Hi all,
To start I have to mention I have had kept fish aquariums since I was 13 now I am 48 (must be a good 10 years anyway. lol)and I have been super successful. Now I have a 150 and a 90, two 55s, two 10s, a 5.5, and two 2.5 gallons.(not addicted at all) I have had almost everything from A to Z, saltwater for years too. I finally met my match. I saw a kit, my first thought was what are these, age 8 and over, just add water how simple,right? (nope) After 4 attempts I still don't have any adult triops. Well my first mistake use spring water, a 17 on an API gh test kit, no use distilled water (just like rain without all the pollutants). My next mistake, keep the bowl perfectly clean and sterile, nope have to put some of that dirty topsoil out of the front yard. It had sand, little pieces of leaves, black dirt, and even roots and mulch. I also am a instruction follower to a fault. So i put 1 &1/2 tablespoons of that dirty dirt in 2 ounces of rain water (actually melted snow) in a brand new sterile (old habits) glass salt shaker. I then put it in the sun inside the house in a south window for 8 hours(its 30 degrees out side).
While that was "cooking" I used a Great Value lightly salted cocktail Peanuts 16 ounce container and filled it to the top with hot tap water, to clean and melt off the oils. I repeated that 3 times then wiped it out with a paper towel, rinsed again with hot water (again old habits), then a new paper towel and dried the inside. Then ripped off label so I had a nice clear container with graduation marks. If you are going to use the lamp light bulb method skip this, about 1/2 inch down from the top I drilled 2 holes 180 degrees from each other, they don't have to be perfect but close (what am i saying!!!). Then I used two bread bags twist ties and looped one through each hole then together. I used a screw to my stand to hang it inside the tank but a hook or a clip would work well too.
Then I just hung it in one of my heated 10 gallons that is half full of water, double boiler method. My temp is exactly 75F degrees . I then filled container to the second graduation mark from the bottom (two cups) with Meijer Natural Spring water from a gallon jug. The small 1/2 liter bottle says " naturally filtered spring water " wrong stuff. I let it just hang there. After the topsoil mix was 8 hours old I dumped that in the peanut container too.The next morning I took a sterilized API test kit glass 5 ml tube and filled it to the line with Great value distilled water, wrapped a twist tie around it and hooked it so as it could safely float in the container. I had my doubts this will work, so I only added 7 eggs. After a 8 hour soak at 3:30 pm I dumped it in that dirty water container.
To my surprise at 9 am the next morning there was 2 triops swimming around, and I did not have to search for them, the black dirt made them so easy to see. They much bigger than I have ever could be-leave in that short time. I come from the day don't use it if it didn't come out of a pet shop, you never EVER added anything from outside to the tank, so I am now a believer in the dirty method, maybe I am keeping my other tanks way too clean. I guess I am never too old or have too much experience to learn something new.
Thank you for your post that opened my eyes, I would of never.....after a month of searching I am so glad I came across this. Paul
just for google... hatching triops eggs ... hatching triops ... how to hatch triops ... the natural triops hatching ... container hatching triops ,... if you can add some please do.
Edited by paul e, 01 March 2020 - 02:33 PM.
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