SEA-MONKEY® FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This is the Frequently Asked Questions information you have been dying for - okay, at least slightly interested in......For more information refer to The Official Sea-Monkey® Handbook. Last updated January 19, 2001.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What are Sea Monkeys
How do they keep Sea Monkeys in the package for so long?
How should I feed my Sea Monkey?
Why are they called Sea Monkeys?
Are there any countries that would prosecute me for owning Sea Monkeys?
Are Sea Monkeys harmful to other animals?
Do Sea Monkeys have any unique characteristics?
What are the benefits to owning Sea Monkeys?
Why would I spend $10.00 on brine shrimp?
What can I use to top up their tanks with regular water?
Should I remove their shells when they shed them?
When do Sea Monkeys die?
How do I create Sea Monkeys?
What can I do to help my baby Sea Monkeys survive?
What are Sea Monkeys made of?
How do Sea Monkeys mate?
Do Sea Monkeys need iodized salt?
Do Sea Monkeys need salt at all?
Why is my Sea Monkey's tail sticking up in the air?
What is a "group" of Sea Monkeys called?
Should I remove their shells after they shed them?
How do you know what Sea Monkeys look like?
What is that greenish stuff at the bottom of my tank?
Are Sea Monkeys real?
How can I tell if my Sea Monkey is pregnant?
To which genus does the Sea Monkey belong?
Can I put a castle in the Sea Monkey tank?
Can I run an aerator in the tank?
Can I use a bigger tank for my Sea Monkeys?
What else can I feed my Sea Monkeys?
How can I clean the Ocean Zoo water?
How can I help my Sea Monkeys live?
Do Sea Monkeys like sunlight?
What is the Sea Monkey food made of?
Should Sea Monkey babies be swimming to the tank's surface?
What can I do if an evil person has fed my Sea Monkeys too much!
What is this mutated tail coming out of my Sea Monkey?
What do dead Sea Monkeys look like?
Can I keep my Sea Monkeys in a peanut butter jar?
How do "WATERTIGHT" Porta-Pets and SEA BUBBLES work?
Are Sea Monkeys a type of plankton?
Can I put my new Sea Monkeys in the old Sea Monkey tank?
How do I go about putting my Sea Monkeys into a fish tank?


Q. What exactly are Sea-Monkeys®?
A. From the Official Sea-Monkey® Handbook: Sea-Monkeys® are a variety of Artemia which are crustaceans such as Brine Shrimp or Seed Shrimps. Their correct latin name is Artemia nyos ("after the New York Ocean Science Laboratories where the hybrid Sea-Monkeys were developed.")

Q. How do they keep the Sea-Monkeys® in the little package for so long yet they DON'T DIE???

A. Once again, from the Official Sea-Monkey® Handbook: A true MIRACLE of nature, Sea-Monkeys® actually exist in SUSPENDED ANIMATION! While inside their tiny eggs - yet unborn, they burn the "spark of life" for many YEARS! The Instant-Life® cyrstals in which the eggs are enclosed, preserve their viability and help to extend still further - their unhatched life span!...The name scientists have given this amazing rare process is "cryptobiosis" which means "hidden life".

Q. How should I feed my Sea-Monkeys®?
A. The official guide suggests that you only feed them once per week! They aren't very big and you could kill them with all that food! Only feed them the special stuff, don't give them pork chops or roast beef as they are vegetarians!

Q. Why are they called Sea-Monkeys® when, in fact, they're still brine shrimp?
A. Ah, the most frequently asked question. Remember, they are not really brine shrimp - see above. As you will notice they are closely related to the brine shrimp but are not, in fact, brine shrimp. As for the name, that is a closely guarded secret and I would have to kill you if I told you.

Q. Are there any countries that would prosecute me for owning Sea-Monkeys®?
A. As a matter of fact, even Australia allows Sea-Monkeys® and they are "among the strictest countries in the world" when it comes to importing animals. You may wish to check your local mental health laws for further information.

Q. Are Sea-Monkeys® harmful to animals native to my community?
A. No, they are benign at best - although their political perspectives may annoy your more conservative pets.

