One of my fondest childhood memories has to be raising my very first tank full of Sea Monkeys. For those that don’t already know, Sea Monkeys are basically cleverly-packaged brine shrimp that are sold in kits through toy stores and ads in the back of comic books. I remember pouring in the packet full of Sea Monkey eggs, and watching dozens of tiny brine shrimp hatch before my eyes. I had long forgotten about Sea Monkeys, when a couple of years ago I came across a website that sold the “Instant Pet” kits that I remember from when I was a kid.
Always a sucker for nostalgia, I quickly ordered a Sea Monkey set and before long, I was once again enjoying all the magic and wonder I remember from my first Sea Monkey experience. After a while, I got to thinking that Sea Monkeys actually make really good pets. Most people have a good chuckle when I say this, but try to hear me out. Here is my list of the top ten reasons why Sea Monkeys just might be the perfect pets for you:
1. Sea Monkeys don’t cost a lot. Pets can definitely be prohibitively expensive. Anyone with a dog or a cat knows that the costs of food, toys, vet bills, etc. can really start to add up quickly. Sea Monkeys, on the other hand, come packaged with everything you need-a tank, the Sea Monkey Eggs, and even a year’s supply of food. All this for around $10. If you’re on a budget but would like a pet, you can’t get much more economical than Sea Monkeys.
2. Sea Monkeys are extremely easy to care for. The Sea Monkey concept was designed with children in mind, so it’s pretty hard to mess things up. If you follow the very simple instructions that are included with your Sea Monkey set, chances are you will raise lots of healthy Sea Monkeys. After hatching, you just need to feed them once or twice a week and top-off their tank with some bottled water every once in a while to replace the water lost from evaporation. It really can’t get much easier than that. Plus, if you’re going away for a few days, there’s really no need to find a pet sitter. Your Sea Monkeys will be happy and healthy when you get back and won’t even know you were gone!
3. Sea Monkeys require no messy cleaning. Dogs, cats, rabbits, and the like are very cute, but they can leave not-so-cute “surprises” on your carpet that can be downright gross to clean up. Even fish need to have their water changed regularly. Sea Monkeys, on the other hand, require absolutely no cleaning. Other than adding a little fresh water every once in a while, Sea Monkey tanks are pretty much self-contained ecosystems and don’t require any maintenance or cleaning on your part. If you hate to clean but love animals, you should definitely consider getting some Sea Monkeys.
4. Your Sea Monkey tank will make a great “conversation piece.” Just about anyone who has grown up in the last 40 years probably remembers seeing tons of ads for Sea Monkeys when they were kids, but surprisingly few people actually seem to have bought them. When people come over and see your tank, they will definitely start to ask you questions and may even start to share their own Sea Monkey experiences. Plus, Sea Monkeys just seem to put a smile on everyone’s faces. Don’t believe me? Get some Sea Monkeys and see for yourself!
5. Your tank will be filled with almost 100 Sea Monkeys, so it’s not the end of the world if one dies. Yes, I know this sounds a little callous, and I was sad the first time I saw a dead Sea Monkey in my tank. But the fact of the matter is that Sea Monkeys are very tiny organisms that don’t even have brains, so when you have 99 happy little Sea Monkeys swimming around your tank, the loss of one isn’t nearly as devastating as say, the loss of a dog or cat.
6. Sea Monkeys are the only pets I know of that come with a 2-year “life insurance” policy. That’s right…if somehow you do manage to kill your entire tank of Sea Monkeys, the manufacturer will send you a new packet of water purifier & Sea Monkey eggs so you can start all over again. They don’t charge for these packets, but they do ask for 50 cents to cover the cost of postage. Not a bad “insurance policy” for pets you can buy in a toy store, if you ask me.
7. Your Sea Monkey tank can be completely self-perpetuating. On the other hand, if the 50 cents is too much for you to spring, you can bring a seemingly “dead” tank back to life. Here’s how it works-if all your Sea Monkeys have died, just let all of the water evaporate from the tank, which may take several weeks. After the tank has completely dried up, just fill it back up with room temperature bottled water. DO NOT clean the tank first-you need to save all the “gunk” that was left over from the previous tank. Part of this gunk is Sea Monkey eggs, and within a few days of filling the old tank up with water, you should see a whole new generation of Sea Monkeys appear right before your eyes. It really is like magic!
8. Sea Monkeys are extremely educational. If you have young children, Sea Monkeys can be a great family pet if for no other reason than it makes a great learning experience. With Sea Monkeys, you get to see the tiny shrimp hatch from eggs into tiny white “specs,” and then develop further into grown-up Sea Monkeys. You’ll get to watch the Sea Monkeys swim, eat, fight with one another, and even mate and produce offspring! All in a tiny little tank that takes up as much space as a small picture frame. Trust me, your kids will spend hours and hours just staring in amazement at all of the little Sea Monkeys, and they won’t even realize they’re getting a great education too!
9. Finding Sea Monkeys at a local store can be like a fun little scavenger hunt! As a Sea Monkey enthusiast, I can’t tell you how much happiness it brings me when I walk into a store and I see Sea Monkeys for sale. Although I’ve seen them for sale everyplace from CVS to Toys-R-Us, they’re not the most common item and it can take some hunting around to find a Sea Monkey kit that you like. Of course, you can always just order a set over the Internet, but I enjoy the “scavenger hunt” aspect of Sea Monkeys. Every time that I’m in a store with any sort of toy aisle, I stop to check to see if they sell Sea Monkeys. And as I said, I tend to get really excited when they do!
10.SeaMonkeys give you a chance to “re-live your childhood.” Finally, Sea Monkeys give you the opportunity to step back through time and relive a magical and exciting childhood experience all over again. If you weren’t so successful with Sea Monkeys as a kid, you should give them a try as an adult. As soon as you get a Sea Monkey kit and start stirring up the “magic” powders, I guarantee you’ll feel like you’re 10 years old all over again!
