Triops

[Anonymity82]

I searched this and wasn't able to find something about them on here. I've read up on the "care sheets" and pretty sure I'll be able to keep them alive for the month or so they live but I was looking for anyone with experience with them and maybe shoot some experienced information my way. Any pictures are anything? I know they are "children's educational pets" but i think they are awesome looking and it's unfortunate that they only live such a short time. The cool part is they lay eggs in the sand and you can dig the sand out after the "parents" die and just dry them out and restart it.

There are also many species and was hoping that someone might have some experience with multiple species. Thanks!

 

[Niffarious]

I'm sure you've read a lot of info already, but I can say easily that, though hardy, the more space and clean water you can give them - the better. When they are hatchlings it can be more difficult, but older (larger) ones really should have clean (filtered, do water changes) aerated water.
In some cases you may need to decide how to keep the water warm enough - they like it 70F +. They can survive at lower, but you will have better hatch, growth and survival rates with it a bit warmer.

There's lots of neat aspects to their care, most overlooked (the kits they are sold in are not conducive to success) but those are the biggest points I usually see overlooked.

 

[Anonymity82]

How big of a tank do you think? As far as temperature goes, they'll be long dead before it drops below 70 in here next November but even for the next generations it doesn't drop below 68 in here. I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'm a little concerned about keeping their water clean only because I can't afford to get a filter for them. I can do water changes often most likely (spring water?) but am unsure how often to do them. For the hatchings I was going to keep them in a little deli cup for a few days then put them in their larger home, I'll probably go to walmart and get a 3 dollar container or something. I really got them because they are awesome looking but also, they're only 5 or 6 bucks for the kit. I'm also going to try and only use half of the eggs or less in case I screw it up.

I'm also not sure how to aerate it either without having to buy a bubbler. Do you think an algae ball would help with supplying the water with oxygen? I've read they can survive in pretty low oxygenated water but I'd like to give them a good short life.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Entomancer]

No, an air pump/airstone would be much better than a plant when it comes to aeration, mainly because it actually stirs up the water.

Also, most aquatic crustaceans need to need more highly aerated water than you might think. I bought an air pump and a stone for a 10 gallon tank (needed it for my crayfish) from PetSmart for around 20 bucks, so they're pretty cheap.

 

[Anonymity82]

I read on here http://mytriops.com/articles/triops_care.stm that they are found in stagnant puddles that barely have any oxygen in it. Something like 2 parts per million and they can survive as low as 1 part per million if I remember that correctly. The algae ball is supposed to trade for oxygen from what I understand and I thought that would be a good cheap way to get oxygen. Hmm, these are starting to sound like more trouble than I originally thought!

Thanks for tips!

 

[Entomancer]

They may live in stagnant waters, but stirring the water up helps to prevent anoxic zones from forming, which can happen in aquariums, and is very hazardous to animals kept in aquariums.

I would add a somewhat weak air pump just in case...If you used a sponge filter, you could have the air pump and the filter in one unit, and it would take up less space than both of those while filtering your tank (it works by attracting/housing nitrifying bacteria, which will break down nitrogenous waste products from the triops, while also aerating the water) and providing aeration.

 

[shebeen]

I've tried raising both T. Longicaudatus and T. australiensis but was never able to keep either species alive for more than 3 weeks. I found them to be rather fragile and very sensitive to water conditions. If you don't employ a filter, regular water changes are an absolute must. Also, keep in mind that it takes 4-6 weeks, depending on the method used, to develop the de-nitrifying bacteria on your filter. You'll also need a water test kit to measure Ammonia and Nitrite/Nitrate levels.

Don't be surprised if you only end up with a few adults from an entire bag of eggs. These guys love to cannibalize each other when young. I may give them another try in the future. They grow incredibly fast and are quite fun to watch.

One of my triops shortly before it died.

 

[Anonymity82]

Geeze, even with the filter they died so quickly? I'm definitely not going to be able to get a filter for it but I can do daily water changes (25%). I have to find a 4 or 5 gallon tank for them too. I got bamboozled into the whole "just add water" slogan lol.

 

[shebeen]

Yeah, the "just add water" bit is pure advertising hype. Follow the instructions on MyTriops.com. It's the most informative site I have found for raising Triops. Some people don't have any trouble at all, as you can see from all the YouTube videos. I hatched mine in a small kritter keeper using distilled water. After two weeks or so, I moved them to a larger tank with de-chlorinated tap water. It's the same water I use for my aquatic frogs and tropical fish, but, apparently, it's no good for Triops. Next time, I'll try using bottled spring water in the large tank.

 

[Robotponys]

Look up arizonafairyshrimp in google. Surf around there website, choose a species (since I've never kept these I'm planning on getting redtail fairy shrimp) and what pack you want to get. Then do a bit more research and decide.

 

[lizardminion]

Something I've actually kept before...
Several of mine survived up to three months but only died when I filthied the water from laziness. I did frequent water changes. And by water changes, I meant 50%-100% but only because the container I kept them in was tiny. :/ Really the only downside they suffered from that was the fact they stayed small.

I should really get back into these.