So, this is an idea i had when i was about 13 years old. Why not grow triops as a live food for fish? It would be pretty easy to replace ghost shrimp with them. But, i always had one problem... hatch rates.
Well, it seems i have solved that problem over the years. I recently bought some albino triops longicaudatus amd realized just how spoiled i was. After 20 years of keeping the same strain, and only keeping the ones that hatch from their first hydration, my triops have insanely high hatch rates. But it came with a down side...
Most of my triops always die off in the first 48 hours. They hatch faster and in higher numbers than normal, seem to grow faster than normal, but for some reason those first couple days are VERY hard on them.
I had long suspected that they needed UV in some capacity during their early stages. Well, i got an LED grow light that also produces UV. I hatched about 80 or so triops, and lost maybe ten, if that. And that got me thinking... if they hatch so readily and only need UV to survive, maybe i can just put some outside in a tub and i can grow them?
If it works, i would be able to produce hundreds of triops a week. If i can grow 70 in a 5 gallon tank, all to adulthood, what can i do in a 50 gallon tub? Even better yet, triops longicaudatus has been shown to grow up to 9 times faster with some daily fluctuations in temperature. Mine start laying eggs at day 6, but they are likely to grow even faster outside.
So, i just emptied the last of my latest batch of eggs into a 50 gallon plastic bin outside on my porch and added sand and enough leaf litter and organic stuff to get them all to 1cm. I wont have to feed them until they get that big, i think... if they all survive and grow quickly, i may actually have to feed them.
Anyway, if this works, a couple of those cheap big storage bins will provide me with hundreds of triops every week. And since i feed them mostly just yard waste and will be using the sun as my light source, it won't cost much. I just started them today. I look forward to seeing how it goes.
In one week i should know of it is gonna work or not.
Triops as live food
Started by
Auban
, Apr 30 2019 02:06 PM
5 replies to this topic
#1
Auban
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- NANFA Member
Posted 30 April 2019 - 02:06 PM
"The ecologist is continually having to look at the aspects of nature with which he is unfamiliar and perforce must be an amateur for much of his working time.... professionals may carp at omissions, misconstructions, or even downright errors in these pages. perhaps ultimately they may forgive them for the sake of the overall vision that only the amateur, or the ecologist, blithely sets out to experience."G. Evelyn Hutchinson
#2
Matt DeLaVega
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- Forum Staff
- Ohio
Posted 30 April 2019 - 03:19 PM
Please post photos and keep us updated. I think live food cultures are every bit as fun as keeping fish. Looking forward to this.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
#3
Auban
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- NANFA Member
Posted 30 April 2019 - 03:29 PM
This is what i am raising them in: http://imgur.com/gallery/76Lx1vQ
This is what the water looks like with all the leaf litter and top soil added:
http://imgur.com/gallery/DASWSDh
If it works, then this strain will be perfect as a live food for larger fish. I already know that fish love to eat them, i just always had issues with numbers. With my last batch, i gave most of them away and still had too many.
This is what the water looks like with all the leaf litter and top soil added:
http://imgur.com/gallery/DASWSDh
If it works, then this strain will be perfect as a live food for larger fish. I already know that fish love to eat them, i just always had issues with numbers. With my last batch, i gave most of them away and still had too many.
"The ecologist is continually having to look at the aspects of nature with which he is unfamiliar and perforce must be an amateur for much of his working time.... professionals may carp at omissions, misconstructions, or even downright errors in these pages. perhaps ultimately they may forgive them for the sake of the overall vision that only the amateur, or the ecologist, blithely sets out to experience."G. Evelyn Hutchinson
#4
Auban
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- NANFA Member
Posted 30 April 2019 - 09:52 PM
I have an odd question...
Is there any reason why it would be illegal to use triops as live bait? I already know my fish love to eat them, so i imagine it might work. But, would it be legal?
Is there any reason why it would be illegal to use triops as live bait? I already know my fish love to eat them, so i imagine it might work. But, would it be legal?
"The ecologist is continually having to look at the aspects of nature with which he is unfamiliar and perforce must be an amateur for much of his working time.... professionals may carp at omissions, misconstructions, or even downright errors in these pages. perhaps ultimately they may forgive them for the sake of the overall vision that only the amateur, or the ecologist, blithely sets out to experience."G. Evelyn Hutchinson
#5
Matt DeLaVega
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- Forum Staff
- Ohio
Posted 30 April 2019 - 10:01 PM
I don't see why there would be any concern. Their eggs literally blow in the wind don't they? There are some strange laws out there though.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
#6
RL7836
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- NANFA Member
- Central NJ
Posted 24 July 2020 - 12:43 PM
Anyway, if this works, a couple of those cheap big storage bins will provide me with hundreds of triops every week. And since i feed them mostly just yard waste and will be using the sun as my light source, it won't cost much. I just started them today. I look forward to seeing how it goes. In one week i should know of it is gonna work or not.
Any reports on how this worked for you?
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