# Can I feed Sea Monkeys to my fish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940 "2008-02-02T02:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/1 "2008-02-02T02:08:53Z")
While I can find information online about putting Sea Monkeys in my fish tank, it only talks about it being a danger to the SM, nothing about it being bad for my fish. I have a lot of Sea Monkeys and thought my fish like might a snack. Does anyone here know if Sea Monkeys are safe for my fish (and my African Dwarf frog) to eat? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/2 "2008-02-02T02:22:03Z")
AFAIK, Sea Monkeys are Brine Shrimp, which are common fish food. Here’s wiki: > **[Sea-Monkeys](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_monkeys)** > > Sea-Monkeys is a marketing term for brine shrimp (Artemia) sold as novelty aquarium pets. Developed in the United States in 1957 by Harold von Braunhut, they are sold as eggs intended to be added to water, and almost always come bundled in a kit of three pouches and instructions. Sometimes a small tank and additional pouches are included. The product was heavily marketed in the 1960s and 70s, especially in comic books, and remains a presence in popular culture. > Ant farms had been popularized in ... “Sea-Monkeys (sometimes Sea Monkeys) is a brand name of a variant (known as Artemia salina nyos or Artemia nyos) of Artemia salina, a species of brine shrimp, a type of fairy shrimp – not true shrimp, but a branchiopod. The term “Sea-Monkeys” is a trademark used to sell them as a novelty pet, often advertised in comic books. Brine shrimp originate in salt lakes and evaporation flats.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/3 "2008-02-02T02:40:58Z")
The Sea Monkeys themselves are edible to the fish but I don’t think it is a good idea. When I did that as a child, the fish went crazy and ate everything from the beach blankets, beach umbrellas to the oddly shaped sunglasses that were lying around. The fish died and the remaining Sea Monkeys barbecued them on the little beach I had set up for them. Sea Monkeys are cruel and cunning but I still rank them among the top 10 of dehydrated, packaged pets. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/4 "2008-02-02T03:04:05Z")
[QUOTE=FloatyGimpy] While I can find information online about putting Sea Monkeys in my fish tank, it only talks about it being a danger to the SM, nothing about it being bad for my fish. [/QUOTE] It’s not bad for your fish, that’s why it’s a danger to the Sea Monkeys. Brine shrimp are sold in pet stores as fish food. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/5 "2008-02-02T03:14:39Z")
[http://www.sea-monkeys.com/html/customercare/faq\_viewall.html](http://www.sea-monkeys.com/html/customercare/faq_viewall.html) This site says that they aren’t just brine shrimp. Are they incorrect? What about the various things that are added to the SM water? Anything dangerous to my fish? The site also says that all of the ingredients are non-toxic, but is that non-toxic to people only? ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/6 "2008-02-02T03:37:54Z")
[QUOTE=FloatyGimpy] [http://www.sea-monkeys.com/html/customercare/faq\_viewall.html](http://www.sea-monkeys.com/html/customercare/faq_viewall.html) This site says that they aren’t just brine shrimp. Are they incorrect? What about the various things that are added to the SM water? Anything dangerous to my fish? The site also says that all of the ingredients are non-toxic, but is that non-toxic to people only? [/QUOTE] You feed brine shrimp to freshwater fish, not brine shrimp water. Use a clean piece of cloth as a filter to collect the brine shrimp letting the brine run through. Rinse the brine shrimp with a little fresh water. Then dump the rinsed brine shrimp into the freshwater tank. There is nothing toxic about brine shrimp. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/7 "2008-02-02T03:50:54Z")
[QUOTE=Yeah] You feed brine shrimp to freshwater fish, not brine shrimp water. Use a clean piece of cloth as a filter to collect the brine shrimp letting the brine run through. Rinse the brine shrimp with a little fresh water. Then dump the rinsed brine shrimp into the freshwater tank. There is nothing toxic about brine shrimp. [/QUOTE] Actually that makes sense. Now I feel kind of dumb for not thinking about just rinsing them off :smack: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-feed-sea-monkeys-to-my-fish/435940/8 "2008-02-02T07:58:28Z")
Actually, sometimes a \*little \*salt isn’t bad for your freshwater fish.