Pics of my triops, and a couple of questions

[Nimbus]

First off, I'd like to share a few pics of my triops for your entertainment:




Charming little critters, aren't they? I call 'em Heckle & Jeckle (for no particular reason other than it was the first thing that popped into my head). Note the colour, though. That's my first question: how many of you have triops that are pink? When I look for pics online of Triops australiensis, they tend to show triops in shades of olivey-green. But mine are resolutely pink - more so than they appear in the pics, actually. The tungsten lamp gives them a golden cast in the pics, but they're actually a sort of pearly pink colour, shading to dark pink/red underneath. What's up with that? Anybody know?

Secondly, how old do Triops tend to be when they start dropping eggs? Mine are a smidge over a month old, and I've yet to see anything that looks like eggs. I've been looking particularly around the area that I understand is where they carry eggs before dropping them - the paddle-shaped legs approximately half way down their bodies, just near the back edge of the shield. Is that the right spot? Should I expect to see anything egg wise at all? How visible do Triops eggs (either laid or as-yet-unlaid) normally tend to be? Could mine have been dropping eggs already without me having noticed, even though I've been looking for them?

[YankTank]

First off let me apologize that it took so long to answer. Now as for the color, believe it or not the color depends a lot on diet and the region they came from. Also consider that they could have had a rare mutated gene that caused them not to get certain pigmentation (leucistic) and they naturally have a very dark pink underbelly, as do all specials of notostraca.

As for eggs... Well you know the story about the birds and the bees. It is always possible that you could have hatched 2 of the same gender. I personally always hatch all my Triops in a 10 gallon tank to ensure there is minimal cannibalization amoungst hatching triops. I also add spirulina and water-fleas to the water 5 days after hatching to ensure there is plenty of food for them to eat. Since you only have the two, it is possible that they may be Heckle and Jeckle (both male). I hope you consider purchasing more as these are some of the best I have found for the value. Hopefully Mr. Bodman has more information, but if not let me know. I actually have access to a couple of specialists stateside here in the United States.

[Nimbus]

Heh. This has to be the slowest-moving forum I've ever participated in! Those triops in the pics above have long since expired, as have their offspring, and I now have the third generation of them in my triops tank! *laugh* As for the sex issue - well, most triops are parthenogenetic, which is to say they self-fertilize their eggs, so even one lone triops in a tank will produce fertile eggs, so long as its female (and most seem to be). Since I posted that original post, I've figured out where triops keep their egg sacs and what to look for, and confirmed that my triops do indeed produce ample eggs, so no worries on that front.

Anyway, thanks for responding to my post.

[UncleBodman]

Hey Nimus
Thanks for your post and your beautiful pictures.

Sorry about the long delay. Part of the reason that I have not been around is that I have taken a holiday and been caught up in a back log of orders and emails that I had to get out of the way b4 focusing on the forum again. Your right we do have a slower moving dialogged going because only a few people know about us at the moment but im sure it will get busier over time.