Q. Do Sea-Monkeys® have any unique characteristics that I could tell my friends, to amaze them?
A. Why yes, I am glad you asked. The Official Sea-Monkey® Handbook notes that Sea-Monkeys® have one eye when they are born and eventually they grow two more eyes making them "THREE EYED freak(s) of nature". In addition, they breathe through their feet!

Q. What are the benefits of owning Sea-Monkeys®?
A. Many professionals believe that fish and other marine animals make people feel calmer! If you bring your Sea-Monkeys® to the office this might just help you with your busy day! In addition, imagine the looks your friends will give you when they see your Amazing Sea-Monkey® friends swimming about in their tank in your room. They will feel calmer around the Sea-Monkeys® although they may feel some jitteriness around you, but that's only natural as you are not a sea-going animal.

Q. Really, they are just brine shrimp. Why would I spend $10.00 on brine shrimp?
A. Well, they have three eyes, they breathe through their feet, and they have a replacement guarantee

Q. The water level in the tank appears dangerously low and we are out of water purification powder. Are there any field expedients available? I am not sure we have the time to send off for the official sea-monkey material.

Submitted by Michelle DeMareo

A. Have no fear, the Sea Monkey Answer Lady is here (hey, that rhymed!). You need not worry about the water purification powder ever again! Just use filtered or purified water and fill the tank up to the top! Don't worry....they won't die! I have had unlimited success with this!

Q. Should I remove their shells after they shed them?

Submitted by Robo

A. No, there is no need to. They will decay and drop to the bottom - have you ever noticed all of the stuff that collects at the bottom of the tank - and become part of the Sea Monkey ecosystem. I don't want to know what happens to it then but you could clean the tank out every once in a while if you want to!

Q.When do sea monkeys die? Submitted by Anonymous

A. When they feel like it. I know this sounds sarcastic but it's true. Sea Monkeys can die of Sea Monkey illness or when they reach the end of their lives. I don't know how long a Sea Monkey can live for, and I have been asked many times, but you can extend their life span by feeding them, not eating them, and treating them with love. Keep them from becoming bored by singing to them or teaching them tricks!

Q. I have recently dug up the 3 packets of stuff needed to create sea monkeys, that I got when I was about 5. Do I need any special container, or spoon, like it says? Can I go to Toys R Us to get the stuff or do I have to write off to Transcience? I am at a loss as to what to do, cos' I can't find the box. Can you tell me what I need and where to get it?

Submitted by Carl Kratzer

A. No, you don't need any special items, you can use a clean 12 oz jar for their home. In addition, you can just use your fingers to give them a pinch of food every now and then. Here are the isntructions to create Sea Monkeys.
1. Add 12 oz of water to your jar and then stir in the packet #1 - Water Purifier. Mix it up until it has dissolved. Leave it uncovered in a safe location.
2. Wait a minimum of 24 hours or a maximum of 36 hours prior to adding the packet #2 - Instant Life. Then mix these in until they dissolve also.
3. Aerate the water every day after their birth (for at least one week and continue this every once in a while) by either swishing the water back and forth between the jar and a clean container or by blowing bubbles into the tank with a straw (remember what you used to do with milk as a kid...same concept). Thisi will give them ample oxygen to live.
4. Feed them once per week just a pinch of food.
Please note that the Sea Monkeys can last forever in their little packets so you shouldn' t have any problems with their birth.

Q. I bought my son some sea monkeys about eight months ago and they are still living. At first we had around six and the number has varied from a low of two up to a high of around thirty. We often see new baby sea monkeys swimming around but very few live to maturity. Are we doing something wrong or is this normal? If you notice a new batch of little ones, should we be feeding them more? I'm looking for some tips to help more grow up

Submitted by C.J. McHugh

A. . Unfortunately, I have noticed the same thing in my tank. The little ones show up, then disappear, never seeming to reach adulthood! Try not to feed them too much, that is a common problem, and add more oxygen to their environment. You can do one of two things:
1. You can blow air into the tank with a straw - like you do with milk - and this should help them out. I know that you are blowing CO2 into the tank but there is some oxygen in there too; or
2. You can move the Monkey water from the tank into a jar, back and forth a few times, to help aerate the water.
This will help them a great deal because they require a lot of oxygen as they are growing up. Try to do these things on a regular basis - a couple of times a week - to help the little Monkeys grow.

