Did you know they are called that because they have three eyes?! (I added some eyes to the title )

Anyway..

I bought some Triop eggs today, as I've heard people talking about them online and they look really cool. So I think I'll try my hand at raising them.

The instructions are REALLY specific. they go on about not using dechlorinated water, only spring water or they will die.. is that true or are they just trying to sell more water!?
It comes with a thing that looks like a teabag, they say it is a water conditioner with all the nutrients they need in the first 8 days.
It also said, they dont hatch if they are in more than 1 litre of water.. is that true?
..aaalso.. they say they only live for a few weeks.. but I think someone said that theirs lived for longer. Maybe its because the intructions say "they must be kept in a small plastic or glass tank" And suggest 1 gallon as a good size.
Since they apparently grow to about 2".. I guess they need more water than this.. and if I give them that they will live longer right?
I'm thinking of splitting the tub of eggs and raising one lot on their intructions and one lot on my instincts/fish/creature/keeping knowledge and see which is right

Anyone else ever tried these things?

Heres a link (or two) for people who havent got a clue what I'm talking about..
http://www.sciencematters.biz/images/produ...triop_world.jpg

The file name here says 'dead' ..i'm not sure if the thing is actually dead.. but it shows what they look like
http://www.ooine.com/Image/triop_dead.jpg

Sorry to double post, but I just found the exact instructions I have.
http://www.triops.com/trouble.htm

do the realy live that long thats not a lot

Heya Lucy, I've never, ever dealt with these things, but I'm interested in finding out what works for you. I tink they're really cool, and I think my son would really dig 'em. Let us know what you find out, k?

Yep I think I'm going to just do it how it says on the packet. As I've been reading around online and there are a lot of success stories with doing it that way.
I set them up a little tank just now and I'm waiting for the conditioning bag thingy to do its thang.. then the eggs will go in, in the morning.

My little sister had those one time. They were pretty cool. She was all squealy and excited when they hatched and she could see them swim around. She didn't use spring water, she used our tap water (comes from our pond. No chemicals or anything)

Cooooool! I've heard of Triops but I never really researched them or saw a photo. They look so interesting, I love it! It would be insightful to split the batch and test the methods of raising them. Tell me how it goes because I want to try! Do they breed in freshwater?

Yeah, I think they are freshwater creatures.. hmm I think.

Apparently they will hatch, grow, lay eggs then die.. and if i let the sand in the tank bottom dry out for a couple of months then add water, their babies will hatch.

I've read they prefer murky dirty water, so maybe I need to let go of fishkeeping instincts and let it get manky in there..

The eggs are going in in a few minutes, so should be hatching tomorrow sometime

They hatched! Theres all these little white copepod-like things buzzing about in there!

Oh how exciting! I've seen these things and have thought about attempting to raise them myself. Please keep us updated and let us know what you find to be most successful!

That's awesome!! Did they have a high hatching rate? You know we expect pics when they get big enough.

I did all the eggs the way that they suggested, with the spring water etc. As someone told me that something to do with the eggs.. they have little pores in which soak up the water after being dry.. and tap water has big molecules or something which dont fit in the little holes, so the eggs wont hatch in tap water.

I got some pics of the little white dots! I'll upload those later, when I have time.

There is quite a high hatch rate, there weren't that many eggs and it looks like most have hatched.. umm.. about 20.. most of them will probably eat each other though..

Wow, I have never seen these before. They look very interesting. They look a bit like the aliens that stick to your face and lay eggs in the movie 'Aliens' I have not seen them here in Australia. Keep us posted as I am curious to see how you go Lucy. Good luck with them

OMG I cant believe how fast these things grow!!
I have some quite good pictures, I am trying to get them onto photobucket, but it always stops loading halfway through and gives up.. but I will try. I might have to save them in paint or something.. I have a feeling the file size is too big.

i started a triop culture about 2-3 weeks ago and now they are all at least one inch long. i got 4 that made it to the size of being "scoopable" without being eaten. i think they are really cool and fun to watch. i tried feeding them omega one pellets and they loved it. even thou the package says only use the green and brown. i dont even crush the pellets and they just carry the whole pelet around until its gone

C'mon lady, I wanna SEEEEE!!!

OKAAAAAAY!

