Triops on the Web! To get all the latest information about Champion’s range of products, visit www.triopsworld.com Champion Enterprises, LLC 3170 S. Bloomington Dr. W. St. George, UT 84790 Made in China ©2018 Champion Enterprises LLC Product Code 2018X06X0001 Please retain our address for future reference. Designed for children by Nature Experts W O R L D Grow amazing pond monsters Hatch in Study the amazing Watch them double 24 hours Triop life cycle in size every day! www.triopsworld.com WARNING! For children over 7 years of age only. For use under adult supervision. Read the instructions before use. Follow them and keep them for reference. Young children should have adult guidance when using this kit. Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts that could represent a choking hazard. None of the accessories in this kit should be allowed to come into contact with foodstuffs. Wash hands after using this kit or the activities contained in this booklet. Triops are totally harmless to humans and cannot bite or cause injury. However, always wash your hands after handling Triops eggs, food or water, and anything that has come into contact with them. Always place the tank out of the reach of small children and animals. Should any water from the Triop Tank come into contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water for at least 5 minutes, holding the eye open if necessary. Disposal: Dispose of any waste material in the rubbish bin. Dirty water should be fushed down a toilet and not down a sink. This kit conforms to the following safety standards: Europe: CE and EN71 USA: ASTM 2 Designed for children by About this kit! Nature Experts This kit is a hands-on guide for budding naturalists and contains the equipment you W need to observe and study the fascinating life O R L D cycle of Triops. The kit is designed to be fun Contents and informative for kids of all ages. However, Tank and lid young children will need the help and supervision of an adult. Triop eggs Your Triops are guaranteed to hatch, so if you Triop food have any problems see the details at the back of Pipette this booklet. Sand Finally, I hope you have fun with this kit and Thermometer discover some fascinating insights into the truly amazing life of a Triop. You will also need A bottle of distilled water 40-60 watt lamp 3 Introduction When you add water to the little packet of ‘detritus’ that is included in this kit you will be launching the bizarre life of an ancient little animal that has been doing the same thing rather successfully for some 300 million years! Triops (pronounced ‘try –ops’), which are also called Tadpole real challenges. Not only do the temperatures or Shield Shrimps, are creatures that in these puddles go up and down, but so do biologists often call living fossils and the chemicals in the water and the amount of Triops have truly earned this title. oxygen dissolved in it. As if this doesn’t make it tough enough these puddles are not called They first stepped onto the scene ‘temporary’ for nothing and some may last just a somewhere in the Triassic period matter of a few days before the water dries up and since then they have witnessed and the ground turns to dust again! many large and spectacular creatures, including the dinosaurs, come and go. How on earth does a delicate creature like a Triop cope with all this? Why does it choose The secret of their success is all down such a harsh place to live and where does it go to simplicity, they have become masters when the water evaporates? Well with your of a habitat that is too tough for many Triop World all these questions and more will be and that is the temporary pool. These answered and all you need to do is add water... shallow pools and puddles appear after rain and then very quickly dry up again. For aquatic animals this presents many 4 Designed for children by Nature Experts Getting started... …just add water (but not tap water!) W O R L D All you need to do in order to get the most out of your Triops is to re-create the conditions in a temporary pool. So frst you need to source some water, enough to fll the Triop tank. Distilled water is best. If using bottled water read the small print and try and avoid using any ‘purifed’ water. Also avoid water that has chlorine added to it (this includes tap water but also some bottled water). 1 Rinse out your tank with a little of your water, don’t use tap water or soap, and then wipe it dry with kitchen towel or tissue paper. 2 Add distilled water to the tank until about 3/4 full. 5 3 Ensure the water in the tank is at a temperature of 80˚f /26˚c before adding your eggs. Normally you will need to provide an artifcial heat and light source. This can be achieved by using a desk lamp with a 40 watt bulb (not one of the Eco variety, they don’t get warm enough), or a small ‘spider mat’ (available from most pet stores). Place the lid on the tank to avoid the water evaporating and to help maintain the water at a constant temperature. 4 When the water is up to temperature, 5 Your Triops should start sprinkle the bag of detritus onto the to hatch within 24 hours water - this contains the Triop eggs. but they may take upwards Give the detritus a brisk stir with the of 7 days so be patient pipette to mix it thoroughly with the (sometimes they don’t hatch, water. Then use the pipette to wash but don’t panic we have down the sides of the tank with clean solutions, see the back of this water to ensure no eggs are stuck to book) although in their early the side of the tank (the eggs are so stages they will be so small small you will not be able to see them). they will be diffcult to see. 6 Designed for Placing some black children by TIP card behind the tank Nature Experts and shining a fashlight TOP TOP in from the side while viewing from the front W may reveal the very frst O R L D twitching of life. Feeding instructions At adult size, about 2 weeks, one very small pinch of food per adult every two days is plenty to keep them well fed. The little packet of detritus that you frst tipped into your tank has now magically Always wash your hands after handling produced life and it contains enough of the the food. essential nutrients to feed your Triops for There should be enough food to last the lifetime the frst three days of their life. of your Triops. Should you run out of food or On day four, after the triops hatch, sprinkle need more for a second generation of Triops, just a few granules of food onto the surface Triops World will be happy to supply you with of the water. Thereafter, feed every two some. Alternatively, you can feed your Triops days, slightly increasing the amount given as on a good quality fsh food available from pet they grow in size. In the frst week be careful shops - use granules, not the fake variety, not to over-feed your Triops as uneaten food crushed carp pellets are ideal. I have also found will quickly contaminate the water which will that my Triops are rather partial to grated carrot harm your Triops. (washed and peeled). 7 Free extra pets! Triops are not the only creatures that live All of these animals in temporary pools and your bag of Triop have been around eggs and detritus may well contain a few for a long time. Fairy extra surprises. More ancient animals Shrimps and Water that share a similar success story to Fleas came about in your Triops. Crustaceans such as Water the Triassic period Fleas (Daphnia), Clam Shrimps and Fairy some 200 million Shrimps are all possible. See the pictures years ago. to identify what is what and who is who. If you want to keep your micro-pets Sometimes they hatch at the right time and separate and stop them eating each other, you will have a veritable micro-collection then using a clean teaspoon or the pipette of creatures all swimming around in your provided, gently move them to another tank at the same time. Although more often tank or jar but make sure it contains the than not, the Triops beat them too it and same water at the temperature they are ultimately win the race to survive and eat used to. the smaller creatures! Fairy Shrimp Clam Shrimp Daphnia Triops 8 Designed for children by Looking after your Triops Nature Experts 2-3 days after the eggs have been added to the water, stare into your tank and W you should see tiny little pale things O R L D twitching and swimming around. These which is why after 3 days it is time are creatures that have hatched from to add a little of the food provided. eggs contained in the packet of detritus, In the first week after hatching they are there will be Triops as well as the quite sensitive to water conditions. So potential of a few other creatures too.