Setting Up

You can get triops eggs and kits from a pet store, a department store that sells fish, a science and nature store, or online. A basic kit comes with eggs, food, and instructions, and costs around 4 or 5 bucks. You can shell out for a "deluxe" kit, which can include such things as a small tank, magnifying lens, and water conditioner, but really all you need are the eggs and some chow - you can use small fish pellets or flakes if you lose your triops treats.

Here is everything I used for a very successful hatching:
• 1 pack of triops eggs
• 1 pack of triops food pellets
• A large, shallow glass container (around 3 bucks at a craft store)
• Fine gravel (this is optional; gives them something to dig around in)
• Distilled water
• A 60-watt lightbulb and small lamp (to keep the critters warm)

The instructions will tell you what to do with the eggs and water, but here are my major tips:
• Keep the lamp on them at all times. They are desert creatures and prefer it warmer rather than cooler.
• Do not allow your tank's water to evaporate! Especially if your tank has a very wide mouth, water will evaporate pretty quickly. If you will be away for a couple of days, cover part of the tank with aluminum foil to prevent major loss of water BUT ALSO move the lamp further away to prevent overheating.
• Do not overfill the tank when you're hatching. The infants have trouble swimming up and down (takes a lot of energy) and might not be able to get to the food easily. Just a couple of inches is fine.

I welcome any comments by other triops owners! I'll keep you posted with pictures, movies, and descriptions.