These are of the other day. I've circled each Triop in red..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/fishiephotos/new1.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/fishiephotos/new3.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/fishiephotos/new2.jpg

In this one.. erm. You cant really see them. It was when they first hatched, so it shows that they went from hardly visible to what you see in the above pics in about 2 days

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/fis...andstuff002.jpg

I have newer ones of the last 2 days.. but they are still on the camera.. so.. coming soooooon

Those are cool. I got a couple packs the other day, they were on sale at nooppee for .50. I put the water out and now its just getting to the right temp. I cant wait, I think they are really cool/pretty looking.

Good Luck with yours!

So what's the tea bag lookin' thing in there? I'm intrigued with these things.... I think my son would like em. Heck, I think I'll like em too!!! What do you have them housed in?

The tea bag thing is what they call the 'water conditioning bag'. I have been told by someone that it is what infusoria grow on to feed the newly hatched Triops.

They are in a 1 gallon tub with 1/2 a gallon of water at the moment. It said they wouldnt hatch in anything more than a quater of a gallon and to fill it up on the 8th day. Although I've been filling gradually during the week.
I will move them to something bigger, like 2/3G.. maybe 5 if loads of them survive. Apparently they eat each other a lot. I have about 12 still left, but will probably end up with about 3..
Get some!!

I'm sorry but something about the way you said that made me laugh!!! I'll probably get some... eventually. How big are yours now?

lol hehehe, a few have actually dissapeared They are very big now, I might even be able to get some decent detailed pics of them.
I'm so busy this week, so they may be up here tonight or another night..

Well mice are about 4 days old now and there was a lot of them, but it started going down, and than I found who was causing this. Along with the triops, 2 little ugly nasty white wormy things hatched too, I think they might be eating them. There are only like 2 triops left and I have seperated them, but I dont think they are going to make it. They are not growing much at all.

Mine are HUGE! I need to take more pics..

Lucy....pics!!

ah yes. I will do that right now so I dont forget and not have time..

-10 minutes later-

ok I got some quite good ones.. the water is poo colour so they arent really great. I better do a water change and move them to a bigger tank today..













They like to swim about upside down a lot.. like they are tasting the water surface. I put some food in while I took the pics, you can see them holding onto it while they eat

Wow, they're cool freaky little things. I have some eggs somewhere, maybe I'll try to hatch some myself.

Holy cow those things got BIG!! How big ARE they?! They're extremely fascinating man. Are they bugs though, or a crustacean or what?

COOL!!! I so want some o.O

They are about 2cm, so not as big as they WILL get
They are crustaceans ..like little crap/shrimp things..

You should be proud of those pics Lucy, they're phenomenal!

Hehe, thanks Erika

More piccies!









I gave them some sand last night.. they love digging in it!

WOAH! Seriously Lucy, you should send those pics in to the company or something!

Have you ever picked one up? How big are they now?

They arent that good are they!? I'm glad you like them

I did have to pick one up, as I accidently poured one into a bucket when I was doing a water change.. I kinda held its tail thingy and plopped it back in the tank. They are really strong, it was flapping about all over the place!

erm.. I think they are about an inch now. But that is a guess.. and I'm no good at guessing!

Wow, those are so cool! Congrats on your hatching the little things You know they remind me of Horseshoe crabs that I used to see on the beaches in New England! They used to be all over the beaches in CT. when I lived there. I got in trouble the summer after I graduated high school because I collected four of them and made a lovely sand castle, type area for them to swim around in. I mean it was tempoary as they would have left with the tide. The game warden came over and really let me know that they were a protected species and we were not suppose to touch them. Ooops, I did not know! But your little triops just reminded me of them and my near run in with the law.

Aww thats cute vmlola!

I acutually think that they are related to the horse shoe crab. Congrats Lucy, those things are growing like weeds!

Hehe, thanks Michelle
I think they are related to horseshoe crabs somehow..

cool they are so big were did u get them

I got them from a shop called 'The Natural World', it sells things to do with nature, and different cultures and stuff, its a cool shop!

I seriously have to get some now, like right now! I think about a million years ago we bought some at Wally world... Those are the freakin' coolest things I have ever seen you did an amazing job with them! I have a question for you though, since you have to put in the water conditioner stuff do you still do water changes on them or do they like icky water?

I think they prefer the mucky water.. but I like to be able to see them, so I do a 90% water change when it gets too murky.. like, once a week.
..and yeah! get some!!!