What a difference a weekend can make! When I last observed my tiny charges, they were barely revealing a hint of miniscule legs when they swam. Now there are at least a dozen specimens with visible black eyes, wavy villi (I'm not sure they're actually legs), and a stripe from head to tail that is probably their little digestive system.
They are swimming happily (and rapidly!) through their underwater world, pausing now and then to sample the algae-flavored goodness of the bottom of the tank. Their tank is so clean that aerating it doesn't even stir up much debris anymore. (In case you're wondering, I blow bubbles in their water every day with a straw, per the instructions of one of the Sea-Monkey aficionado sites. The important part is remembering not to breathe in before letting go of the straw...)
Interestingly, there are still itty-bitty Sea-Monkeys in the tank as well. I don't know if they hatched late or are the offspring of the larger ones. The literature makes claims about adult Sea-Monkeys reproducing, but it is vague about how old a Sea-Monkey has to be before it's considered an adult.
In reading over the Official Sea-Monkey Handbook, I discovered that I am now supposed to be feeding them every three days (the five-day feeding schedule was just for the first week). No wonder their tank was so clean! I quickly provided them with another scooplet of Growth Food, which I'm sure they'll appreciate. That it did not set off a carp-like feeding frenzy reassures me that they were in no danger of starving.
So that's today's report. At the rate the little shrimp are growing, I wouldn't be surprised if each feeding results in equally dramatic changes. I'll keep you posted!
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