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Eggs in the dust

Triops eggs can be found in dried out water holes or ponds. In the Australian dessert, they get blown around by the wind. Those tiny eggs can survive month and even years in dry and harsh conditions. Take a magnifying glass and look at them. You will find different sizes, shapes, and color. The eggs are called cysts or resting eggs. After carrying them for almost 24 hours most Triops release the eggs into the water. Some Triops will cement them to plants or other structures in the water.

Now that we examined the eggs, we should prepare an environment for the Triops. Some of the instructions on triops packages say that a large jar will do. But remember that having Triops is not a one-time adventure. If you take care of them you will have offspring, and the lifecycle will keep going. If you want to enjoy you Triops more than a month I strongly urge you to invest some money in a small aquarium. A small 10-Gallon tank shouldn't cost that much. If you are skillful enough and have the resources (glass, silicon) you can just make a little tank yourself.

Since I use an aquarium I will refer to an aquarium, meaning any kind of large jar or other tank that you might use. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just clean your aquarium out, but do not use any soap. Then find a light place near a window. Triops should get at least 12 hours of light per day. You can also use an electric light source.

Triops love murky water. For my 10-gallon tank I used a bottom layer of half an inch of washed sand and a few crushed leaves. Ideal is reddish soil from the southwestern states of America. But other soil or sand will also do. Just spread the soil in the tank, then put the egg on it, and flood the tank with aged tap water (let water sit in a bucket for about 4 days).

The water temperature should be kept between 77 and 86 at all times ! Otherwise you Triops may die. Then you have to wait a couple of days until the eggs are completely rehydrated.