Sea monkeys are interesting aquatic creatures that you can often buy in special kits. You’ve probably seen sea monkey kits being sold in many different forms over the years.
It’s very easy to hatch sea monkeys and watch them grow. The appeal of buying one of the kits is that anyone can follow the steps and find success.
If you’ve ever bought one of these, you might be wondering what in the world sea monkeys actually are. Are they just brine shrimp or are they something else?
Continue reading to learn more about sea monkeys and if they’re actually just brine shrimp. You’ll discover some information about sea monkeys that will give you a greater understanding of what you’re really buying when you get one of those special kits.
What Are Sea Monkeys?
When you dig into the details, you’ll discover that sea monkeys are actually brine shrimp. However, there’s a lot more to it than that.
The sea monkeys that you buy in kits aren’t just normal brine shrimp. They’re a special type of brine shrimp that has been bred for a specific purpose.
What you’re buying is a hybrid breed of brine shrimp that was created back in the 1950s. A man named Harold von Braunhut famously created this breed of brine shrimp in 1957.
In the early days, these brine shrimp were sold and marketed as Instant Life. The product wound up becoming popular and sea monkeys have been marketed in different ways over the decades.
Why Were Sea Monkeys Created?
Now you might be wondering why and how these creatures came to be. What caused Harold von Braunhut to want to make this hybrid type of brine shrimp?
The story goes that he got the inspiration for sea monkeys after seeing brine shrimp being utilized as food for fish. He thought that he could use them to teach children about nature and life.
He started experimenting with brine shrimp in a laboratory setting. He discovered that he could preserve brine shrimp and then bring them back to life.
Interestingly, the exact method that is used in this process remains a secret to this day. The companies that have the right to sell sea monkey products know how everything works.
Basically, the sea monkeys are in a dust-like state when you buy them. They’re in a type of stasis and will only come back to life once the right conditions are met.
This is why you have to do the steps that are given to you in the instructions that come with the kit. The steps that you take are the necessary steps to bring the sea monkeys to life.
In many ways, this is simply an educational tool. It can be used to show young people about life.
It’s also something that many people enjoy as a curiosity. People have been having fun bringing sea monkeys to life for over 60 years at this point.
Sea Monkeys vs. Aqua Dragons
You might have seen aqua dragons being sold in various stores. They probably seem to be similar to sea monkeys in many ways.
When purchasing aqua dragons, you’ll be getting a kit. The whole process seems the same as when you’re trying to bring sea monkeys to life.
So what’s the difference between the two? Are they actually the same thing?
Sea monkeys and aqua dragons are actually one and the same. The only difference is the brand name attached to the product that you’re purchasing.
When you buy aqua dragons, you’re buying a type of hybrid brine shrimp. There could be minor differences based on the different ways that the companies that make the product operate, but they’re still pretty much the same.
Sea Monkeys vs. Triops
Triops have a lot of similarities to the sea monkeys being sold in stores. However, they’re actually a lot different.
Unlike aqua dragons, triops are a different type of creature. The kits that you buy for triops work a lot like the sea monkey kits, but what you’re getting will be a lab-created type of crustacean that’s larger than sea monkeys.
These creatures grow to be a lot larger than sea monkeys. They’re also advertised as being able to do tricks.
It’s said that they’re a lot livelier than sea monkeys, too. If you’re looking for an interesting set of aquatic creatures, triops might fit the bill.
If you’re interested in both triops and sea monkeys, it’s important to keep them separated. Sea monkeys cannot live with triops.
Putting sea monkeys in a fish tank with triops would only cause them to get eaten. The larger triops will prey upon the sea monkeys.
The triops can be a lot of fun to have. They might be more fun than sea monkeys in certain ways, but that doesn’t mean that they’re better.
It just comes down to your preference. You might even find it entertaining to get both.
Sea Monkeys vs. Fairy Shrimp
Fairy shrimp are a lot like brine shrimp. In fact, the two are related.
You can consider fairy shrimp to be like cousins to brine shrimp. Fairy shrimp are a freshwater species that will grow to be a bit bigger than sea monkeys.
Often, you’ll find fairy shrimp being sold in similar kits that look like the sea monkey ones. You can also simply buy fairy shrimp as you would other types of fish or crustaceans.
They can be satisfying to bring to life and care for. You will need to keep them in a larger tank or container, though.
Overall, if you like sea monkeys, you’re going to love fairy shrimp. They’re worth looking into if you’re interested in these types of creatures.
How Long Do Sea Monkeys Live?
So you’ve bought a sea monkey kit. You’ve brought the sea monkeys to life and you’ve been enjoying watching them grow larger.
You might be wondering how long these sea monkeys are going to stay alive. Will they stick around for a long time if you do a good job caring for them?
They can potentially live for quite a while. The average life span of sea monkeys is said to be two years. Although, there are instances of these little shrimp living for several years more than that.
Some enthusiasts have been able to keep sea monkeys alive in their homes for up to five years. It all comes down to how well you care for them and possibly a bit of luck.
Simply do your best to keep the sea monkeys in good health. Follow the care instructions and things should go smoothly.
How Long Do Triops Live?
Remember how triops are said to be more lively than sea monkeys? They’re marketed as being very entertaining and lively fish that you can enjoy.
Sadly, you won’t be able to enjoy these creatures all that long. The average life span of triops is only between 50 and 90 days.
That means that you might get three months to enjoy the triops. It’s not common for triops to live much longer than that.
If you’d prefer to buy something that will last longer, it’d be better to go with sea monkeys. You can enjoy them for two years with the proper care.
How Long Do Fairy Shrimp Live?
Fairy shrimp might interest you more than sea monkeys. If you want to get some fairy shrimp for your tank, you’ll want to know how long they live.
You can keep fairy shrimp in a big aquarium if you want, but they won’t live for very long. This is another situation where you’ll only be able to enjoy the shrimp for several months.
Fairy shrimp typically live for three or four months. They aren’t likely going to live any longer than that.
The short life cycle of the fish might make them less appealing overall. It might be easier to understand the popularity of the sea monkeys now that you know that they live longer.
Final Thoughts
You’ve learned that sea monkeys are a hybrid type of brine shrimp. They were created in a lab and they’ve become very popular over the past 60 years or so.
They’re commonly sold in kits and they’re very easy to bring back to life. When you buy sea monkeys, it’s as if they’re nothing but dust.
Following the steps given to you in the kit will bring the sea monkeys back to life. You’ll be able to feed them and make them grow in your home.
There are other products out there that are essentially the same. Aqua dragons are also a type of hybrid brine shrimp.
It’s simply a different brand name. Triops are often compared to sea monkeys, but they’re much larger and they don’t live nearly as long.
If you think that sea monkeys are cool, don’t hesitate to buy a kit. It’s easy to enjoy sea monkeys in your home.
It might even be an interesting learning experience for the young members of your family. You can show them the sea monkeys and teach them about nature and the wonder of life.
This is what the creator of sea monkeys intended, after all. Enjoy your sea monkeys if you choose to buy some in the near future.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. I have a wife and two children and love taking them to the zoo to see all the animals. I grew up with dogs and fish and now have two dogs and two cats. I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.