More Triops Questions.. :)

[Zhuria]

Okay, so my little guys are doing well! I have at least 3, maybe four that are 2-3 mm in length. There's also another hatchling swimming around in there, but I don't expect he'll last long with all the bigger guys in there

I just picked up a few larger containers for when they're bigger. One is 14L but I'm planning on putting in quite a bit of sand and around 10L of water, so enough for around 4-5 adults to live very comfortably, with lots of surface area.

How can I prepare this tank while I'm waiting for them to grow? Do I just put spring water and let it age? How do I transfer them when it comes time? Should I move them to a medium container with their old water plus some new water, let them get acclimated, and then do the same over to the bigger one?

I'm so afraid to kill them! I want to do this right the first time, so for anyone who has advice thanks in advance!

(I do have tropical fish, they do wonderfully on my tapwater, could I use some of their water somehow since it's already established.. Or something? lol)

 

[razer121]

will just carry on from here, to answer you....

when you set up the new tank, use normal tap water (declor it) and this is how you get your triops ready...well this is how i did it,

every 10 odd mins add a little bit of the water from the larger tank to there tank, do this so you have filled there tank up with at least half of the tap water,

i spread mine out and added it in the space of a hour or so

once its done, leave it for abit then add more (same as you did before) then after you have finshed doing this you can tip your triops into there new tank

IF you do it worng and do not let the triops adjust properly, they will most likly struggle to shed there skin...ive had it happen to a few, dont feel dishearted though if it does happen! sometimes it cannot be helped,

 

[Zhuria]

I'm pretty sure my tap water is chlorine-free since we're in a rural area.. BUT it's really hard, has a lot of iron in it. That's probably bad for them right? I know they'd never hatch in it, but maybe the adults can handle it, I dunno..

 

[razer121]

well, i dont know, i know triops thrive in a ph around 7 ive noticed with all mine that have failed to shed the ph is about 8 or below 6 (ive just lost one due to it being to high i think)

 

[Zhuria]

Update! I transfered them to a larger container today. It's a 6.6L container, but I put probably 5.5L in it. This should be enough for a while I think. The container wasn't food-grade, I couldn't find one big enough that was - but it was rinsed thoroughly. I bleached the beach sand, then rinsed it dozens of times. I did the transfer in reverse - instead of pouring water from the new tank to the old one, I poured water from the old tank to the new one, to make it a similar environment. I would pour 2/3 of their old tank's water in, and then slowly refill the old one with spring water. I worked my way up until finally I transfered them to a smaller Rubbermaid container that I floated in the 6.6L to get the temps the same. Then I picked one unlucky sucker to throw into the 6.6L. I wanted to risk only one instead of all three, in case there was something bad left on the sand. He seemed to be doing really great so I then started transfering water from the 6.6L to the small one and eventually dumped them all in.

They LOVE THE SAND!! It's hard to see them in it, but I don't care, as long as they're happy. It does take them quite a bit longer to find their food though!

So, I think it was successful. I know they're still molting, though I haven't actually seen them in the process of it. They don't seem to be acting any different so I'm thinking they should be okay, hopefully they will thrive!

I will take pictures tomorrow! I just have to clean out some more loose detritus, since when I took the nutrient pack out of the old tank, I put it in the new one to help prepare the water environment for them. And of course they had chewed it all to hell. Lol.

 

[razer121]

sweet, look forward to the pictures!! im in the process of hatching out some new large triops if you can get these guys to thrive id rec these ones anyday

 

[Zhuria]

Cancriformis right? I'm actually thinking of getting some Australiensis eggs after these guys. I really like the look of them, I'm not sure I like the bigger ones with their spots XD

Pictures!

This is my setup

They're still doing wonderfully today, and eating a TON!

 

[razer121]

reminds me of my last triops looks just like him but smaller, anyway looks like you have a pretty good setup there mate! ive never in the past 2 odd years been able to get more then 1 triops to survive lol, they always eat each other! so fair play to getting 3 to survive, how large are they from tip to tail?

 

[Zhuria]

Thanks!

Lol, I feed them when I notice they're out of food, so they don't get hungry and eat eachother.. I'm hoping it doesn't happen, but we'll see!

They are just about exactly 2cm from nose to tail!

 

[Zhuria]

My Triops started laying eggs today! I still have the three, they are all thriving and eating a ton. I noticed egg sacs on one today (I assume the other two are still maturing and not males) and she's been digging ALL DAY. She's got trenches and lines all in the sand. I'm sooo glad I got the beach sand, this is where it pays off! I'm loving these guys!!

 

[razer121]

sweet!! in all the years ive raised triops ive never seen them lay eggs! can you get pictures???

 

[Zhuria]

I actually can't see the eggs I don't even know where they come out.. LOL, but I know that's what she's doing because she's digging constantly and she's the only one with egg sacs (actually I think another one might be starting now too)

 

[razer121]

ha brilliant lol my male triops i had was always digging mind you, its just something they do lol, i know what eggs look like....funny enough im in the process of slowly sucking out some now....pain i tell you!! are you able to get a marco shot of her egg sacks?

 

[Zhuria]

Nah don't think my camera's good enough Plush she never stops moving, it's even worse now that she's digging! I'm sure there are at least 2 females, I suspect all 3 are though. They're sooo fun to watch.

 

[three-fingers]

The "females" you have are actually in fact....hermaphrodites!

Males are actually quite rare, but it depends which strain (maybe subspecies) of T.longicaudatus you have.

If you purchased a kit with the "long form", then males are a bit more common. But when you hatch out the "short from", they are pretty much always hermaphrodites IME (with the exception of Razers triops lol).

I'd say you have the short form too, though colours, markings and sizes do depends on the water conditions.