Q. What are sea monkeys made out of (chemical composition or basic materials)?

Submitted by Jane Dexter

A. Sea Monkeys are actual brine shrimp that have been "locked away in time" through a process of "cryptobiosis". This is a natural occurrence in some crustaceans and Sea Monkeys, in addition to Fairy Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, and Daphnia, are able to seal themselves away in their eggs until they are ready to be born. So, in fact, they are not vegetable or mineral but are, indeed, animals. They are a variety of the Artemia family which are called "Artemia Nyos" (NYOS being an acronym for the New York Ocean Science Laboratories where the Sea Monkeys were created).

Q. How do Sea Monkeys Mate? How long is gestation? How many kids do they have? Does the male get hurt when the female slams him around when he is attached to her? What is the maximum population of Sea Monkeys permitted in the basic tank?

Submitted by Dougie Sarver

A. Okay...let's try to answer this now. Sea Monkeys can mate both sexually and asexually. I don't know how long gestation is but it isn't very long. Sometimes the Sea Monkey future mommy could hold the eggs until the situation is right but this has not been scientifically tested. I don't know how many kids they have because you can't usually see them but it is quite a few - about 20 or so. With regards to mating, if there are too few good quality men around the female Monkey can produce fertilized eggs herself! Pretty remarkable! (I can see catastrophic events in the future if this was permitted in humans....) And, the male and ] can mate in a somewhat human fashion, hugging and kissing, and BEHOLD a baby monkey is born! The male attaches himself to the female and I don't believe that he is hurt but the carcasses at the bottom my tank could be casualties of one-too-many interesting mating sessions.....The maximum number of sea Monkeys in a tank should be about 100 or else they lose the oxygen that they require. One way to get around this is to oxygenate the tank on a regular basis with either an air pump or by moving the tank water back and forth between a clean glass and the tank.

Q. I had found a vial of Seamonkey eggs that I have had for a few years and got all excited and took them to work Wasting no time, while at lunch, I picked up a few packets of salt. Do Seamonkeys need iodized salt?

Submitted by Rob

Well, I am glad to see that even those in the middle of the desert can bring the ocean zoo into their workplaces and enjoy the mighty excellence of the Sea Monkey. Unfortunately, you have made a grave error. Sea Monkeys do not require salt at all. Everything that they require is found in the Packet #1 of the Sea Monkey creation kit. They may be "brine" shrimp (of a sort) but they do not need brine!!! Please do not attempt to pickle, salt and/or iodize your aquatic pals!!! If you are planning to eat your friends this could make them more tender and last longer but if you want them to live I would advise that you keep household seasonings away from their tank. If you have any concerns about your Sea Monkeys getting goitres from lack of iodine then you may wish to give them one grain of salt but otherwise.......

Q. I noticed that you told someone that SeaMonkeys don't need any salt. Is there no salt in the water purification or in with the eggs? I never tasted it to find out.
Submitted by Michael West

A. Thank goodness because it tastes horrible! Something like a cross between nail polish remover and Tang! (actually, isn't that what Tang tastes like in the first place....but I digress.) Actually, if you read the question you will note that Sea Monkeys do not require iodized salt. Sea Monkeys require salt and other minerals but these things come in the package that you use to creat them. Don't worry, you need not add any of that iodized product...they are fully self-contained and self-sufficient once the purifier and "Instant Life" packages are added!

Q. When they become adults their tail sticks up are they swimming up side down or are their tail's messed up?

Submitted by Luke Amos

A. In fact the Sea Monkey® is not messed up. You see, Sea Monkeys breathe through their feet and perhaps they are trying to get more oxygen to their little respiratory systems! I have not noticed this in my own tank and I suspect that you have some of the dreaded mutant Sea Monkeys. The "dreaded mutant Sea Monkeys" generally grow to enormous proportions and eat people. I would try to talk to your Sea Monkeys in an attempt to keep their murderous rage from getting out of hand. Perhaps you could show them pictures of Sea Monkeys swimming about merrily, right side up, and they will modify this disturbing behaviour. If this doesn't work I would seek out a reporter from the Weekly World News because I see a scary headline coming up if something isn't done. I hope this helps you with your dilemma. (Or, you could just have their heads and tails mixed up...but that isn't too interesting, is it?)

