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AMAZONAS
Large specimen of Triops cancriformis
cancriformis. This animal stems from a strain
distributed by Dr. Erich Eder from the river
March, near Angern, Austria.
On this recently deceased adult Triops
australiensis australiensis the cysts are
visible through the egg sacs.
12-gallon kits have not been available and I have started
to convert to the 15-gallon (55-L), 24-inch (60-cm)
starter sets (24 x 12 x 12 inches/60 x 30 x 30 cm). These
kits have the advantage that they are relatively inexpensive
and include a hood with a light and a heater. Individually
purchased, the components would cost more.
The internal filters included in these kits are not suitable
for Triops husbandry, but will certainly find another application
in the fish room. As for the size of the tanks,
I can only reiterate that bigger is better, especially with
regard to the footprint; however, since most readers will
work with standard tanks, the footprint is fixed. Instead
of tanks, other glass containers can serve as Triops habitats:
for example, large vases or bowls, or plastic containers
of various kinds. However, in many plastic vessels,
the long-term care of Triops fails. This might be due to
softeners or other chemicals that are added to some plastics
and affect the Triops negatively. I have had luck so far
with mortar buckets, the familiar Exo Terra Faunarium
(plastic terrarium), and fauna boxes from Hagen.
As a substrate I use common aquarium sand with
the finest particle size. With my first
strain of T. cancriformis cancriformis
I used soil from the garden, which is
rich in clay and sand. However, for a
first trial, I now recommend a clean
substrate without too many fine particles,
which tend to cloud the water
and make it difficult to observe the
animals. Once a population flourishes,
you can experiment with various
sand types or other natural substrates.
Salt or no salt
Distilled water, commercially available
from the supermarket or hardware
store, is the best option for starting a
culture of Triops. This guarantees a high hatch rate, and
you can be assured that there are no toxic elements or
microorganisms present. Once a culture is performing
well, you can experiment with other water sources, such
as rainwater, filtered pond water, or even tap water if it
contains no heavy metals or chlorine or if you have used
a water conditioner.
To start a culture with a new Triops strain, it is
helpful to research the water conditions in that strain’s
natural biotope. Some populations apparently tolerate
or even require various salts and trace elements in their
water (not only sodium chloride). From the island of
Malta there is a population of Triops cancriformis known
to live in brackish water (Lanfrano et al. 1991). If you attempt
to hatch cysts from such habitats in distilled water,
failure is certain. However, for the “toy strain” of Triops
longicaudatus, Triops cancriformis cancriformis from Central
Europe, and Triops cf. newberryi from Queensland, I
recommend starting the culture with distilled water.
Not made for short days
Shrimp of the genus Triops require about 12 hours of daylight
to develop. Thus, unless you keep them only during
the spring or summer outside or near a window, artificial
lighting must be provided. A timer is recommended. For
a light source, all ordinary fluorescent, halogen, LED, and
incandescent light bulbs will work. The water temperature
should be close to that found in the natural biotope.
Triops cancriformis cancriformis requires about 59°F
(15°C) to hatch and adults tolerate even lower water
temperatures. Triops longicaudatus develops best between
room temperature and up to 77°F (25°C). Triops cf.
newberryi from Queensland is best kept at 84°F (29°C),
and with good nutrition reaches a size of 2.5 inches (6
cm) within 10 days. Since these animals are very tolerant
in terms of temperature, 77°F (25°C) or warmer is
sufficient. Longhurst (1955) kept and reproduced Triops
australiensis, T. cancriformis, T. granarius, and T. longicaudatus,
as well as Lepidurus apus and L. arcticus, at 68°F
(20°C).
T. ADAM
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