densities far beyond anything achievable at home. Every bag is packed with billions of live phytoplankton cells, ready to use immediately.
Multiple Species Available
Different zooplankton thrive on different phytoplankton. Hydralife cultivates multiple freshwater species in monospecific closed systems so you can match the right food to your specific cultures.
Nutritionally Rich
Grown under optimized conditions for peak nutritional content. Essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals that powdered or freeze-dried alternatives simply cannot match.
What is Greenwater?
Greenwater is water carrying a dense suspension of live freshwater phytoplankton, the microscopic algae at the base of the aquatic food chain. It is the first food that daphnia, moina, copepods, rotifers, some newly hatched fish fry and minnows evolved to eat. Hydralife ships our greenwater alive and direct to our customers so it is healthy and full of nutrition.
Greenwater is not a fish food in the strict sense. It is a feed organism, consumed alive and in quantity by invertebrates, zooplankton and fry. These are the animals that will feed your fish and promote a healthy ecosystem.
Why is greenwater so hard to culture at home?
Phytoplankton can be a challenge to cultivate anywhere. Phytoplankton needs precise control of light, nutrients, sterility, and timing. Even experienced aquarists watch their cultures crash. To compound the challenge, every specie of phytoplankton is unique in its own right. Four variables collapse home cultures.
Light. Phytoplankton needs a specific light intensity, spectrum, and photoperiod. Too little and growth stalls. Too much and you overheat the culture or trigger a die-off. Most home setups run the wrong spectrum entirely.
Nutrients. Phytoplankton needs precise ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and minerals. Dose too much and your medium could become toxic to microalgae. Dose too little and the culture starves. The forgiving middle ground is hard to find since a culture grows at different rates.
Contamination. Bacteria, fungi, rotifers, and competing algae can take down a phytoplankton culture in days. Sterile techniques are difficult to hold in any environment.
Time. Every phytoplankton culture crashes eventually. Rebuilding a crashed culture costs two to three weeks of downtime, and during those weeks your zooplankton starve and your fry go unfed. Buying live greenwater removes the failure mode entirely.
Why a multi-species blend is important
Hydralife cultivates multiple freshwater phytoplankton species, each in its own monospecific closed photobioreactor, then blends them at harvest. Different zooplankton and different fry take different cell sizes and zooplankton and fry have different stages in life. Each species of phytoplankton was selected for its nutritional value for zooplankton, fish fry and minnows. The variety of phytoplankton provides a better diet to those organisms that feed on microalgae.
A variety of cell size is important for zooplankton, and the fish fry. As zooplankton and/or fish fry pass through life stages the variety of phytoplankton, cell sizes and nutritional profile will ensure their health when developing.
Across the blend, the cells run 40 to 60 percent protein by dry weight, rich in the essential amino acids zooplankton cannot synthesize on their own. The lipid fraction carries polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that daphnia, moina, copepods, and fry must get from their diet, and that travel up the food chain to your fish. Each cell also delivers B-complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, carotenoids including beta-carotene, lutein, and astaxanthin, and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium. Thin cell walls keep the whole package digestible, so those nutrients are assimilated instead of passing through.
Live greenwater, choose your size
Cultivated for each order and shipped live in breather bags so customers receive healthy and nutritious phytoplankton. Feed on the day it arrives. Subscribe and save 10 percent on every size.
Concentrated Phytoplankton
Single bag, $29.99
Two bags, $49.99
Three bags, $69.99
Five bags, $99.99 *Best value at $20.00 per bag.
Commercial and bulk volumes are available and quoted per order.
Call 303.219.0623 or email service@hydralifesolutions.com
Delivered direct to the lower 48 states. Ships Monday through Thursday. Live arrival guaranteed, and we replace any bag that arrives dead or damaged.
Who uses Hydralife greenwater
Whether you are breeding fish, culturing live zooplankton, or inoculating a small pond, greenwater is the foundation the rest of the system feeds on.
Fish breeders and fry growers. Greenwater is one of the best first foods for newly hatched fry, particularly the small-fry species: bettas, gouramis, killifish, rainbowfish, and egg-scatterers. The cells stay suspended in the water column where fry feed, and they do not break down and foul a rearing vessel the way prepared foods do. Use it in culture vessels and fry-rearing tanks. It is not intended for indoor display aquariums, where phytoplankton can bloom and tint the water depending on your lighting and nutrient load.
Copepod and rotifer cultures. Copepods and rotifers feed on live phytoplankton. A consistent, dense supply keeps those cultures producing without running a separate algae reactor and without the risk of a crash taking the whole colony with it.
