Friday, June 13, 2008

Baby Sea Monkeys Not Surving?

Q "My baby sea monkeys are dying. they have mated, the females were pregnant, and have given birth to dozens of babies, they were alive and well last week. but today, i only see a couple, and they are moving around slowly. :( what am i doing wrong? tips, suggestions, comments are all welcomed. thanks!"

I've had this problem myself. My Sea Monkeys mate and of course there is the constant influx of new eggs, I see babies, but the babies don't seem to become adults? Are the adults that are already in the tank cannibalizing the babies? I asked our top Sea Monkey expert George Atamian for his take on this:

A "There are several possible explanations for the disappearance of the babies.

One of the causes is NOT cannibalism because adults don’t eat the young.

The most critical factor is the availability of food for the babies after they hatch.

The food has to be algae that will grow in an optimally acclimatized tank or there has to be sufficient food from #3 pouch.

I suspect that the babies are starving.

Also, if there are more than 15-20 adults in the tank, the babies may have a tough time.

That naturalist in West Virginia who kept his tribe going for 12 years used to keep the populations low by transferring family members to new tanks.

Hope that this helps….G"

It does indeed George. Thanks.

14 comments:

lilly piri said...

I had a lone baby hatch last week, but it was only there for about 4 days. We have plenty of algae now( yay!), so i dont know why it died :(

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I hear ya, I've had weird luck with babies as well. I'm gonna try the separate tank for raising the fry and see how that goes.

lilly piri said...

Hey, guess what, i just looked today and there are four newborn babies! Crossing my fingers that mine and yours last :)

Anonymous said...

How do you set up the second tank for the babies? Do you put packet 1 in but never packet 2?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

i've been feeding my sea monkeys every week. the babies i see seem to die all the time. i only have 2 females left. i dont think i have any algae growing in my tank...why is this?

KLJ said...

Is your tank in a north facing window? You want enough sun to grow algae but not direct sun which will over heat the little tank very quickly. If you have no algae I'd say you might not be getting enough light.
I am going to experiment with grow lights to see how the Sea Monkeys like that.

The best luck I've had with babies and the best I've heard anyone else having involved removing the babies to their own separate tank, preferably a shallow tank.

KLJ said...

Oh, and anonymous; yes, that is it exactly.

Anonymous said...

ahhh.... i live in a nyc apt, so i have limited access to certain directions of light. i've been keeping them on my kitchen counter that has florescent lighting.... i can put them on the windowsill in my bedroom, but it faces east....

Anonymous said...

Please help me I have alge o have okay sun enough to keep it warm but cool..I only have 3 grown ups and 1 teen so Bo over crowding the tank..I keep them well fed and give them enough air. And I have two pregnant females in there and about a 20 eggs yet they just won't hach. I've water 6 days so I should see them and even when I first go them on the 2 day I could easily spot the out what do I do :(

Unknown said...

How do you separate the babies into their own tank?

Unknown said...

I live in the Caribbean on a boat with my crew of sea monkeys. Can I use sea water. My not so Monk-ish sea monkeys (2 months old)seem to be having a bit of an orgy. No shame!So I expect little ones eventually. From what I have read I should put them in a separate "nursery". So if not possible to use sea water then what are my options?? No incoming, planes, no mail, no purchasing the little packets... Thank You⛵🙊

Ebony said...

My family is om thee Caribbean. I would just use seawater or leave the babies alone unless you think the tank is going to get real overcrowded. 4 adults 1 juvenile and about 6 babies in mine and it is amazing that thir orgies can last for literally days.

Unknown said...

To the last comment for Ebony's. Which ever the case Maybe. But WOW.

Unknown said...

Kool sea Babie