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Triops Tank

  • Thread starter elgecko
  • Start date
  • #21
didnt notice any air bubbles used to incubate the eggs. what you should have done was place the eggs in a test tube filled with dH2O with an airstone. once when the eggs hatch, you can put them into the larger tank.
What I've read on the internet and the instructions I was given does not say anything about running an airstone.
My hatching tank is a small, less then 1/2 gallon tank.

Years ago i collected some from the wild. needed specimens for my natural history prof. They apparently are on all of the major Hawaiian Islands. I kept a few in the lab they grew up and died. Later i dried up the tank for a few months and then added water. The eggs laid by the few that i started with hatched out. These guys might have some interesting dormancy mechanisms, based on the locations that they are seen in Hawaii. Years of dormancy isn't unusual. Might need some things to break dormancy. Similar things are seen with daphnia/moina eggs. Some need cold (daphnia) and others seem to need long dry periods (Moina). Might not be too odd. Also, RO/distilled water or rain water might be doing things to help the eggs hatch. Might be related to osmotic pressure.

I'm waiting for the next huge winter storm on the south west side of Maui to go look at the most logical place for them. With 7-10 years of drought, makes one wonder how they survive long dry periods.....

MTF
I'm using distilled water. I have thought about trying rainwater that I collect for my plants...
Like you and swords mention, maybe a cold period is needed to get them to hatch.
 
  • #22
I did give up on the Triops cancriformis yesterday (7/29/10). The seller is sending me another packet to try.

Cleaned the tank out of the old sand and decided, with help from the seller, to try Triops Austrailensis 'Green'. I also have Triops Granarius. Since I only have the one tank for the adults, it's try one at a time.

So 7/29/10 I place the sand with the eggs of Triops Austrailensis 'Green' into my container. Today (7/30/10) I found this.

Triops-027.jpg


Triops-023.jpg


Yep, Triops. The Triops Austrailensis 'Green' hatched in less then 24 hours. I estimate about 15-20 have hatched.

I'll start to feed them on Monday, right now they will feed on microscopic partilces in the water. Hopefully I can get some to grow to adulthood.

I'll post pics of my progress.
 
  • #23
Awesome Elgecko! Keep us posted.
 
  • #24
Awesome Possum! I gotta get my act together and try my green Aussies or the cancriformis!
I had also bought some of those "Crazy Clam" primitive shrimps or whatever they are that look like a clam and zip around by flapping their shells.

Did the seller say if the cancriformis should get a cold spell or an extra long dry period or anything to help spur hatching?

Anyone know if you can keep the older Triops safely with Bettas? Been looking at the fancy bettas they have available. It would be nice to kill two paludarium ideas with one stone. The crowntails were $50 on Aquabid when I was getting out of fish in the late 90s now they're $5! LOL
 
  • #25
I have some "Crazy Calms" also. LOL
I'll start them today when I get home from work. I just received my powdered spirulina yesterday to feed them.

I did not ask that question.


I'm thinking of getting Daphina to feed the Betta I have, and Clawed Frogs that I think I'm going to get again. Plus growing a Utric or 2 in water like I did before to feed small Daphina too and see if I get better growth.
 
  • #26
Daphnia just eat green algae right? Could they live off of those Marimo Balls? Some seller sent me a handfull of the marimo balls with some java moss and I don't know what else I might do with them.
 
  • #27
These guys grow fast. Not a whole lot bigger, but they have developed their tails.
I have around 25-30 of them.

more-triops---tails-014.jpg


Sorry for the crappy pics. These things are tiny, constantly moving, and I'm hand holding the camera. Too lazy to get the tripod and try to set up where I have the tank.

I'm not sure the Daphnia would eat off a Marimo Ball or not.
Just read a website that said Triops would eat Daphnia.
 
  • #29
Nice! Good luck raising your new pets!
 
  • #31
@swords: no, daphnia eat a specific type of green algae: unicellular green algae, aka green water. in fact, green water is needed to maintain a steady culture of daphnia.
 
  • #32
Thanks, IIRC from my planted aquarium days green water is pretty easy to make - at least when you're not trying to it is! LOL
 
  • #33
Miracle grow in a soda bottle with water, place in the sun.

I noticed some of the Crazy Clams hatched today.
 
  • #34
Well here's an update.

I think all the Crazy Clams that hatched have all died. I have not notice any tiny swimming critters in the tank for 2 days now.
I was using mainly powdered spirulina. I sprinkled a small amount of powdered spirulina over the water surface and added small amount of dissolved yeast in the tank every other day or so. I did not use enough yeast to make the water slightly cloudy. I could still see the powdered spirulina on the water surface. I think the clams could not find / eat powdered spirulina when they first hatch and starved to death.
If I try them again I will use yeast and green water. Then move to powdered spirulina when they are larger.

As for the Triops. I have counted 22. They range from 1/4" of an inch to about 1/2". I few more days in the small plastic tank before I move them to the 10 gallon tank.
Here are a few pics. The water is a little hazy and a film on top of the water makes pictures tough.

triops-008.jpg

Swimming upside down at the surface of the water.

triops-007.jpg


triops-010.jpg


I should be able to get better pics once I get them into the 10 gallon filtered tank.
 
  • #35
8/10/10 - I moved 6 Triops from the hatching tank to the 10 gallon to see how they do.
8/11/10 - All 6 Triops are still alive. Moved remain Triops to 10 gallon tank.
8/12/10 - All 22 Triops alive and counted for. Enjoying their large tank.

triops-017.jpg


triops-015.jpg


The size of the Triops are 3/8" to 1/2" long.

I'm using a Duetto 50 Submersible Filter with the water flow turned just about to the lowest setting. It's working perfectly with the Triops.
I was afraid it might have to much suction and trap the Triops against the intake. No problem. The Triops have crawled over the intake opens and swam off with no problems.

They are very active critters. Swimming all over the tank, digging in the sand, crawling over the plants. Oh, as for that, I was getting some algae growth on the Cryptocoryne wendtii plant. All gone after I placed the Triops in the tank.
The funniest time is at feeding. I'm using small pellet food. Some of the Triops grab more then 1 pellet, swim on their backs while eating one of the pellets and holding onto the other.
 
  • #36
Haha, like cute little prehistoric otters.
 
  • #37
Sunday 8/15/10 I noticed several Triops on their backs dead. I grabbed all my water testing equipment to see what was going on. I had cycled the tank for some time before moving the Triops to the tank, but with extra bio-load maybe I had an ammonia spike. I checked the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite and everything was in perfect levels.
After watching the Triops for a while I could see several in distress. What I saw was the Triops swimming and trying to shed by bending their body in half and not being able to shed. This causes the Triops to die.
I started with 22. After today with seeing 4 more on their backs I have 3 left.
Not sure why they are having issues with shedding. Tonight I bought some Kent Marine Iodine which is used to help invertebrates shed. Hopefully this will help.
 
  • #38
Oh noes! I hope it helps!
 
  • #39
iodine i believe is only beneficial to arthropods in saltwater tanks, never freshwater. i dont use any iodine supplementation for my shrimp. but i dont know about your case...
 
  • #40
I've never kept triops, so here's a shot in the dark: Crustaceans are very sensitive to copper. Have you ever used the tank as a recovery sump treated with copper based medicines such as CuSo4? If so, minute trace amounts left in the glass and medium maybe enough to cause their demise.

Have you tested for copper?
 
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