How to Raise Prehistoric Triops

Raising triops from dehydrated eggs is an easy and fun project. Triops have been around for 200 million years and are fascinating to watch. Because the triops require little care, they are great to use in a classroom or to introduce a young child to pet care.
Once the triops have hatched, they will reach sizes of 3 to 8 centimeters, depending on how many of them survive and how big the container is. They live up to eight weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/2 to 1 gallon plastic tank or jar Bottled spring water Triops egg packet (available online) Triops food (available online) or fish food pellets Aluminum foil Small lamp (such as a desk lamp) with a 60 to 100 watt incandescent bulb Live aquarium plant (optional)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare your container. Rinse it out well with regular tap water. Do not use soap, as the residue will kill the triops hatchlings. Choose a location near a window for the container. Pour about .5 liters of spring water into the container and place the container near the lamp.

    • 2

      After the water temperature is brought up to between 72 and 80 degrees F by being near the lamp, prepare your triops egg packet. Hold the egg packet over the water. The eggs are tiny and spill easily. Tear it open and spill the eggs into the water.

    • 3

      Wait 24 hours for the triops to hatch. Check the water to make sure it's warm enough. If your house is already warm, you don't need the lamp. Just turn the lamp on at night if the temperatures drop. Place a piece of aluminum foil over part of the container, to mimic darkness for the triops.

    • 4

      Feed your triops on the second day. Triops eggs usually come with a food packet containing food pellets that you must crush between two spoons. If yours did not come with pellets, use fish food pellets. Do not use flakes.

    • 5

      Feed the triops once daily. If they don't eat all the food, do not feed them as often. Add a live aquarium plant if you'd like; the triops will eat this, too. They also eat the leftover eggs and each other, so a large quantity of food isn't necessary.

    • 6

      Observe the water's clarity as the triops grow. In about two weeks, as some of the triops die off and the light grows algae in the tank, the water may become polluted. If this happens, you'll need to switch out the water. Carefully pour out about 1/4 or 1/3 of the water (without pouring out your pets), then pour in fresh spring water (making sure it's not out of the fridge). After the new water settles, look at it again. If the water still looks cloudy, repeat the process until the water is clear.