Handmaiden Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 My kids are giddy with excitement about hatching their Sea Monkeys. I have been downplaying it a bit so they don't get disappointed. They already know it's brine shrimp and doesn't look anything like the cartoon pic. :) Any tips on making the most of this experience? I'll be reading aloud some ocean life books...any suggestions? Do we need to order any of the "extras" listed on the enclosed paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 My kids loved sea monkeys! Here are some tips from my kids - "feed daily, aerate tank, and try to keep the tank clean." :) (I should add that we never really figured out how to keep the tank clean...so explains their eventual demise...) Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I did Sea Monkeys so many times as a kid... fond memories. I bought some to enjoy with the girls and they were completely fascinated with them for about a week. At that time I decided to replace some of their evaporated water with bottled spring water (that we had on hand for the grow-a-frog). That promptly killed every last Sea Monkey. :confused: I'll have to try again later. I guess spring water isn't good for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in SoCal Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Yup we hatched some. Unfortunately we did the sea monkeys after we had done the Triops. The Triops was exponentially more fascinating than the sea monkeys (way bigger way faster. watching the fun swimming antics was a blast). And conveniently the Triops dies off at about 2 months. The sea monkeys just go on and on and on.... (shhhh.... we finally flushed them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Yup we hatched some. Unfortunately we did the sea monkeys after we had done the Triops. The Triops was exponentially more fascinating than the sea monkeys (way bigger way faster. watching the fun swimming antics was a blast). And conveniently the Triops dies off at about 2 months. The sea monkeys just go on and on and on.... (shhhh.... we finally flushed them).I was just going to suggest Triops. I'd recommend getting one of those $10 tanks from a pet store rather than the small plastics ones that come with the kits (we used that one for pill bugs). We also got a simple filter for use after they were big enough not to get sucked in. Ours lasted about 90 days. Triops are much more interesting to read about than Sea Monkeys too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Thanks for the tip on the Triops. Will definitely put that on my wish list! My son has given me the "official list of parts and supplies" which includes things like banana treats (huh?) for $3, a playpen (ha!) for $4, vitamins (oh, brother) for $3, an electric showboat to light up the aquarium for $7, and, what he really has been begging me for, a million-bubble air pump for $3. Is this a racket or what? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I don't think you need extras. It might be interesting to read about desert tanks and how they support different types of brine shrimp and other crustacean populations. You might try the Red Rock Canyon or Valley of Fire park websites for info on desert tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Any tips on making the most of this experience? I'll be reading aloud some ocean life books...any suggestions? Do we need to order any of the "extras" listed on the enclosed paper? Get a beta fish to feed them to? That's the only reason I ever hatched and kept brine shrimp, and that was BC. I kept them in a bucket in a dark place with an air bubbler, and they lasted forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taeda Lisa Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We are on our 3rd generation with our current sea monkeys, and I could see some more new babies swimming around today. You don't need any of the extras. You don't even need to clean the tank. We aerated and cleaned our first batch faithfully and only had one generation that eventually died off. Your kids will tire of them long before they ever die (especially if you have well water). Enjoy! Lisa in So. VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm starting to wonder how long these critters are going to last. I can't imagine flushing them! :lol: Regena, thanks for that tip. Off to check out those sites! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 They already know it's brine shrimp and doesn't look anything like the cartoon pic. :) I was so disappointed as a kid to find out that my sea monkeys wouldn't look like that. I wanted in my tank the mother sea monkey and her beautiful pearls. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm starting to wonder how long these critters are going to last. I can't imagine flushing them! :lol: Regena, thanks for that tip. Off to check out those sites! We have had generation after generation of Sea Monkeys without doing anything special. They sit by an North West facing window and seem to like it there. Sometimes we think they are all gone only to discover little ones a few days later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.