[AyJay658]

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I'm not sure if I'm imagining it or if there are really about 10 white dots swimming around. Its hard to tell if they are just drifting in currents or really swimming. One of the white dots turned out to be some sort of slug.. it's still tiny but it just slithers over the wall of the tank. I suppose its helpful for it to eat my algae but I would prefer a pond snail!

The bigger thing is a piece of debris. The whiteish thing below it is the slug.

I saw one of my daphnia give birth! It was bobbing around really fast and was swarming with tiny little daphnia. They hold their eggs inside their bodies until they hatch.

Eggs still haven't arrived but if the white things are triops maybe I wont need them! When I go home today I will see if they have grown at all.

 

[Seafolly]

Oh boy, haha, thank you so much for your advice! Unfortunately we're too late! I discovered that she died while I was away. She lived such a long time too. The tank has babies in it, though I'm sure they won't last. Once they die out (as I would feel horrible culling sea monkey babies hehe) I'll do exactly as you suggest! Yes, there was a packet that I think made it salty. With summer coming, it should evaporate soon!

 

[AyJay658]

Aww no I am sorry to hear that! She lived a long time though! Great plan =) I hope they make it anyway but if they don't at least you know you will not be sea monkeyless for long!!

I did write a post yesterday but I did it on my phone and it seems to have not come through =( Basically I said that I have no idea if the white dots are triops or not but if they are they are not growing. So it was probably all in my head! There was a slug thing on the side of the tank though...would prefer a snail to a slug..

The slug is right below the bit of debris.

Today was an exciting day! My new eggs arrived! I went to find a bigger container to keep the triops in when they grow up and I found a small glass tank for 13 pounds in B&M!

I am a dreadful impulse buyer! It came with an air pump filter thing.

That was me testing it out. It was rather noisy...I poured in about 3 and a half litres of water plus the water from Shrimpy's tank. I didn't think I needed much more than that and I also ran out of bottled water!

These are Shrimpy's new digs until the triops outgrow the original 'hatching' tank. I also threw the daphnia and cyclops in there for fun!
Here is Shrimpy scoping out his new home =)

Sorry it's a bit blurry. I put the sand in there that I got with the triops kit because I figured it would be time for them to use it when I transferred them anyway and it makes it look much more homely! I would prefer a real plant but hey, you work with what you got.
I then switched on the air pump and unfortunately it started sucking my creatures into the holes at the bottom!! Thankfully I noticed before anyone got hurt and took it out! I had some little rocks lying around as well as the gravel from the bottom of the filter so it is looking quite nice now =)

Then I set up my triops hatching tank! I put in about 3/4 litre of water as per the instructions that came with the eggs. I waited until the water was about 24 degrees C (warmer than the last time I did it) and then put the eggs/sand/gravel mixture in the tank.


When I stirred the gravel at the bottom all the eggs floated to the top! So I can see I have about 50 or so eggs in there!!


I have a weird fascination with eggs. I think they are amazing. It's hard to explain but I really like eggs!!
I have been watching the eggs for signs of movement. Could be the current but some seem to wobble =)
Here's my lovely windowsill set up now!

Amazingly my big tank is 26 degrees C whilst being heated like this! Perfect temperature =)
Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day!!

 

[Seafolly]

HI there soulmate. :} I've always had a weird thing for eggs too. I had plans to pursue developmental biology as a Master's but went another route. Point is, I TOTALLY get you. Haha. Can't tell you how many eggs I have (between people's pet birds, abandoned nests found in the fall, etc etc).

Shrimpy looks like my girl that just died!

Love seeing this. Maybe I'll get some Triops soon. Though the bonus with SeaMonkeys was they're self sufficient after a few months when the algae grows in the tank. Are Triops like that?

 

[AyJay658]

I am glad someone understands!! Wow do you collect them then? Blown or something?
Unfortunately it seems that triops will eat anything and everything in sight so nothing would have a chance to grow/reproduce enough to sustain them =L It seems like I will have to feed them myself every few days.

 

[GibblyGiblets]

this is cool, I have been wanting to try and raise triops for several years, but everytime I have the extra money to buy a kit off the internetwebs, I forget to do it =O

the closest thing I am doing that is anywhere remotely similar to that is raising some toad tadpoles

did you know that 98% (or something like that) of triops are female? when they reproduce, the larvae are clones of the female (at least that's what I've heard)

 

[AyJay658]

That's about the same as what I have heard! Although I think I read that 98% are hermaphrodites but I suppose that's the same thing really if they can self fertilize!

