Aqua Dragons
Aqua Dragons is an instant life pet kit similar to Sea-Monkeys. The kit comes with brine shrimp eggs, water conditioning powder, a pipette, an aquarium, food, a magnifying glass, and a feeding spoon. These tiny pets can live for up to 6 months once hatched but more reasonably expect 3-4 months. While they begin microscopically you can begin to see them with the naked eye when they are about the size of a grain of sand and they can grow to a maximum of 2 cm.
Aqua Dragons can be used as an educational tool and also help teach children about the responsibility of caring for an animal. When grown, the brine shrimp resemble three-eyed, fuzzy microscopic dragons.
Total Cost Breakdown
The cost of Aqua Dragons is $29.99 plus $4.99 shipping for a total price of $34.98.
Price is from As Seen on TV Commercial page: buyaquadragons.com
How It Works
Aqua Dragons are creatures from the crustacea family, their scientific name is "Artemia Salina". They have existed for millions of years and changed very little due to a very efficient reproduction process. Tests have been done, and it turns out their eggs can be kept in sealed containers for up to 20 years.
The eggs have a natural mechanism where metabolic processes stop in response to adverse environmental conditions. However, they will resume metabolic functions when the conditions are favorable. This is called cryptobiosis.
The sachet the eggs come in also contains salt, food, and other necessary elements to turn the water-filled tank into a suitable environment. Once the tank has been conditioned the eggs will return to their normal metabolic state, hatch, and the Aqua Dragons will begin to grow.
Using bottled water is crucial, as tap water may contain metal compounds or chemicals. In small doses, these may not affect humans but could impact your dragons negatively. It is important once they have hatched to remember to feed them. To ensure maximum success you should oxygenate their water with the pipette once a day or once every two days.
Make sure the pipette has no water in it after you have oxygenated. With their small size consideration, there might be tiny dragons in any water taken from the tank.
While these are living creatures they don't actually have a brain and can't communicate when they need to be cared for like other animals. Setting a daily alarm is a good way to make sure they are getting the care they need.
Positive Aspects
- Easy Set up
This kit is easier to set up than Sea Monkeys as the eggs and water conditioner all come in one packet and don't require a 24-hour wait for the water to be ready.
- Easy Upkeep
Aqua Dragons only require food, water, and oxygen to grow and thrive. They need to be fed once every 2-3 days and need the water oxygenated daily especially in the first few weeks and then at least every other day.
- Safe
Aqua Dragons don't actually have a mouth so they can't bite and are entirely safe.
- No Water Changes
The water has a specific PH and salinity that is created from the contents of the egg sachet, so changing the water is unnecessary and even harmful. It is suggested you top up with bottled water if the tank level is low but never change the water completely.
- Detailed Instructions
Both the website and the booklet that comes with the kit have detailed and straightforward care instructions.
- Complete Kit
There is nothing else needed to care for these critters beyond what is in the kit. Certain kits will even have a temperature-sensitive color-changing aquarium that looks neat and helps keep them warm.
Important Things to Note
The first week of hatching Aqua Dragons is the most important and can make or break the success of these critters.
You should wait to do the first feeding until you see creatures moving in the tank. Overfeeding can cause problems so, before subsequent feedings, you should always check to see if any food is left in the tank.
Especially during the first few days and weeks, oxygenating the water daily is critical.
Do not fill over the fill line, the tank may leak and the salinity ratio may not be correct.
The water temperature needs to stay between 62 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunlight is a welcome addition, but not if it overheats the tank.
Negative Aspects
- Short Life Span
These pets give you the ability to watch an entire lifecycle from start to finish. That means the critters will die, usually between 3-6 months after hatching.
- Inconsistent Numbers
While some sachets may hatch up to one hundred creatures, others may only yield a dozen.
- Fragile First Few Weeks
The first few weeks after hatching is more challenging as the babies are fragile and getting established. They need daily care and patience.
- Reproduction Concerns
It is common for Aqua Dragons to reproduce during their 3-6 month lifecycle. However, the current advice is to let the first generation die, and then dry the tank out.
Once dried, owners are advised to refill the tank for the new eggs to hatch, but food and water conditioner are not sold separately.
It is also possible for the eggs created by the first generation to hatch before the parent generation dies. This seems to contradict the advice of drying out the tank.
Expectations
These critters have a very short lifespan, shorter when not fed and oxygenated.
The main purpose of Aqua Dragons is to educate children first hand about the life cycle of a creature and experience the responsibility of taking care of a pet.
They are not meant to be long term household pets. It is important to make those expectations clear so that children don't feel they have done something wrong when their Dragons die at the end of their natural life cycle.
Tips & Tricks
- Feeding Tips
If the water is clear and the dragons are searching for food on the bottom of the tank it's safe to feed them.
- Timing Tips
Keep your Aqua Dragons in their sachet until you're ready to dedicate 3-6 months of daily care.
The eggs can last years in their dehydrated state so it's better to leave them in the package until relevant parties are ready to commit to the care. - Hatching Tips
Be patient when waiting for them to hatch. The shell is strong and it can take a couple of days for the dragons to break out.
Use the magnifying glass in the early days and look for water movement.
Reproduction Information
You can determine the sex of Aqua Dragons by looking at their physical characteristics.
Male dragons will have a mane on their heads and are stout. Females will be longer and tend to have a bulb on their back which actually means they are pregnant.
If you see two adult dragons swimming while joined together this means they are mating. The process can often take a couple of days.
The bulb that appears on female dragons is an external egg sac. One egg sac can hatch into multiple babies, sometimes there can be up to one hundred.
If you see female dragons with egg sacs on their back, doing somersaults, that means they are laying eggs.
Wise Advice
Do not buy Aqua Dragons online before searching Amazon.
- Alternatives or the same items are always available and sometimes at lower prices.
Wise Advice
Do not buy Aqua Dragons online before searching Amazon.
- Alternatives or the same items are always available and sometimes at lower prices.
Submit your review now. Good or Bad!
Submit Review, Comment or Question ▼
TV Stuff Reviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.