Triops Longicaudatus
Triops Longicaudatus Red
Triops Longicaudatus
Triops Longicaudatus Red
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Feeding Triops on holiday: How to go on holiday without worries
Summertime is holiday time and as a Triops breeder and aquarist you want your Triops to be well fed during your holiday. Adult Triops can easily go a week without food, but during a longer absence a responsible breeder must ensure that they are properly fed. Once the aquarium is well established, some natural food sources such as microalgae and bacteria may be sufficient for a period of time. However, these should not be the only source of food during a long holiday. Especially as the Triops would fall victim to cannibalism after a few days without food. Before going on holiday, you should carry out a large water change and check the water values. You can also add fresh plants to reduce the pollutants and ensure a stable environment for the Triops. Finally, you need to think about how to feed the Triops. In this blog article I will show you how I feed my Triops on holiday and how you can look after your Triops on holiday.
No longer than one week without food
Triops are robust and adaptable animals that often have to survive in changing environmental conditions in the wild. However, in a controlled environment such as an aquarium, they can survive for periods of time without food. The exact length of time Triops can survive without food depends on various factors, including their age, health and water quality.
Young Triops need a regular supply of food in order to grow and develop. Young animals should not be left without food for more than one or two days, as they grow faster and require more energy. Adult Triops are more resilient and can go longer without food. They can usually survive for about a week without additional food, provided the water quality is good and there are some natural food sources in the aquarium, such as microalgae or detritus.
Below we take a closer look at two options for caring for Triops on holiday.
1. Feeding by a trustworthy person
A relatively simple and very common way of feeding the Triops is to have them fed by family, friends, acquaintances or neighbours. You are sure to have trustworthy people around you who, like you, have a passion for aquariums and prehistoric crustaceans. It shouldn’t be difficult for your friends to take care of the Triops while you are away. Even if no one around you is familiar with aquariums, it is not a great effort to instruct the person in question on how to feed them.
2. Feeding through an automatic feeder
However, it may be that you can’t find anyone to feed your Triops or that all your friends are on holiday. There is a practical solution here – feeding the Triops using an automatic feeder. The advantages of an automatic feeder are its simplicity and full automation. Once set up, the automatic feeder takes over the feeding of the Triops while you enjoy your holiday.
I use the battery-operated SMART Feeder AF-2019B to feed my Triops. I can set up to four feeding times per day with this automatic feeder. It has a 200 ml feeding container for different types of food such as granulated food, spirulina powder and food sticks. During the feeding process, the container rotates and releases the amount of food, which can be increased or decreased using the slider. By pressing the set button for three seconds, the time flashes so that the feeding times can be set using the plus and minus buttons. The automatic feeder is easy to operate and very reliable.
As the SMART Feeder AF-2019B is not (yet) available in the Triops Galaxy online shop, I am linking you to the product on Amazon (affiliate link). CLICK HERE and get the automatic feeder!
Feeding Triops on holiday – Conclusion
With the right organisation, caring for the Triops on holiday is no great effort. If you have family members at home who are not travelling, they can take care of feeding the Triops. Alternatively, you can ask friends to do it. In the event that no one can be found, a fully automatic feeder is the best choice. I use such an automatic feeder myself to feed my Triops when I am on holiday. Setting the feeding times and adjusting the amount of food released using the slider requires a little practice at the beginning, but the handling is quickly learnt. The Triops can manage without food for a few days, especially if the water quality is good and there are some natural food sources such as microalgae in the aquarium. A diet day is even good for the Triops. However, you should ensure that you feed the prehistoric crustaceans during a longer holiday.
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