Common Name: Triops

Scientific Name: Triops Longicaudatus

Origin: The dinousaur era or the Triassic Period, but kit eggs are produced in labs

Maximum Size: 6 inches, but recorded up to 9 inches

Care: the Triop is a very carefull animal. they can only be hatched ina quart of bottled water and can only be fed a certain food included in the kit. They are sensitive to any water quality flucuation and do not like temps. lower than 73 degrees Farenheit, or higher than 83 degrees Farenheit. They also take 1-2 tries to hatch them. the kit comes with a container but i do not suggest using that thing, i suggest using an all glass 2 1/2 gallon tank with a 25 watt heater.

Feeding: Triops eat the special food in the kit when they are babies, but when they are full grown they can eat vegetables such as carrots and lettucce.

Breeding: Triops do not reproduce because of their short lifespan(90-120 days). Ther eggs are lab cultivated for use in kits.

Comments: Triops make very cool pets in the home, especially to little kids and the kits are very avaliable to the hobbiest, but TRIOPS ARE LIVING ANIMALS SO ADULT SUPERVISION is required when growing these strange and facinating creatures. Make sure you follow kit instructions and do not give up if first attempt fails.

I've never heard of a triops to 6 inches, but no matter. Triops do however breed, If you provide fibreglass screening over the edge they willlay eggs on it. They may have short lives, but they breed quickly

This post has been edited by Lateral Line: Jul 24 2007, 06:52 PM

Size: Triops don't get to 6 inches, never mind 9 , no idea where you got that idea. The biggest recorded triops was 4.5 inches, and was was a Triops cancriformis. Triops Longicaudatus, the ones that are talked about here, are the American type that you buy in kits, get smaller. Triops cancriformis(European species) are only available from a few of sites on the net though, that's what i have.

Breeding: The eggs are lab cultivated......which means as opcn said, triops DO breed, they are just bred in labs rather than taken form the wild(which is illegal because they are endangered) they lay their eggs in the substrate and on fibreglass/plants. They are very easy to breed, and are almost guaranteed to do so even if you only have one .

Hatching: The reason boom-sage said that triops take 1-2 tries to hatch is that he used bottled water, it is much more effective to use distilled/deionized water to hatch them, as that replicates the non-polluted rain water from their natural habitat. However, use distilled/deionized water in small quantities to hatch, because water as 'pure' as that is not healthy for hatched triops. You should fill the hatching tank 1/4 with distilled water for hatching, and after they hatched slowly add some bottled water every day. You can use de-chlorinated tap water once they have hatched.

Diet: After the triops are in their adult stages, you can feed them basically anything, high protein fish foods like catfish pellets are ideal, and live food like bloodworms is what they eat in nature .

Lifespan: Triops Longicaudatus maximum lab lifespan is said to be 50 days but there has been one account of it living to 100 days (http://www.tadpoleshrimp.info/) and Triops cancriformis maximum lab lifespan is said to be 90 days, but it can probably live longer.

Where to buy: You can only buy Triops cancriformis a few places on the internet and only if your in Europe here, its more expensive too. The cheapest place to buy triops is here at £1.75 for Triops Longicaudatus eggs including p&p. Other than the internet you can pick up Triops Longicaudatus kits in most toy stores.


More random facts: The singular of triops is triops . Triops cancriformis is the oldest known species on the planet, its around 300 million years old and hasn't changed in all that time. Triops live on every continent except Antarctica, even Britain (although only in two temporarly pools in). In alot of countries they are endagered, but in some countries/states in Europe and America they considered a pest in rice paddies for eating the seedlings. In Japan, they are considered a good thing for rice paddies because they eat the fungus off the plants and competing weeds.

Below is a picture of Triops cancriformis taken off wikipedia and below that a picture of one of my triops cancriformis.



This post has been edited by Lateral Line: Jul 24 2007, 06:53 PM