Aquasaurs

[Maddy McCall]

I had to have a toy yesterday--yeah, I know, I'm a big kid.

Anyway, MMjr and I went to Toys R Us to buy ME a toy (kid thought that was cool, because usually the ToysRUs trips are for him, not MOM)...and we happened across this kit that looks kinda like a big sea monkey kit, except it has Aquasaur eggs. I had to have it. The little critters on the package's images look cool--almost like miniature horseshoe crabs.

We're going to set it up this afternoon. If the eggs hatch and the animals grow, I'll post photos.

But for now, some photos from the internets will do. Here's what aquasaurs (the kit, too) look like:





Aquasaurs are triops, or tadpole shrimp. They grow up to 2" inches long.

Has anyone else grown them? Or sea monkeys?

[soleft]

1. It kind of looks like a stingray

Be careful!

[Maddy McCall]

3. That's exactly what MMjr said.

I'm not going to stick my hand in the tank, though. :D

[merh]

2. There's something fishy about this ....

:rofl:


Is it a shell fish or a shell-less fish?


I had seamonkeys (little shrimp) - they didn't last long and were shit for doing any tricks. x(


:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

4. They are shell fish.

If you had sea monkeys, you will love this youtube video. I guess you just weren't playing the right music for your sea monkeys. :D

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MkC3m9mJXio

[merh]

5. Yeah, if I was living in a glass enclosure with loud music blaring

outside the walls, I'd be flipping out too.

:silly:

[Maddy McCall]

6. I had sea monkeys when I was a kid...

I was always very disappointed that they didn't look like the ones on the package, with the faces, arms, crowns on their little heads.

:D

[seemunkee]

7. I've grown a couple

son is in college and my daughter is in high school

[Maddy McCall]

8. LOL

I am honored! A real living seemunkee responded to my thread. :rofl:

[seemunkee]

9. We're like those cavemen

You never notice us that we're around.

[GirlinContempt]

10. I totally want one now

I loved sea monkeys, I had some a few years back, but the water was so murky and gross they were hard to see.

[Maddy McCall]

11. You can get them at Toys R Us...

The kit costs $20. Or you can order them online from many places.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008YSSS/ref=pd_sl_aw_flat-hi_newtoysg_17185115_1?tag2=amd-google-20

Be sure to read the reviews...one person had some a sea monkey hatch with his aquasaurs.

Says you can actually take these out of the tank (they grow to 2" long), clean the tank, and then put them back in.

[charlie and algernon]

12. do you have to order the eggs seperately?

or do they come with the package?

[izzybeans]

15. They come in the package along with some food pellets.

[Maddy McCall]

17. No, they come in the package.

There are enough eggs to grow two cycles of triops. They live for about three months. After you've grown your two batches, there's a reorder phone number in the kit. They are $5 for another packet of eggs, which should be enough for another two cycles.

[GirlinContempt]

13. SWEET

I thought about trying to catch all my little sea monkeys for about 2 seconds. Then I died laughing.
those things look super cool. You'll have to let us all know how it turns out

[Maddy McCall]

18. I'll do.

I'll try to post a weekly progress report with pics.

:D

[GirlinContempt]

26. My toys r us doesn't have em

:(

[Maddy McCall]

30. I found these in the "educational department"

They were on the same aisle as the microscopes and plastic human bodies...right next to the human bodies.

Did you call or go look? Might be worth a drive to the store to see for yourself. (I've had salespeople tell me on the phone that they didn't have something, yet when I went to the store, I found it. Case in point...my kid's Nintendo DS.)

[GirlinContempt]

33. Yeah, I called

and I checked the website. I found them on the American site, but not the Canadian. Maybe next time I'm out that way I'll go look.

[izzybeans]

14. We got these for our son as a gift.

They were pretty cool.

The only thing is the aquarium is really flimsy and I wound up having a really hard time cleaning it.

My son thought they were the coolest.

They are even creepier in person, which is what he liked.

