Sea monkeys were one of the first products that also happen to be living creatures that were marketed specifically to children. It makes sense that the creators targeted kids considering that sea monkeys have a magical quality to them; they come to life before your very eyes, transforming from tiny, boring specks into moving, breathing beings.
Before you decide to purchase sea monkeys for yourself or your child, you may want to know whether they are dangerous in any way. This article will be addressing this very topic, so keep reading for insight into this matter.
What Are Sea Monkeys?
Technically, sea monkeys are brine shrimp, but they are a special crossbreed that was designed in a laboratory in order to be more resilient, grow bigger, and to have a longer lifespan, on average. Interestingly, these creatures can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Are Sea Monkeys Dangerous?
Fortunately, those cute little creatures known as sea monkeys are harmful to neither the environment nor humans, and they can’t even survive outside of water. They cannot burrow under your skin, and if sea monkeys actually wanted to bite you, their mouths are so tiny that you would never feel it.
As far as ingesting sea monkeys go, this is also not dangerous. Since sea monkeys are a type of brine shrimp, they are safe to consume, which means that if your child eats some of their pets, there is no need to be concerned.
However, other fish are definitely dangerous to sea monkeys. In other words, brine shrimp, and thus sea monkeys, make for nice treats for fish, so you should keep your little creatures safely in their own container so they will not get eaten.
How to Care for Sea Monkeys
One really great thing about having sea monkeys as a pet is the fact that they are low maintenance and super easy to care for. As long as you provide them with the adequate amount of sustenance and a suitable environment, you should have no trouble forming a thriving sea monkey colony.
Prepare Container for Pets
If you purchased a sea monkey kit, it likely came with a plastic container. Otherwise, you can use any plastic container that has the capacity to hold at least a couple liters of water for your sea monkeys to freely swim around in.
You can fill the tank with about two liters of any type of unchlorinated water before letting it warm up in sunlight prior to putting your sea monkey eggs into it. Use a turkey baster or other method for introducing air into the water once or twice each day; you can even place certain plants in the tank to make oxygen for your pets.
Next, you should add the salt packet that came with your kit or add an air purifier to the tank. Let the tank sit for at least 36 hours before you put the eggs into the water.
Hatching the Eggs
Once your tank is ready, you can stir the sea monkey eggs into the water. Make sure that you aerate the water with a turkey baster once or twice per day while the sea monkeys are emerging from their eggs.
It should take around five days for the sea monkeys to finish hatching and swimming about the tank.
Feeding Your Sea Monkeys
Sea monkeys actually eat things such as algae, wheat flour, and yeast. However, you can simply purchase the food they need from a pet store or online, though when you initially buy the creatures, some food will likely be included.
When you buy a sea monkey starter kit, it should come with a small spoon for feeding the creatures. You should give your pets one spoonful of their food every five days or so.
Make sure not to overfeed your beloved pets, or it could end up killing them. You will actually be able to tell visually if your sea monkeys’ digestive tracts are empty since their bodies are translucent.
Play with Your Pets
Along with interacting with your pets by way of feeding them, you can also play with them by using a flashlight. Simply move the beam of light around in their tank, and they will chase after it, similar to a cat with a laser pointer.
This can be an especially fun activity for kids to partake in.
Tank Maintenance
You should not need to clean your tank or replace the water very often. Even if you notice algae in the container, it does not need to be cleaned out. In fact, algae is good for the health of your sea monkeys and provides them with sustenance.
An instance when you would want to clean out the tank is if the water is cloudy and a dark color. In this case, you should replace the water in the tank.
Sea Monkey Issues
If you notice that your sea monkey population is dwindling, the most common reason for this issue is overfeeding your tiny shrimp. The way this leads to death in your sea monkeys is by bacteria growing on excess food in their tank and using up much of the oxygen, leaving too little left over for pets.
In the case that your tiny pets seem to be less active, staying mostly in place in their tank, it is possible that the area in which they are situated is too cold. The ideal place for their container is somewhere with indirect light to maintain a moderate temperature, as well as to provide your sea monkeys with a bit of sunlight, as they enjoy it.
A final issue to mention that is found among sea monkeys is a deadly bacteria that is seen as white spots that have a cotton-like appearance. If you see this in their container, you should remove the bacteria immediately, and if the problem persists, it is best to replace the tank’s water.
Final Thoughts
After having read this article, you should be well aware that sea monkeys are not dangerous whatsoever, and they can prove to be fun and easy first pets for children. If you have an interest in buying sea monkeys as pets, there is no reason not to do it.
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.
Julie
Wednesday 28th of December 2022
Thanks for this info. We just bought a kit and then I started to wonder if they were dangerous in any way. (Probably should have thought about that before hand). Anyhow, it all sounds good. Thanks for the extra tips. :D