Pond and lake inoculation. Greenwater is the same beneficial phytoplankton used in our large-scale bioremediation product. Added to an outdoor pond it establishes the base of the food chain, absorbs excess nitrogen and phosphate, produces oxygen through photosynthesis, and feeds zooplankton and fingerlings.
Hydralife greenwater compared with a home culture
Most aquarists try to culture greenwater themselves first. Here is the honest comparison.
Ready when it arrives. Hydralife ships ready to pour. Home cultures are honestly very challenging especially as time goes on.
Density. Photobioreactor-cultivated and consistent, batch to batch. Home cultures vary widely and often run thin.
Crash risk. Our cultures are maintained in a controlled facility where we grow excellent phytoplankton. Home cultures crash for a variety of reasons including temperature swings, light, contamination and time.
Nutritional quality. Grown under optimized conditions for peak nutritional content. Cells grown in uncontrolled conditions are nutrient-depleted by comparison.
Species purity. Monospecific closed systems, blended at harvest. Home cultures pick up whatever organisms find them.
Cell size range. Multiple species and multiple cell sizes for different zooplankton. A home culture gives you whatever survives your conditions.
Knowledge required. None. Pour and feed. Culturing at home asks for working knowledge of phycology, nutrient chemistry, and sterile technique.
Equipment required. None. Culturing at home takes containers, grow lights, fertilizer, air pumps, and test kits.
Long-term reliability. Subscribe and it arrives on a schedule. Home cultures degrade and crash over weeks and months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What exactly is greenwater?
A: Greenwater is water carrying a dense suspension of live freshwater phytoplankton, the microscopic algae at the base of the aquatic food chain. The green color is chlorophyll from the concentration of living cells. It is the natural food source for daphnia, moina, copepods, rotifers, and fish fry.
Q: Why is greenwater so hard to culture at home?
A: Phytoplankton is not like growing aquarium plants. It needs precise control of light intensity and spectrum, water temperature, nutrient dosing ratios, carbon dioxide, and sterile techniques. Even experienced aquarists watch their cultures crash. Hydralife is here to provide you with a high quality source of greenwater and freshwater phytoplankton.
Q: What species of phytoplankton does Hydralife grow?
A: Hydralife cultivates multiple freshwater phytoplankton species, each in its own monospecific closed system, then blends them at harvest. Zooplankton thrive on different types of phytoplankton and cell sizes, so the blend covers rotifers and the smallest fry through adult daphnia and copepods.
Q: How do I use it for daphnia and moina?
A: Pour the greenwater directly into your daphnia or moina culture vessel. For maintenance feeding, add enough to keep the culture water visibly green. For a new culture, use greenwater as the base water before adding your starter colony.
Q: Can I use it for fish fry?
A: Yes. Greenwater is one of the best first foods for newly hatched fry, particularly small-fry species such as bettas, gouramis, killifish, rainbowfish, sunfish, bluegills and egg-scatterers. The cells stay suspended in the water column where fry feed, and they do not break down and foul a rearing vessel the way dry foods do.
Q: Can I use Hydralife greenwater in my outdoor pond?
A: Yes. In ponds, lakes, and other water bodies the phytoplankton absorbs excess nitrogen and phosphate, consumes carbon dioxide, produces oxygen, and feeds the zooplankton, minnows, and fingerlings above it in the food chain. For large volumes, Hydralife also sells bulk live phytoplankton.
Q: Where does Hydralife ship greenwater?
A: Hydralife delivers greenwater direct to the lower 48 states. Orders go out Monday through Thursday in breather bags so the culture arrives alive and active, with a live arrival guarantee.
Q: How should I store greenwater after it arrives?A: Feed it the day it arrives for the densest, most active cells. If you cannot use it all at once, keep it at room temperature in indirect light, or move the remainder to a container with light aeration and a strong light source to keep the cells active. Give it a gentle shake before each use.
Q: Can I subscribe for regular greenwater deliveries?
A: Yes. Biweekly and monthly subscriptions both save 10 percent on every order, so your cultures always have fresh greenwater on hand. Cancel anytime.
Also caring for plants?
The same multi-species freshwater phytoplankton we cultivate for aquarists works as a plant biostimulant. Living microalgae applied to soil revives tired potting soil and supports stronger roots, greener leaves, and higher yields.
Stop struggling. Start feeding.
Freshwater greenwater is difficult and unpredictable to culture at home. Get dense, nutritionally rich, professionally cultivated live phytoplankton delivered direct to your door.