Earlier, we mentioned that the setup and maintenance of Triops are not expensive. It is also true even for feeding your pets throughout their lifespan. You’ll be surprised at all your options for feeding your prehistoric pets. This section will discuss the various feeding options and methods you can use while caring for the Triops. From their hatching stage to the time they are fully grown, you will learn the types of food that your pets will enjoy.
Feeding Your Triops
This part may be tricky since this depends on the Triops kit you buy. Understand that newly hatched Triops do not need much food. One packet option is the all-in-one type with sand and dried plant clippings. You may not have to feed your pets for the first few days when you purchase this package. The dried plant clippings will already serve as their food and are ideal for the growing stage of the Triops.
On the other hand, other packages include hatching nutrients and Triops baby food, which is considered necessary for the growth and development of your pets. For this, we only recommend following the instructions given with the packets as thoroughly as possible. The instructions will show you how often you feed them and the right amount. Some kits even include measuring devices to ensure that you do not overfeed. Too much food can increase bacteria levels in the water, killing your Triops.
Unless the instructions of your Triops kit specify otherwise, you should only start feeding your pets on the third day, after they hatch. The baby Triops food can come from excellent tropical fish food. You can also use regular baby fish food such as the First Bites and the Baby Fish Formula varieties.
In some cases, you will get pellets to feed your Triops. In this case, we recommend grinding 2-3 pellet shots to a fine powder (you can do this using a metal spoon). Another option aside from the ones above is feeding them using dried yeast.
Continue feeding your Triops with small amounts of food until they are a few millimeters big. When you see your pets grow, it is time to make them eat more, and with more variation.
The No-Fuss Diet In Feeding Your Babies
Triops are not picky eaters. You will be surprised at the variety of food you can feed your prehistoric pets as they grow and when they are full-grown. Since Triops are omnivores, they can eat both plant and animal matter.
Feeding growing and full-grown Triops can be fun because you will see how much food they can ingest. You will notice that your pets are constantly hungry as they can consume up to 40% of their total body weight. Read the list below to learn more about the food you can feed your prehistoric pets:
✓ Triops Food – Your kits will probably come with food for your growing and full-grown Triops. As mentioned, these usually go in their pellets and have been laboratory tested to ensure they give all the nutrients needed for your growing pets.
✓ Fish Food – These pets can eat any form of fish food available on the market. The fish food can be in flake or pellet form and can float or sink. You may want to look into fish flakes such as TetraMin Plus, formulated to keep the water clean. Another option is the TetraFin flakes and the Tetracolor Tropical Flakes, which are generally more affordable. You can also use float pellets, which encourage your Triops to swim – TetraFin also offers this variety.
✓ Catfish Food – What makes catfish food different from regular fish food is that this type of food is for a balanced omnivore diet with fish, plant, and oil materials. This type of food sink does not cause problems in terms of feeding. Catfish food comes in tubs or tetra packs like the one from Hikari.
✓ Earthworms – If you happen to be caring for your garden or walking on the sidewalk and you see a tiny earthworm, pick it up for your Triops to enjoy. There are a few things you must make sure of before feeding your prehistoric pets with earthworms. The first is that these earthworms should be tiny. Second, you cannot give the earthworms to your Triops fresh out of the garden or sidewalk. You must use a bowl with water to place the small earthworms in for six or more hours. It will ensure that your pets eat clean worms.
✓ Bloodworms – This type of worm has been a favorite of aquatic animals, including Triops. You can purchase live bloodworms in your local pet store. Before feeding them bloodworms: remove excess water from the bag and pour the rest of the worms onto a piece of cloth or tissue. So you only place the worms and not the water from the pet store into your Triops tank. Another option is to make freeze-dried bloodworms readily available as well – look into the Freeze Dried Bloodworms by Tetra. Allergy alert: some people experience allergic reactions to bloodworms upon direct contact with skin. Use rubber gloves and a face mask when handling bloodworms to avoid reference or contact with the skin. When allergic reactions or unusual symptoms occur, contact your physician immediately.
✓ Daphnia – Also known as water fleas, daphnia acts as a “treat” for your Triops. Some Triops kits and packets contain daphnia for your baby pets to eat! You have the option of buying live daphnia in your local pet store. Dried daphnia can also be purchased and directly fed since it floats on the surface (you will see your pets swim to the surface so they can eat). You can also place the dried daphnia in a bowl of water for a few days and watch the tiny daphnia you can feed your Triops. Another option is to use freeze-dried daphnia, also offered by Hikari.