 

[WoodWitch]

Really enjoying this thread, thanks :thumbuo

 

[AyJay658]

We have triops people!! At long last I saw two this morning before work. They are much bigger than I expected. Those white dots must have been microorganisms or possibly just dust. I cannot wait to see them tonight! I will post some pictures when I get home.
I blew up another bulb this morning..woops. Had to nick Herby the tortoises evening time bulb for the day. Will go shopping tonight! I hope they aren't too pricey..think they are spot bulbs or something.
Woohoo success!

 

[Seafolly]

I am glad someone understands!! Wow do you collect them then? Blown or something?
Unfortunately it seems that triops will eat anything and everything in sight so nothing would have a chance to grow/reproduce enough to sustain them =L It seems like I will have to feed them myself every few days.

I do! The ones that weren't far into the embryonic growth are fine to just sit, and I don't keep the ones that have fully developed chicks. I've only had one egg explode from pressure (and it just cracked). One goose egg I kept reaallllyyyy exploded in the garage. It sounded like a gunshot lol. But that had a decomposing chick inside so...should have seen that coming! I also collect bones. Biology major should be no surprise, lol.

Awww. I might have to wait then! It seems I'm on the go so much. Still see Sea Monkey babies in there...trying not to get attached, haha.

YAY TRIOPS!

 

[AyJay658]

There's like 60 in there now!! The big ones will eat the little ones soon though. The two I saw this morning will be the biggest I expect. Only the fastest growing of the later hatchlings will survive. I have a video and a photo. I have circled the triops with red pen but you might not have needed it!



Phew not even one from my original attempt and now I am overrun!!

 

[AyJay658]

They have reduced in number a bit. There are probably around 15-20 now which is much more manageable! Possibly died because the water got down to 19 degrees C at night without the lamp on...But they will start eating eachother soon enough anyway! They have grown a bit...not sure if it's quite double the size they were last night but quite close! I fed them a tiny dot of food this morning and again this evening. Here is a close up blurry photo of a triop!

And a slightly less blurry but angled one!

I am hoping they will be much bigger tomorrow =)

 

[AyJay658]

NOOO! I can't win!! I left the light on last night so the water didn't get too cold and I cooked them! I have three left I am really hoping some of the eggs that were stuck to the sides will hatch. The triops kept getting stuck in hairs and debris in the tank. I freed as many as I could but its an ongoing problem...so I thought id leave the lid on to stop the dust getting in and I guess made a greenhouse...so sad for all the ones I killed

 

[WoodWitch]

Oh nooooo!
Hope some eggs are still to hatch x

 

[blackbirdmice]

Have you thought about using a heating pad (like the ones used for reptile tanks) instead of a lamp? I'm not positive that it would be better, but its an option and might keep the water at a more stable temperature.

 

[AyJay658]

I have a heat mat but its under my mouse enclosure! Also I haven't found it gets very hot at all...I think I will just have to switch the lamp off and on throughout the night!

 

[blackbirdmice]

I was thinking that it would make the water only warmer at the bottom, so they would stay where they felt comfortable until you were able to turn the light back on

 

[AyJay658]

Sorry about the huge delay in updating this. All the triops but one died off and I think the living one was eating the new hatchlings..he died on Sunday. =( If only I hadn't cooked them all! I am leaving the tank to sit and if anything comes out of it that's great. If not, I will buy some more eggs I think.

In the large tank the daphnia have multiplied..and multiplied and multiplied! There are hundreds of them!! AND a little sprout of a plant showed up this morning!! How exciting. I had no idea I had got seeds in there! Not so exciting if it is duckweed..
Here is a video of both things!


I realise this topic has lost a lot of interest since the triops failed =L But I will try again. I will update if anything happens! Thanks for reading =)

 

[Seafolly]

I was in Florida - I'm interested, lol.

Sorry to hear they were cooked! I accidentally did that once with the Sea Monkeys. Hot summer sun was no good.

 

[jazzieparsons56]

I think so! I would actually be quite upset now if a triops hatched and ate him....

Mine keep sinking to the bottom of my 24 oz jar it’s under a regular lamp but ima buy a desk lamp bc this lamp not doing it it’s been 5 days my instruction says they eat bread crumbs and carrots and crackers the instructions don’t say anything about cleaning just when some of the water evaporates add more distilled water do u think that’s big enough for them and do u think they’ll hatch if they sink to we’re the sand is I’m worried ima get a temperature stick and a desk lamp to warm them up