Starting Up Some Live Food Cultures

[attibones]

I'm about to start culturing daphnia and microworms. I have some questions though.
 
Daphnia:
I'm going to be using a 2.5 gallon tank for daphnia raising. I've got a heater for the tank, as well as a small air pump. I've read that I need to feed the tank with either spirulina or green water. Which of these is the best way to go? If green water is the best, how do I get started? Do I just remove chlorine from some water, pour the water into a bucket, place that bucket outside and wait? If spirulina is best, are there algae wafers from the LFS which would work, or should I just order powdered spirulina when I order my daphnia?
 
Microworms:
This one seems a bit easier to do. I'm going to get a couple of containers set up with some oats, water, and yeast, then add my ordered cultures. I'm getting mixed results about how long I should keep the micro worm cultures, though. Some sources say a month, some say a week. How long should I keep the micro worms in the containers before I start a new culture? 
 
I'm going to be feeding these to some peacock gudgeons, tetras, and, when I find an affordable source, some P. gertrudae, which I've read appreciate small live foods. Are there any other live foods which are easy to maintain in small containers?

 

[DrRob]

I feed my daphnia culture on waste water from the EI tank. It was seeded with a mess of green algae that grew in a tank when I went away and it sits on the windowsill with nothing at all powering it. Seems to work for me, but I may just have the right window balance, it's fairly sheltered there.
 
I've seen all sorts of comments about eco systems and algae with daphnia, including suggestions about making sure that there are snails in with them, as the snails crunch the bigger algae particles and increase the food supply for the daphnia.

 

[attibones]

My house stays in the shade a lot, so I'm not sure if setting the water on the windowsill would be the best idea for me. But it's good to know that I can use the water from my dirt tank! I'll have to see about getting some snails too.
 
What about scuds? Are these easier, better, or whatever to culture and feed to fish? They seem to be fairly similar, but it looks like they may be a bit bigger? I dunno. I've not ordered the daphnia yet, so I'm open to suggestions in this regard. Definitely getting some MW though.