What are Triops?			Eggs and Babies			Why they're important			The Species
	The Appeal of Triops			How to raise Triops			Shop for Triops			Scientific papers
	Anatomy of Triops			Container Types			Food Recipes			Tank Setups
	Eggs & Detritus			Companions to Triops			Water types			Quick Hatching Guide

	FAQ - General			FAQ - Hatching			FAQ - Caring			FAQ - Food

Q:
What is 'detritus'?

A:
This is the name used in biology for organic waste material from decomposing dead plants. Typically dried up leafs, etc.

Q:
What is detritus used for?

A:
When Triops hatch out they require very small food to eat, the detritus contains micro-organisms which hatch out when added to water. The Triops larva need this to survive the first 3 days. Later they need to eat bigger food that you provide, like the brown and green pellets provided by some kits.

Q:
What is this water conditioner bag I've got?

A:
Some Triops kits supply a 'tea bag' like package of detritus. It's only there to provide food to hatch out the young Triops. Once your Triops are more than 3-4 days old You can remove it. But don't throw it away. Let it dry out in a warm spot and you can reuse it if you plan to hatch out further Triops at a later date.

Q:
So after 3 days I can remove the bits of detritus?

A:
Yes. Some Triops kits come with the detritus contained in bags, so you can simply dry it out and use it again. Loose detritus can be thrown away. If you ever need more collect a dried leaf from out side and tear it up.

Q:
What is infusoria?

A:
This is the correct name for the micro-organisms which grow out of the detritus.

Q:
Why do they need constant light in the first 72 hours?

A:
Two reasons.
One, the eggs are triggered to hatch out if they get wet and have a strong light source on them. No light, no hatching.
Two, when the infusoria hatches out from the detritus they gather at the light source. This is usually the water surface in nature. So we need a light above the water. When the Triops hatch out, they move towards the surface and can therefore eat the infusoria which they expect to find there.

If the Triops don't get enough to eat in the first 3 days, they quickly starve to death.

A simple Mains table lamp with a 40W-60W bulb a few inches above the water is all that is required.

Q:
My Triops Kit say don't add anything into the tank. Why?

A:
They say this so that you'll have more success in hatching out the Triops.

Triops like water with low mineral content in order to trigger them to hatch out. By adding things to the water like sand, plants, ornaments. Then you could possibly reintroduce minerals or chemical to the water which will cause the Triops eggs not to hatch.

I find using a substrate like coral sand that has been very well rinsed in a bucket is fine. Just ensure you never use soap or any detergent in any of the tank items. You'll kill the Triops.

Q:
None of my Triops hatched out. Why?

A:
This is always one of the following reasons.

a) You didn't provide pure enough water. Triops eggs need very pure water to trigger them into hatching. Bottled water can have too much minerals in it. Look for the 'Dry Residue' amount on the label. If it is more than 90mg, get a purer source of water. Distilled or de-ionised water is perfect.

b) You didn't have a source of light above the water on constantly for the first 72 hours then they will not hatch. The Triops eggs need light to trigger them into hatching.

c) You didn't have the water temperature at around 22°C (±5, If it is too hot or too cold, then the Triops eggs will not hatch.

Q:
Some of my Triops hatch out and within a day or so they all died! Why?

A:
This is usually due to the following reason.
You may have used too much water. The more water you have in the tank, the more the infusoria is diluted and so the tiny Triops have difficulty finding enough to eat in the crucial first 72 hours. So they simply die from lack of food.
I recommend that you only have about 5cm of water column. In a standard Triops 1 litre kit this is usually about half full. You can add the rest of the water once they're over 3 days old.

Q:
Why didn't they all hatch out?

A:
Triops are very clever, their eggs are designed not to all hatch out at once.
This saves them all from dying if for example the pool gets filled by just a passing shower and would only last a week or less. If they had all hatched out, they'd all die. But by staggering their hatching they maximise their survival. One reason why Triops have survived over 200 Million years!
See Eggs and Babies article for more detail.

Q:
Why do I need to use pure water?

A:
See the question 'None of my Triops hatched out'
You don't need pure water but you will get more Triops hatching if you do.
Triops in the wild come from temporary pools of rain water, so they have developed a special survival technique.

A pool of rain water may dry out at any time, so to ensure that Triops hatch out in optimal conditions, the egg senses the amount of minerals dissolved in the water. The less minerals the fresher the water must be. A large pool of water will also stay fresher for longer than a small puddle for example.
See the Triops egg page for more detail.