usually early stage cyclopoid copepodits will feed in natural conditions on rotifers, ciliates, and phytoplankton, but in the fourth stage they may catch small cladocerans, especially if they do not find something else to feed on. At least Cyclops abyssorum is even cannibalist when kept in culture.

Hi Mirek,

One of possible answers could possibly be found in a 1994  L&O paper I attach

Maciej

The well-known technique of the germination consists in maintaining soil samples at room temperature and then in fridge (about 1 month) with minimal drying and supply of oxygen. These steps significantly reduce the amount of ostracods, nematodes and copepods, which can gobble for our favorite cladocerans at different stages of hatching.

Additionally, this procedure increases, accelerates and synchronizes the hatching.

I think they will eat them if you do not separated them from cyclopoids immediately.

I got some hatched larval Daphnia from lake sediments (from about 15cm sediment) successfully last year, and they are still culturing in our lab. But we want to find some copepod diapause egg, instead Daphnia. And I observed some diapause post cyclopoids also.

I do not sure which method you used, I just separate the resting eggs from sediment use centrifuge, and put the eggs in the plate with culturing water, and wrapped with aluminum lap at 15 ªC. Check every day, until 3 or 4 weeks or more, and I got 4 or 5 hatched Daphnia individuals from about 100 diapause egg. So the hatching success seems not so high.

Good luck.