Triops: tank log

[J-P]

wooo hooo now we are excited

[Nick]

Those heaters are actually really nifty. They're filled with a dark sand that transfers heat very gently, and while they aren't adjustable, they can't burn a fish or snail even if it attaches to them, and I've used them in as little as 1/2 gallon of water and they don't overheat it.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Yes, I'm using a 50w one in a 3g tank, and it has never overheated. In very cold weather when they turned the dorm's heat off, that tank went down to 74 instead of the promised minimum of 76, but it's never been unsafe.

My two biggest triops are already about 2mm long!!!

[LilGreenPuffer]

Today, during my regular tank maintenance, I fed the babies some detritus from the planted puffer tank, a few dead leaves, a couple strands of java moss, and dirty filter floss squeezings. The plants will be eaten when the babies are big enough to fit them in their mouths, and hopefully they're carrying some microbes that they can filter-feed on.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Lost one, maybe two, of the babies. Spotted three live ones and one dead body. Don't know about the last one yet.

Did about a 50% water change with oxygenated distilled water. Will offer more food later today.

Two of the babies are a good 3mm or more now! The other one I spotted is about 1.5-2mm.

[LilGreenPuffer]

The biggest ones are up to half an inch long, counting the long thin tails that you can hardly see. Took some pics, will upload later. I can clearly see their eyes and their darker internal organs under the light carapace.

Decided not to offer food yesterday, but cleaned water and fed NLS Grow and Hikari Shrimp Cuisine today.

Discovered a new baby, probably two days old!!! I'm back up to five!

ETA: Decided to start twice-daily feedings, mostly larger particles, since all but one can handle an entire pellet now. Also, started acclimating them to local tap water, since it'll be a big change from distilled to 15-20 GH - did 50% water change, replaced with 25% oxygenated distilled and 25% water from their big oxygenated tank, which is tap treated with Prime and a half-dose of Flourish. Big setup has some spare plants from the puffer tank - java and flame moss, plus two whose names I can't remember - thus the ferts in their tank water.

Noticed that they're pretty active tonight. Not sure is this is related to time of day or increase in size; will have to start observing this.

[LilGreenPuffer]

They're growing so fast! I added a little more tank water today. I noticed one skimming the surface, which is supposed to be a sign that they're getting low on oxygen. I'll do a bigger water change and feed them later today.

It won't be long at all before I can transfer them!!!

[LilGreenPuffer]

They're really growing!!! A couple are up to 2/3"-3/4" long. They look just like little adults. I've begun finding molted exoskeletons; I assume that they will eat them and I do not remove them. I continue to feed NLS Grow and Hikari Shrimp Cuisine, and they still have some of the plant leaves and detritus. Their water is almost all tank water now. They're almost big enough to move - just a day or two!

Talk talk: I'm going to have to get some kind of light source for their tank to keep the plants alive. I don't want to have to continually pull more plants from the puffer tank.

Pictures will come when I get some decent light in here.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I released them into the big tank. I'll post pics this weekend (which for me starts Wednesday night!).

I've started introducing other foods into their diet. I gave them one whole Omega One Super Color Small pellet, and I'll begin trying them on algae wafers, spirulina wafers, nori, other pellets, flakes, etc. over the coming days.

I'm using the desk lamp and a regular fluorescent bulb to keep the plants going. They're all low-light, so it ought to work.

ETA: They seem to really like digging in the sand a lot. I'm not sure if they're sifting it for detritus or just digging. They also seem more mobile with the traction the sand provides. They're moving a lot more, and it seems to be easier, too.

I have noticed that they seem undisturbed by the camera flash, the lamp, sudden noises/vibrations, my approach, or the current from the airstone in the big tank.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Introduced them to Hikari Sinking Wafers. They continue to grow; largest is nearly 1" from nose to tail, carapace full 1/2". Will try them on blackworms when I get some. Temp over last several days has been 80-82; dorm is pretty toasty. Triops don't seem to mind, especially now with airstone.

Pics!

Day Eight: Shots of babies and future tank.





Day Ten: I just moved them into their big tank.





Day Eleven (today):





You can observe the constant digging behavior in the video. I think they're sifting for detritus; it's the same motion they make when they're eating.

[Pufferpunk]

Coooool!!! You're such a good bugmommy! How big will they get?

[J-P]

very cool! lets hope they spawn! They will be having that mid-life crisis soon and debating on the Porsche VS the Harley

I still haven't broken mine out of the pack yet

[LilGreenPuffer]

PP - 1-3".

JP - Good God, I only have one more week before it sets in! They grow up so fast...

[LilGreenPuffer]

I've introduced them to Aqueon flake food. They're big enough to pick up and carry Hikari Shrimp Cuisine pellets now! They're quite active, darting all over the place, constantly sifting the sand.

ETA: Finally got some blackworms again, offered them a couple. Didn't get a chance to see if they ate them since I was in a hurry.

ETA again: And tried them on a little Ken's Meat and Spirulina wafer and some Atison's Betta Pro pellets. So far, they've really seemed to most enjoy the Hikari Shrimp Cuisine.

[J-P]

I just read that, if and when, these guys lay eggs you have to go through the entire procedure again. Just wondering if that was true.