Science Kit Amazing Ocean Aliens

The thing with this is - after having many many many failed attempts with sea monkeys in my childhood years! Haha, not knowing they were brine type shrimp - and lacking the knowledge I've since gained becoming a grown up - they are actually living shrimp. And need oxygen. Something the instructions never seem to have included (both when I was young & with this particular product) .. so here are my suggestions if this kit doesn't work for you.1- if you have an established fish tank - use this water. Not tap. If not, buy distilled (i think - now that I'm actually writing a review I am second guessing myself, lol) bottled water.2- let them sit until you see - (going on recollection, not quoting the instructions, bc my son lost them, however we had excellent results despite) - the teeeeeeniny uber small "aliens" floating about. I am guessing 72 hours. And they are so so tiny. Think - mite tiny. They are distinguishable from bubbles bc they are not just floating up, but sideways, down, etc... When trying to see I suggest not tipping the container. I spilled a bit - much to my three year olds dismay "killing a meeyon baby ayyweeons!!" - And the results were interesting from perspective - for her to realize they were all spilled out & now dead ...3 - AFTER you see movement - borrow your fish tanks air pump (if you have & it isn't a mighty pump - I have a small ten gallon goldfish tank in their room - the bubbler is not a strong one - be careful not to disconnect the airline without first raising the tubing above the water line to prevent the water from going into your air tube - it won't (as long as it doesn't reach the inside) damage the unit in my experience, but it will harbor mold & make the tubing yucky, forcing you to spend $2 at Wal-Mart for more tubing.) to aerate the water .. if you don't have an air pump or you do but don't want to go through the hassle of all that - buy a small air pump ($5max) from Wal-Mart, and the tubing is $1.88. IF of course you want them to live the "up to 3 mos" description on the box. Or if you actually want to SEE the aliens, as they will not get large w.o oxygen.4- enjoy them sputtering around & before they expire on their own - a fantastic treat your fish will love & (if it's in your wheel house, not saying you should or have to) you can then have a neat / insightful conversation about the circle of life and how important the krill is to giants like the manta rays or other ocean big guys that feed on them. I personally wouldn't want them to go to waste - and in my house - you don't eat an animal w.o realizing your dependence on them & the sacrifice made.But... Of course this just may be me. Oxygenate the water & this product works incredibly well, the wee aquarium unit is spiffy & sturdy. I stumbled here bc I'm looking for refills. So. Good luck and I hope this review helps, bc not knowing that wee tidbit of info can really make or break the experience for the kids. Mine truly loved it. And thus far I've not been disappointed making "aliens" or sea monkeys, as I knew them. Good luck!!

DO NOT BUY!! This product is defective. We followed the instructions exactly and only about 20 of the "sea monkeys" hatched and they all died within a few days. The company will not replace them because they don't have any in stock but offered to send my son a board game or other product. He asked for sea monkeys for his birthday not a board game. He was very disappointed. Save yourself the money and frustration and buy something else.

We had one hatch and it died almost immediately. Disappointed as we have done this many time with other kits and have always had really good luck.

We now have two of these. Half of our first sea monkey (brine shrimp) habitat met an unfortunate end at the hands of baby-zilla. These are not as easy to raise as I was led to believe! The instructions are misleading. Now that we have two thriving colonies, I would like to impart some wisdom on new buyers and those who posted their frustration in the reviews here.1. Only use spring water. Not filtered water. Not spring water with added minerals. Not boiled tap water. Plain ol' spring water. Zephyrhills is the go-to for us. Another thing that kills sea monkeys besides bad water? Soap. Don't clean out the tank before using it. It's already ready to go.2. Do NOT add food on the day after you dissolve the eggs in the habitat water. Feed on day 5. When you do, use the LITTLE end of the spoon. I don't know why they even include a big spoon. You will never use it. Overfeeding is the number 1 way to kill baby sea monkeys. Don't believe me? There are literally a dozen sea monkey enthusiast websites with super knowledgeable weirdos who swear by it.3. After the first feeding, only feed your sea monkeys once a week.4. Place the habitat in a sunny window every day. They love the sun. Aerate the tank (with the included eye-dropper tool) twice a day at least. If the sea monkeys are clear, they're getting enough oxygen. If they turn pink or orange, they're not. Likewise with food - if you see a black stripe running the length of their body or they're trailing a string (poop), they're getting plenty to eat.5. Sea monkeys can take awhile to hatch. I was expecting "VOILA!" But, these little buggers can stay in their dried eggs 50 years. They're not in a hurry. Give them 4-7 days once you add the water. You should start seeing little wobbly specks by day 7, if you squint really really hard.6. Lastly, that green stuff on the bottom of the tank is algae. It's like a huge salad bar to them. Don't clean it.Good luck! Once you get the hang of it, raising sea monkeys is pretty easy and can be a great learning experience for little ones. My 4-year-old is mildly amused by them. I, on the other hand, have become a seasoned sea monkey rancher.

I fondly remember hatching Sea Monkeys as a child, so bought this kit for use in our homeschool. I also purchased a Sea Monkey brand kit, and set them up side-by-side on our partially shaded kitchen windowsill. We started them out at the same time, and both have active brine shrimp swimming around. The MAJOR difference between the two has been the aquarium itself. The Wonderology aquarium is much thinner and wider than the Sea Monkey version. It is SO much easier to see the creatures compared to the Sea Monkey tank. A helpful hint: the Sea Monkeys have a 2 year guarantee, and the pamphlet has an option for re-ordering, should your aliens/monkeys not make it. (I can't imagine them living that long.) Send the coupon in the pamphlet along with $1. to the address listed, and they'll send you new purifier and eggs to start over.

This has been amazing! My three boys (9 & 8 year old twins) are completed absorbed with their "aliens." They hatched at barely visible and now, almost a month later, they are huge! Great fun!

Purchased this for my 9 year old daughter. They hatched right on cue & my daughter is enjoying watching them grow. Would purchase again!

I bought this for my classroom. I followed all directions and it didn't work at all.