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This months prize
Triops are not just one of the most fascinating and interesting creatures to watch hatch, develop and grow into an actual living fossil, they also encourage children to learn about nature, evolution and the caring for a pet.
Here are some interesting facts about Triops.
Triops have been around for more than 350 million years, making them probably the oldest animal species on earth, this is why they are sometimes known as living fossils. They live in warm climates such as North America in small pools, usually created after a heavy rainfall. This is where they lay their eggs and the fascinating fact is that inevitably the pools the triops live in will dry up after a few weeks, leaving the 100's of tiny triop eggs to dry out completely, this is the state in which they stay in until the rains come again which can take upto 25 years.They are also a very useful human ally against the West Nile virus, as they eat the Culex Mosquito larvae, they are also used as a biological agent in Japan, where they eat all the unwanted weeds in the rice paddies. So not only are these little creatures fascinating for us to keep as pets, they are also very beneficial to mankind.
Triops are very easy to care for and the eggs will begin to hatch after 24 hours of being placed in the tank, usually if half the packet of eggs are added to the tank of water (approx 25 eggs) you will be left with three or four triops that will reach adulthood, they will eat anything smaller than themselves including other smaller triops, only the biggest and the strongest survive. They are no bigger than a dot when they first hatch, a magnifying glass is useful at this stage to be able to see the tiny creatures darting about the tank, within 7-10 days they will have grown up to between 1 & 2 inches long and clearly big enough for you to see the silver, mother of pearl coloured armoured backs and the 60-70 pairs of legs which they use to swim with,to breathe with and to use to hold food while they lazily graze on their backs to eat it. They're antics are fun to watch as they dart and cartwheel around the tank. Triops live for about 90 days, so unlike a fish aquarium where you are committed to looking after the fish for years, you can have a break before you start all over again, it's almost like having an instant pet.
The winner of this month's prize will receive an Aquasaur Kit, which includes everything you need to hatch and grow these prehistoric creatures, it is an ideal gift for a child or a fascinating project for yourself. For more details of whats included in the kit, click here
 
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