Q. I was wondering what the proper terminology is for a group of sea monkeys. I've heard colony, but I was wondering if there wasn't another word- you know like birds are a flock, buffalos come in herds.

Submitted by Ryan Rostine

A. The sea-farers of old called Sea Monkeys a "squall" because hoardes of Sea Monkeys would sneak up on their boats so quickly that one would think that they were being submerged by a sea storm. My father, a sea-farer of old, told me about his first trip out into the Atlantic. "Susan" he began "we were about 20 miles from the English coast when it hit us. Yes, the dreaded squall of Sea Monkeys. They came upon us...there must have been almost a million of them...making their death sound - which sounds a lot like a bunch of people going 'eeek eeek eeek but there were no people around. Burt, the first mate, looked over the side of the boat and yelled 'a squall's a'comin' up' and we all hid in the cargo bay of the ship. By the time the squall was over there were no men alive on the deck. The bodies were covered in brine shrimp almost two inches thick. Some continued to flail about on the deck and those men still alive wished they were dead as they cleaned up the mess. The dreaded Sea Monkeys had killed them all". My father tends to rant and rave as he gets older and, much like his daughter, he does enjoy an audience but I believe his story as much as I believe that I am Sea Monkey obsessed. Non sea faring types tend to call a group of Sea Monkeys a kingdom of Sea Monkeys. If you think about it this starts to make sense. They have those little crowns, they dance about in castles, they call each other "sire". You can choose your own phrase if you wish.

Q. Should I remove their shells after they shed them.

Submitted by Robo

A. No, there is no need to. They will decay and drop to the bottom - have you ever noticed all of the stuff that collects at the bottom of the tank - and become part of the Sea Monkey ecosystem. I don't want to know what happens to it then but you could clean the tank out every once in a while if you want to!

Q. I like your sea monkey picture. Can you tell me how you know they look like that?

Submitted by Anonymous (e-mail address only given)

A. I must give credit when credit is due. I did not create any of these pictures as I am completely hopless when it comes to any sort of visual art - most of these pictures were created by Transcience, Exploratoy, or other interested Sea Monkey enthusiasts! I am not sure how they came up with the image but I suspect that they noted their appearance the way the rest of us have; through careful study of the Sea Monkey® form. If you have a good tank you can just watch the Sea Monkeys® to observe their form! Or just look at the package they come in!

Q: Why is there greenish things on the bottom of my sea monkey tank? Is it fungus, sea monkey waste or what? My sea monkeys keep on diving into it.

A: It's a photosynthetic algae. It's not a bad idea to remove some if it gets out of control, but *don't* remove all of it! Not only do the Sea Monkeys eat it (salad?), but it also helps to oxygenate the water! (You may wish to include some vinegar for that salad....don't do this, I am just kidding!)

Question submitted by K.W. Tse and Ollie Answer submitted by Ollie.

Q. I have a question. I have a friend who thinks Sea Monkeys are real and I was wondering where I could find information to prove/disprove what she says.

Submitted by Peter Flood

A. AND YOU DOUBT THE EXISTENCE OF SEA MONKEYS? I am deeply saddened by your doubt in Sea Monkey existence! Sea Monkeys are as real as the Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, and alien invasions - oops, poor examples there...I mean, they are as real as you and I are. They are difficult to see but they are there. Many things are difficult to see - quarks, mini particles of sand, why anyone would call a psychic line (you get the idea) - but we still believe in them. I am saddened that the youth of today lack such faith. My page alone should remove any doubt from your mind as to the existence of our aquatic pals. You can see the JPEG on the multi-media page - that is my very own Sea Monkey tank! In addition, I would be pleased to send you updated pictures of my Sea Monkey tank in all its glory if this would help you to believe! They do exist.....all you have to do is believe. Sea Monkeys are a state of mind...they are an existential experience that everyone should share prior to their own self-actualization. They exist....so there.

Q. How can you tell if a Sea Monkey is pregnant????? Our Sea Monkeys are carrying around excess baggage at their midsection; one of us thinks this is an egg sac; the other thinks these are testicles.
Submtited by Bamboozler

A. The person who thinks that it is an egg sac is in fact right! Sorry, someone loses some cash here! (see below for details on my cut). Sea Monkeys don't have testicles, which explains the slow sales on the whole Sea Monkey athletic supporter market! The Sea Monkey females will carry the Sea Monkey babies in an egg sac near their stomach (or what passes for a stomach). In fact, this egg sac is more like a transportable nest as Sea Monkeys can be born alive! I warned you that these wonderous creatures were a miracle of nature!!! Wow....now aren't you glad that you spent the $6.00 required to start up a tank of your own?