✓ Brine Shrimp – For less than a dollar, you can buy fresh brine shrimp from the local pet shop to feed your Triops. Freeze-dried brine shrimp are also available from San Francisco Bay and Hikari.
9. Fruit Fly – Happen to catch a fly around your house? Do not just throw it away; feed it to your Triops! It is essential to know that the flies you feed your Triops must be caught and not killed by any fly spray or insect repellant. Otherwise, you will risk killing your Triops. Though most Triops owners skip this step, we recommend cleaning the fly by dipping it in water before using it for feeding your Triops.
• Food from your Other Pets – Yes, you read that right! Do you have a cat or a dog for a pet as well? Some Triops owners feed their prehistoric pets the same stuff they feed their cats and dogs. You can provide your Triops with tiny bits of dried cat or dog food.
• Veggies from your Fridge – Yes, you read that right too! As mentioned, you can feed your Triops organic plant materials, and they will enjoy it. You can now use a few regular items in your fridge to feed your pets. One option is providing them with lettuce. Boil a leaf for three minutes and cut it into small pieces for feeding. Triops can also eat carrots – first, peel a carrot and throw away the skin. Using a peeler, slice out thin strips of the carrot (the lighter and smaller, the better).
You can also feed the carrot strips directly to your Triops. But we highly recommend boiling the strips for three minutes, so it will be easier for your pets to eat the tiny carrot strips. Since Triops also like eating roots, the roots you see on the skin of your potato are something they enjoy. Boil these roots with tiny chunks of potato for three minutes so you can use this for feeding your Triops. You can use any fresh vegetable to provide food for your Triops. We recommend that you wash the veggies thoroughly and peel the skin to ensure that there are no pesticides. Boiling veggies for about three minutes in the water is always a good idea, so it will be easier for the Triops to eat the vegetables.
• Fish and Shrimp from Your Fridge – Cut the cooked or uncooked fish or shrimp into small pieces and place them in the tank. You will quickly realize that you can also share the food you enjoy eating with your prehistoric pets!
• Aquarium Plants – These plants can be bought in most pet stores and placed in freshwater tanks. Though some people see this as only decorative, aquarium plants serve as more than just décor in the case of Triops tanks. Since you now know that your pets eat anything, aquarium plants serve food, primarily when no other options exist.
The list of food that your Triops can eat is quite long. The varied options you have as an owner give you the convenience of picking from whatever is readily available. The following are tips on feeding your pet Triops as they grow and when they are fully grown.
✓ There is No Hierarchy of Food Options – Generally speaking, everything on the list will help your pets’ growth and development. Some Triops owners may think live feeding species, such as worms and daphnia, is better. It may not be the case, but watching is undoubtedly more fun. The bottom line is that it is more important to feed them the right amount regularly rather than what you choose to provide them.
✓ Do Not Overfeed – Like any other pet, overfeeding your Triops can lead to death. Especially in their growing stage, ensure you follow instructions on how often you should feed your increasing Triops, as indicated on the packets. Likewise, the food they do not eat can rot or decay underwater, causing increased bacteria levels, eventually leading to death. Here is a tip: if you place food in the tank and see it is leftover after an hour, you probably gave your Triops too much food. You can wait until they finish the food, though it may be better to remove the excess altogether.
✓ A Little Goes a Very Long Way – Some pet owners love their pets by feeding them abundantly. But, you must understand why you should only use the right amount of food. One reason is that you want to reduce the risk of overfeeding, and the other is to keep your tank as clean as possible. With Triops as pets, the quantity of food you give is just as significant as the frequency. So if you notice that they have finished all the food you gave them, you may have to add more food than usual or increase the times you feed your pets.
✓ Feed Twice a Day or More – Ideally, it is best to feed your Triops more than twice a day, in small portions, as they grow. Use their eating speed and the amount of uneaten food as a gauge. Being sure not to starve your pets is as important as not overfeeding them. So, make sure you pay close attention to these details during their growing stages so you will know the right amount of food you should feed your Triops.
✓ Remove Excess Food – Remove the food that your Triops do not eat as soon as you notice that your pets stop feeding on them after an hour or more. It is a good way of maintaining the cleanliness of your tank. Do it to avoid the growth of bacteria or changes in the pH levels of the water. You can do this with a spoon, medicine dropper, small turkey baster, or an aquarium net. Make sure you remove the excess food and not your Triops!
Now that you know what and how to feed your prehistoric pets, it is time to take the role of a responsible Triops owner to the next level. In the following sections, learn the details of moving your Triops from a hatching dish to a tank and the right way of maintaining it and hatching the eggs your pets lay.