Can You Put Sea Monkeys in a Fish Tank?

The purpose of this blog is to share general information and is written to the author's best knowledge. It is not intended to be used in place of veterinary advice. For health concerns, please seek proper veterinary care. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sea monkeys have been popular for quite a long time. A lot of people like to take care of sea monkeys because they’re easy to handle and kind of interesting to look at.

Of course, sea monkeys aren’t actually monkeys and they don’t even live in the sea. These are actually a type of brine shrimp that were marketed as sea monkeys during the 1950s.

That term stuck and people have been buying sea monkeys ever since. If you’ve recently bought some sea monkeys, then you might be wondering if it’ll be possible to keep them in a normal fish tank.

You likely already know that sea monkeys have certain requirements to hatch and they need the right environment to be able to go on living as well. Can this be replicated in a standard fish tank?

Read on to learn more about whether sea monkeys can be placed in a fish tank. This will help you to make the right decisions for your sea monkeys.

You Can Put Sea Monkeys in a Fish Tank

Technically, you’re going to be able to use just about any standard container to house sea monkeys. There’s no reason why you can’t use a fish tank as a home for your sea monkeys, but there are some things that you need to know first.

Most sea monkey kits will come with some type of plastic container that is meant to help you hatch the sea monkeys. These kits are made to hold enough water so that the sea monkeys can do what they need to do.

You don’t need to use that plastic container if you don’t want to. All that is necessary is for you to have a container of some sort that can hold two liters of water.

It’ll also be important to use a container that is clean when you want to house sea monkeys. Ideally, whatever you choose to use should have a deep base as well.

Sea monkeys seem to like swimming near the base of the containers that they call home. A fish tank can work out just fine for what you’re trying to do so long as you’re using the right water and keeping the salinity levels where they need to be.

You should know that you won’t be able to put plants in the tank with the sea monkeys. Aquatic plants won’t thrive in tanks with the salinity levels that are required for the sea monkeys.

You should also be careful of housing sea monkeys with fish, because the fish may eat them.

Fill the Fish Tank with Two Liters of Distilled Water

Pick a fish tank that is large enough to hold two liters of distilled water. It should be fine for the fish tank to be made out of glass or plastic so long as it’s clean.

After filling up your tank, it’s going to be important to allow it to warm up to room temperature. You can’t place sea monkeys in water that is too cold.

It’s also going to be necessary to aerate the tank water consistently. Using an air pump on the water once or twice a day will be enough to get the trick done.

If you don’t have an air pump, then you can actually use a standard turkey baster to do this. It’s necessary for the survival of the sea monkeys.

Next, you’ll add the salt packet that was included in your sea monkey kit. This raises the salinity level so that the sea monkeys will be able to live in the tank.

After putting the salt packet in the water, you’re going to want to stir things up. The water should be allowed to sit this way for a day before adding the sea monkeys to the fish tank.

Place Your Sea Monkeys in the Fish Tank

Several Brown Shrimp Eggs Under Microscope

Now you can place your sea monkeys in the fish tank and wait for them to hatch. Generally, sea monkeys are supposed to hatch one day after you put them in the water.

There are situations where it might take slightly longer, though. It might be necessary to be patient, but it probably won’t take too long to see the sea monkeys hatch.

Remember to aerate the water once or twice a day so that the sea monkeys can survive. It’ll ensure that the oxygen levels are where they need to be.

You’re supposed to start feeding the sea monkeys five days after they’ve hatched. Kits will come with sea monkey food that you can open and place in the tank.

This process is easy and it should be fun to watch them hatch. Things should play out the same in your fish tank so long as you have the right salinity levels and are taking the time to aerate the tank.

Final Thoughts

If you have a fish tank that you would like to use for your sea monkeys, then nothing is stopping you from using it. The only thing that you need to remember is that sea monkeys have certain requirements to live.

You’re going to have to maintain certain salinity levels in the tank for the sea monkeys to stay alive. This means adding the right amount of salt and ensuring that things stay how they’re supposed to be.

It’s also going to require you to get in the habit of aerating the fish tank once or twice per day. You need to keep the oxygen levels in the tank up yourself.

Thankfully, this is really easy to do, and it’s not going to require you to buy fancy equipment either. You can simply use a turkey baster to get this done if you don’t have access to an air pump.

Sea monkeys can indeed be a lot of fun to take care of. They’re very low-maintenance pets that only require minor attention each day.

Your fish tank might not look amazing with the sea monkeys in it since you can’t place plants in water with the salinity levels that are required for sea monkeys. Regardless, this is something that both you and your kids would enjoy if you’re inclined to give it a shot.

Jeff

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.