Q. To what genus do they belong?
Submitted by Julie and Ron Christian

A. I'm glad you asked this question because I can show off my incredible knowledge gleaned from the Sea Monkey handbook (I knew that studying would pay off some day!) Actually, they are of the genus "Artemia" which is the same genus as the brine shrimp. They live in salt lakes and salt flats, not in the ocean! But, they are not brine shrimp but a specially bred variety of shrimp. You can learn a lot from the little crustaceans - but don't tell your son this or he may lose interest (just kidding).

Q. Can I put a neat little aquarium castle in the ocean zoo so my Sea-Monkeys® have a place to play?
Submitted by Todd Jones.

A. Yes.....that's a lovely idea and it will give them something to do. Their lives are awfully shallow and they really need something to do with their free time. They get tired watching you have fun and, as they can't get out and go for a walk like we do, they might really enjoy a little castle. In addition, they may wish to hide from each other during games of hide and seek or when they are having a fight. Sea-Monkeys can be vicious little buggers and I'm sure that the weaker Monkeys may appreciate somewhere to hide.

Q. Since Sea Monkeys® need oxygen, is it OK to run a small fish tank aerator all day, or for a few hours a day? Do you know of anyone who has used such a setup (including a small filter)?
Submtited by Andy Domonkos

A. Actually, there is a product that you can buy from the Sea Monkey corporation that is a little tube with an air filter on the bottom (picture a straw with a large blue fish tank filter on the bottom - strange but true). They suggest you aerate the tank once per day. Mine have done fine without it. I would suggest that you just blow into the tank with a straw - it really works. They do need oxygen to think and live. I don't suggest doing this as a friend bought a fish tank with aerator, and ended up killing them all. Apparently the algae grew too quickly and suffocated the Sea Monkeys! Use at your own risk!

Q. Could one use any size tank for those darn little critters or should one only use the 12 oz. size?
Submitted by Brad Kramer

A. You can put them in a bigger tank but it is recommended that you get the larger size of Water Purifier and Jumbo Living Plasma for them. This will ensure that they will flourish in great numbers!

Q. What else can I feed my Sea Monkeys if I run out of food?
Submitted by dozens of people including Arion Mak

A. To be honest, I am not able to answer this question. The handbook suggests that you use only Sea Monkey food and not fish food. I have had a variety of suggestions, including yeast, but I have never heard about a successful use of other foods. Most of the time the Sea Monkeys die. Realistically, you shouldn't run out of food as there is more than enough for your Sea Monkeys in the package that came with their tank, but if you do find yourself in a bind I would suggest that you try anything else at your own risk!

Q. Do you do do anything to clean the tank, besides sucking up the gunk from the bottom? I find that the water is beginning to look quite dirty. Do you ever change the water? (Using package #1, of course.)?
Submitted by David Gaudine

A. No, you don't need to change the water but you could do the following:
1. take your Sea Monkeys out of the tank, using a small spoon or the Aqua Leash, and place them, with some of the tank water, in another clean container;
2. run the water through a paper towel or a coffee filtre into another container;
3. put the filtered water back into the tank and add your Sea Monkeys. You may need to top up the tank at that point. Don't worry about the Purifier as they should be okay at this point - there is some Purifier left over in the water! Remember, you may be losing some baby Sea Monkeys and the good algae and brown diatoms that the Sea Monkeys can feast on so do this with caution. I hope this information helps you! Remember too: if the water is becoming cloudy you may wish to stop feeding them for a while so they can feast on the wonderful algae therein. If their bodies become pale during the feeding hiatus, start again but sparingly.