I put half of the egg and soil mixture in and we got about 20 little aquasaurs at first, but then the next day two of them appeared to have eaten all but one other because they grew huge almost over night and there were no others left.

[Maddy McCall]

20. Yeah, I think I'm going to start out by putting about 1/4 the pack in...

I read on the internet that they are little cannibals and will eat the smaller triops.

Thanks for telling me that they really will hatch and grow!

[izzybeans]

23. Not a problem!

[Maddy McCall]

24. Question for you...

did you put your tank under a desklamp, and did you wait for the water to warm up before you added the eggs?

I'm going to use distilled water...what kind did you use?

Thanks!

[izzybeans]

28. I did all that. Distilled and under a desk lamp. It probably depends on where

they are in your house. This room happened to be a bit chilly so we kept a light on them at night.

[Maddy McCall]

31. Thanks...

I'm heading out to buy the water now.

I'll post a progress report on them each week. :D

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Interesting critters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triops

[Maddy McCall]

21. Yeah, I read that last night.

When we got in from TRU, I read everything I could find.

Look at this webpage: www.triops.com

[trof]

19. M-m-m-m-m...GUMBO!

;-)

[Maddy McCall]

22. You are NOT allowed to eat my pets!

Go away, and take your Tony Chacheres with you!

:hi:

[trof]

25. It actually looks like some kind of Disney character.

[Maddy McCall]

27. Do you think I can get my future triops spawn into show business?

I'd make a good pushy show-biz mom. :D

[trof]

29. They have google eyes. Tinky the Tadpole Shrimp.

[Maddy McCall]

32. I like it!

If I have to hire a song coach and pay for tanning bed fees and verneers for the little devil, would you like to help with the expenses?

I'll give you a cut of the money, when my little Tinky hits it big. :D

[trof]

35. I'll be your agent. 10%.

We'll need a publicist and a personal manager too.
Also a cook, but I can recommend a good one who I happen to be related to by marriage.
She doesn't work cheap, but she's consistent and dependable.
Oh, and an attorney.
I know an excellent one who also happens to the related by marriage.
My daughter's husband, AND he's licensed to practice in California.

Oh, we're ALL moving to California.
Only place to be if you're gonna be in show biz.
A friend of mine is a real estate agent in Malibu and says we can STEAL a beach house formerly owned by Barbara Streisand.

Need an animal handler for the shrimpys too.
I think I know a lady who used to breed guppies that will fill the bill.
She's my sister-in-law and a real sweetie.
You'll like her.

Of course we'll want to affiliate with Nike.
I think a little 'swoosh' tattoo on the top of the carapace will satisfy their licensing requirements.

Let's do lunch.
Have your people call my people.
;-)

[Maddy McCall]

36. Ok...I can agree to most of your conditions...

however, I want the name to be Gumbo, not Tinky.

And, we have a minor problem. we have to get all of this done in 90 days, as that is the life-cycle of the triops.

:D

[Kali]

34. I got that for Christmas!

Mine are called "Triops"

They are all brine shrimp - same kind of critters as "sea monkeys"

We actually have a spot on the ranch that has those naturally (both kinds).

I've raised "sea monkeys" before (and you can sometimes buy them already "alive" as feed for turtles/tropical fish etc in pet stores.

[Maddy McCall]

37. I'm going to get the water now...

We're going to try to get ours set up now...

I'll post updates...

So you have them on your ranch? Now that IS cool!

[Kali]

38. Well, when it rains!

:rofl:

They are well adapted to years of total dryness, and unfortunately the last 10 or so have put us all to that test!

There are also lots of old prehistoric dry lakes in this area (SE AZ and S W NM) known as playas (Spanish) that in fact can become huge shallow WET lakes in good times - and these little guys are the main critters - then we get the birds too - cranes and all them kinda waterbirds I am basically clueless about...heh, come to feast.

Had a sandhill crane flying around my Sears "good" model above ground pool last summer - pretty pathetic.