It has happened to every breeder that the nauplii die after just a few days. You have barely made the effort to start a new rearing and are looking forward to the hatching. After a few days, the first tiny nauplii were already visible in the rearing tank and we were already looking forward to the little ones growing into adult Triops. But then suddenly, after a few days, there was nothing to be seen in the tank. The nauplii were no longer swimming and suddenly the whole rearing programme was gone. All that remained was disappointment and bitterness. And above all the question: What did I do wrong? This blog post will be about exactly that. I will explain one of my most important experiences in rearing Triops and explain why the nauplii die in the first few days.
Why do triops die?
Triops nauplii are the delicate early developmental stages of the fascinating Triops. Although these tiny creatures have amazing survival strategies, they are still susceptible to various factors that can lead to their death. Here are some reasons why Triops nauplii might die:
- Unfavourable environmental conditions: Triops nauplii are extremely sensitive to abrupt changes in their environment. Fluctuations in temperature, pH value or water quality can have a negative impact on their health and ultimately kill them.
- Poor water quality: Poor water quality caused by overfeeding, overpopulation or the presence of pollutants such as ammonia can lead to the rapid death of nauplii.
- Predators: Other inhabitants of the aquarium may regard the nauplii as food. Fish, amphibians or even larger Triops could prey on the small nauplii before they can fully develop.
- Lack of food: Triops nauplii are initially tiny and require adequate amounts of microorganisms or specialised nauplii food to survive and grow. A lack of food can lead to a nutritional deficit and increase the risk of mortality.
- Stress: Too much stress can impair the nauplii’s immune response and reduce their resistance to disease. Stress can be caused by improper handling, sudden changes in the environment or conflicts with other animals.
- Diseases and parasites: Like all living creatures, Triops nauplii can also be attacked by diseases and parasites. A weakened immune system makes them more susceptible to these threats, which can lead to their death.
- Lack of care and attention: Successful rearing of Triops nauplii requires regular monitoring, adaptation of environmental conditions and appropriate feeding. Neglecting these aspects can lead to poor survival of the nauplii.
And here is the most important point of all
If we assume that the nauplii have survived the first 14 days, then you should take the above points into account. However, there is one important point that must be taken into account in the first seven days to increase the chances of survival of the Triops nauplii. Unfortunately, many breeders neglect this point out of ignorance. Many breeders mean well and start to carry out small water changes in the breeding tank after just two or three days and mix up the water temperature. This has a fatal effect on the already sensitive Triops nauplii. Or they feed more than they should and overfeed. Alternatively, breeders may fiddle around in the rearing tank and cause additional stress for the nauplii. The following applies:
Apart from adding some food from the second morning after hatching, you should not change the water or otherwise disturb the peace in the rearing tank. Follow this and you will see that you will considerably increase the chances of survival of your Triops nauplii.
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