Q. I have tried to keep Sea Monkeys twice but they always die in a couple of days. I keep them in a plastic clear container. I feed them correctly but still they die. I was going to get another pack but my mom said to forget about it cuz' they would just die again. What can I do to keep them alive?
Submitted by Sarah

You must get air into their tank in the first two weeks and thereafter to make sure that they are going to live. When they first hatch they need a great deal of oxygen to make it through the first couple of days. You must make sure that they have enough water in the tank because the salt in the tank will build up and make it tough for the Sea Monkeys to shed their skins and grow. To add air to the tank you can do one of three things:
1. blow into the tank with a long straw for about 2 minutes per day;
2. move the water back and forth between the tank and a clean container (don't worry, they won't get hurt); or
3. use the "Oxy-Mist" air pump at the bottom of the tank for about 2 minutes.
Don't feed them in the first week because they have enough food in the hatching kit!

Q. Do Seamonkeys like the sun or hate it?
Submitted by Keith Kirby

A. Sea Monkeys love the sun as they are photo-reactive, meaning that they react when placed in light or sunlight. (Actually, I have heard that some Sea Monkeys actually suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and leaving them out of the sun would make them withdrawn and sullen!) I would suggest that you check their water on a regular basis to make sure that they are not getting too hot but otherwise you can't go wrong with putting your wonderful Sea Monkeys in the sun to frolic and play! See the "Teach your Sea Monkey Tricks" page to find out more about their love for light!

Q. What are we feeding them, Bluegreen alge? Does the Bluegreen alge like or hate the sun?
Submitted by Keith Kirby

A. Wow, the hard questions are starting now....I thought this was going to be easy! Actually, I'm not sure what we are feeding them as I haven't analyzed it closely but my best guess would be algae and diatoms, as per the handbook. Both of these single celled organisms flourish in the Sea Monkey tank and provide them with food and nutrients! Diatoms and algae require sunlight to live as they use a process called photosynthesis (photo= light and synthesis =create) to make their food! As noted above, keep your wonderful Sea Monkeys in the sunlight and they will frolic; keep their water in the light and you will find a flourishing colony of algae! Did you ever think that Sea Monkeys could teach us so much? Q. Should new born baby Sea Monkeys be swimming to the surface? If not, how can I prevent then from doing that?
Submitted by Lawrence Shaw

A. Actually, this is okay. They may be coming up just to see what is happenign or they may be getting some oxygen. Baby Sea Monkeys are oxygen pigs and need a great deal of the airy stuff to make it through their infancy. Just let them be, they are having some fun and this will teach them where up is and where down is.

Q. Today was a disaster. My little brother dumped the entire packet of growth food into my sea monkeys' home. I did my best to save them and was able to transport most of them into purified water in the porta-pet. I went out to dinner and returned to find several of them dead at the bottom the porta-pet. I can't think of anything to do. They're only a week & 1/2 old but I'm quite attached to them. I don't want to lose my happy colony, and it wouldn't be the same to just start over and hatch new ones. Please, I need some monkey life-saving advice quick!!!!!!! Please help. It's an emergency.
Submitted by Lawrence Shaw

A. Okay...let's try this. Are they big enough to see? If so, try to strain the tank out through a paper towl, placing your big enough Sea Monkeys into a clean jar. Then put the water through the towel, sifting out all of the food. Then, when the water is clean enough put the water and the Sea Monkeys back into the tank and pray, a lot. If they aren't big enough to see there is a problem. There isn't a great deal you can do except try the above instructions and hope that you got all of them. Then, shame your brother with their possible deaths and tell your mom on him. I would expect that a year's grounding and a tank full of dead Sea Monkeys will help him understand the magnitude of his crimes against Sea Monkeys.

Q. One of my sea monkys has a thread-like "tail" coming out his (it might be a her, I can't tell) rear. It's the only one that has a tail, so I'm guessing it's a mutation.
Submitted by Richard Truax

A. You know, I really wanted this to be some kind of interesting new mutation, but the explanation is simple: This is the way Sea Monkeys excrete bodily waste. Boring, eh?

Q. I noticed three little bodies at the bottom of my Micro-Vue Ocean Zoo last week. They were kind of dark coloured. Are these dead Sea-Monkeys or just the moulted shells? What do dead Sea-Monkeys look like?
Submitted by Nancy Hastings-Trew.

