Best way to aerate sea monkey tank? Would aqua leash work? Please help!?

Question

I ordered a kit off of discoverthis.com and it is called My First Pet Sea Monkey Kit (its not my first pet btw, im 13). It should be hear ina couple of weeks but im still confused on the easiest way to aerate the tank becuaes i know that needs to happen for them to thrive. I dont realy wannna spend the money to by an automatic air pump or anything, and also im kindof wodndering if i could simply use the aqua leash. if so, how? i need as many types of ways as possible so i can figure which one is most conveniant. thanks for your help =D!

Answer 1

The best way to get oxygen to your sea monkeys is to have a healthy algae population.  Since your sea monkeys haven't arrived in the mail yet, you should take the time to set up their tank now.  Put the tank in a windowsill with lots of sunlight (but not enough to heat the tank to a higher temperature) and you should have a good strong algae growth by the time the sea monkeys arrive.  All you need for a sea monkey tank is a clear glass container.  You don't have to use the thing they send you.  Then fill your vase or whatever tank you get with sea salt and water, and put some shells on the bottom of the tank as gravel.  The shells put calcium in the water so the sea monkeys can make their exoskeletons, and they also keep the pH right.  Fill the tank, make sure to add salt (I generally add a tablespoon of salt for every twenty or so ounces, that seems to work.  Google will help you find the exact concentration if you want it.), leave the tank in the sun, and your sea monkeys will have a great place to start their new life when they arrive.  

Also, you don't need to buy brand name "sea monkeys".  Sea monkeys are a type of artemia.  You can buy them much cheaper under the name "brine shrimp".  What I did was I bought a vial of six grams of artemia franciscana egg cysts for three dollars and some change.  It shipped out to me for five dollars total.  That's about the same as you pay for the "1,2,3" packets that are "official" sea monkeys, and you only get 75 eggs in the packet and you get like ten thousand in the vial.  Here's a nice website you can buy them from:  http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~a...

So, yeah, use algae as your airation source.  A stable population won't need an airator.  You'll only have to use a bubbler if you're overpopulated.  And be careful, since the currents caused by a bubbler can rip shrimp apart...