A. Sea Monkeys do moult their shells but, in short, what you are seeing are dead little Sea Monkeys. The shells are generally transparent/white in colour and eventually turn into the "gunk" you see on the bottom of your tank. They will do this up to seven times during their lifetimes. If you see a body with a black streak in them, this is a Sea Monkey (the black streak in their bodies indicate that they have food in their digestive system). Dead Sea Monkeys look live Sea Monkeys that are not moving. They eventually decay but I am not going into this here - it is just too gross.

Q. I have a dilemma. I bought a Sea-Monkerys ocean zoo but I noticed that the lid comes of very easily and that it has 2 big holes in it, making it very dificult to transport. I decided to use a cleaned-out peanut-butter jar with a airtight screw-on lid. Then my friend told me the little fellas would die in there because they need lots of oxygen to live. I need help!
Submitted Barry Leeper

A. I would suggest that if you wish to use your peanut butter jar do the following:

1. Clean the peanut butter out. Pretty obvious but you would be surprised what people do to Sea Monkeys.....And, they are anaphalactic which could cause quite a nasty reaction to those little 'nuts!
2. Put some holes in the top of the jar to allow them to get some oxygen!
3. Blow into them regularly to make sure that they ahve enough air.
4. Don't leave them in the jar too long....only long enough to transport them to their destination.

Q. If that is true, how do "WATERTIGHT" Porta-Pets and SEA BUBBLES work?
Submitted by Barry Leeper

A. Point number four above answers your second question: How do Sea Monkeys live in their air tight Sea Bubbles. The answer to this is twofold:

1. You can only put 6 Sea Monkeys into the bubble at one time, because they may run out of oxygen.
2. They are only permitted to be in this bubble for a short period of time. So, they might be able to hold their breath until they get back into the tank? I'm not sure about this but this probably means that they won't use all of the oxygen up before they are put back into their tank!
Finally, the Port a Pet has two small holes in the top! They are very little and the Sea Monkeys can't get out but air can get in!

Q. Are Sea Monkeys a type of Plankton?

Submitted by Connie Woods

A. A good question but unfortunately the answer is no. Sea Monkeys are, in fact, a form of brine shrimp, genetically altered to live longer and grow larger. Plankton is generally a unicellular animal and Sea Monkeys are definitely multi-cellular. I hope this answers your question.

Q.About 6 months ago, I had my own family of Sea Monkeys. They lived for 5 months, then gradually, most of 'em died. *sniff* Just recently, I have ordered some Sea Monkey eggs and the water purifier and the food through the order system in the booklet. But can I use the old home of my other family?? Or will that upset them? Also, I was wondering...I still have 3 Sea Monkeys left from my previous family. Would the new family accept them into their family...or will they be rejected? Please help!

Submitted by Shelana

A. Yes, you can use their old home, it won't upset them too much. Just remember that you must remove the old corpses before you put the new Sea Monkeys in. If you have some former Sea Monkeys I would suggest the following to you:

1. Put the old Sea Monkeys in a glass jar - try to go for a 12 oz jar if you can. Don't put the lid on top of it or, if you do, then just put some holes in the top of the jar!
2. Set up the tank for the new Sea monkeys, following the instructions closely etc.
3. When the new Sea Monkeys are born, wait about a week (or two to be safe) and put the old Sea Monkeys into the tank. The reason for this is such: the new Sea Monkeys need all of the oxygen that they can get and the old Sea Monkeys may use some of that wonderful O2 for their own needs. It helps the new Sea Monkeys to live. When you can just see them - in about one week - you can add the old Sea Monkeys to the mix. Don't worry, the little Sea Monkeys are so safe it's not even funny. They are not cannibals and, if you are lucky, the old Sea Monkeys could teach the new ones the ropes a little....

Q. I have a fish tank that is void of fish at the moment and, seeing as how I don't really like goldfish, would it be okay if I put Sea Monkeys in my fish tank? It has everything they would need and more, but I'm still worried.

Submitted by Amy Williams

A. How big is this tank? I would not recommend doing this if the tank is larger than about 24 oz (and that's pretty small for a fish tank, isn't it?) The reason for this being that the Sea Monkeys need a concentration of the Sea Monkey plasma, which contains all kinds of great minerals and nutrients for the Sea Monkeys. If you wish, you can order some Plasma from the Transcience Corporation which will help you with a larger tank - I think it is something like one gallon of water will be permeated with this formula.



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