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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want seamonkeys in my living room?

81 replies

Fluppys · 04/10/2025 19:06

DH had seamonkeys as a teen.
Recently he got a little set and grew them. Great.
But then his autism kicked in and they became his new fixation and now we have 4 of the small plastic tank sets and two 20 litre tanks in my living room complete with lights, air pumps etc.

Its not like having fish, you can't even see them!

They eat algae so the tanks look filthy and to top it off they are placed on my late grandmothers sidetable as there is genuinely no where else for them to go in here!

Im worried about the side table getting damaged and that is where I usually put my halloween bits and my nativity/decorations at Christmas.

Theres no other room they could go bar out bedroom and i think that would be even worse.

Obviously I can't ask him to pour them away but, omg, i hate them!!

OP posts:
Fluppys · 04/10/2025 22:45

helpfulperson · 04/10/2025 20:23

Perhaps he doesn't want a sitting room full of Autumn and Christmas Decorations. You both want different things so you need to talk about it and reach a compromise. I would suggest no tanks on a precious, easily damaged by water, tables is a good idea so that could be reserved for dry decorations. Tanks need to be somewhere they won't cause damage.

Fish tanks do have a habit of breeding if you aren't careful. I live alone and at one point ended up with 5 because of rescuing non compatible fish and I've had to be really strict with myself to keep that at three. (and I'm reading this thinking maybe I could breed brine shrimp to feed my other tanks)

He absolutely loves Christmas and Halloween, he buys more decorations than me!

OP posts:
Fluppys · 04/10/2025 22:44

Tagyoureit · 04/10/2025 20:14

There's been a lot of weird threads on here recently so I kinda think this is a load of bull but then why lie about sea monkeys?

However, i still cant believe someone would be this invested in sea monkeys

🤨

OP posts:
ChocolateFudgeCakes · 04/10/2025 20:56

This won't be of any help to you op, but you've just reminded me, in the very early 2000's I had a necklace with a sort of small screw top bottle on it so I could wear my sea monkeys around my neck. Grim.

Goinggreymammy · 04/10/2025 20:46

This is really an awful thing to say but.....
If by accident ordinary tap water went into one of those thanks the sea monkeys would die off. That would be one less.
Sorry.
Im not saying to do that.
But that's possibly the reason also why the tanks can't be merged. They are very sensitive to their environment i think ?

helpfulperson · 04/10/2025 20:23

Perhaps he doesn't want a sitting room full of Autumn and Christmas Decorations. You both want different things so you need to talk about it and reach a compromise. I would suggest no tanks on a precious, easily damaged by water, tables is a good idea so that could be reserved for dry decorations. Tanks need to be somewhere they won't cause damage.

Fish tanks do have a habit of breeding if you aren't careful. I live alone and at one point ended up with 5 because of rescuing non compatible fish and I've had to be really strict with myself to keep that at three. (and I'm reading this thinking maybe I could breed brine shrimp to feed my other tanks)

Eenameenadeeka · 04/10/2025 20:20

Id object to them being on nans side table because it sounds like it's special to you, but it's also his living room so I think he should be able to have some in there. Needs to be a compromise I think.

Abominableday · 04/10/2025 20:16

youalright · 04/10/2025 19:24

Just tell him no more and let the ones he have die of naturally. How long do they live?

They breed all the time so you have them forever, basically.
Unless someone knocks over the tank.

Tagyoureit · 04/10/2025 20:14

There's been a lot of weird threads on here recently so I kinda think this is a load of bull but then why lie about sea monkeys?

However, i still cant believe someone would be this invested in sea monkeys

DingDongJingle · 04/10/2025 20:09

RoseAlone · 04/10/2025 19:36

You're being ridiculous 🙄

Why? I wouldn’t want multiple sea monkey tanks in my living room either.

Fluppys · 04/10/2025 19:52

Tagyoureit · 04/10/2025 19:36

20 litre tank with air pumps for sea monkeys?
Really??

I googled incase I got the size wrong, but yes, they are 20lr. And both have lights and airpumps.

OP posts:
Orangepate · 04/10/2025 19:46

Chuck a couple of gold fish in, they’ll make short work of them..

londongirl12 · 04/10/2025 19:45

RoseAlone · 04/10/2025 19:36

You're being ridiculous 🙄

Why on earth is she being ridiculous???

Tagyoureit · 04/10/2025 19:36

20 litre tank with air pumps for sea monkeys?
Really??

RoseAlone · 04/10/2025 19:36

You're being ridiculous 🙄

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 04/10/2025 19:29

Would a larger, vertical tank work better space wise? Many are designed to fit into the corners of rooms.

thisishowloween · 04/10/2025 19:29

Can he not build a man cave somewhere and stick them in there?

Superstans · 04/10/2025 19:29

I was going to say you were being unreasonable thinking it was one of the little containers and belonging to a child!
But YANBU.
We’re lucky in that my husband has his own room (office) and all his obsessions go in there.
Not sure what the answer is but I’d definitely want to get rid of them out out of the living room

ShesTheAlbatross · 04/10/2025 19:27

I think you’d be unreasonable to tell him he isn’t allowed to have any like some PPs have suggested. It is his house as well. But I think a compromise on amount, (and on location if there is another option?) is very reasonable. He can’t take over the living space.

Newsenmum · 04/10/2025 19:26

DingDongJingle · 04/10/2025 19:25

We can’t get rid of ours! They’ve been going for years. I keep thinking they’re all dead and I can finally get rid of the little tank, then more of the little fuckers appear 😁

Oh wow

Newsenmum · 04/10/2025 19:25

Absolutely not the point of the thread but Ive never had any and am suddenly incredibly interested. How long do they live for?

DingDongJingle · 04/10/2025 19:25

JennyForeigner · 04/10/2025 19:11

Tbh if you are successfully hatching them you are already a goddess amongst SEN mums. Our autistic, ocean life obsessed, son has tried with every kit known to man. Never got past just about visible.

Edited

We can’t get rid of ours! They’ve been going for years. I keep thinking they’re all dead and I can finally get rid of the little tank, then more of the little fuckers appear 😁

TypeyMcTypeface · 04/10/2025 19:24

Do they look like this? 😆

To not want seamonkeys in my living room?
youalright · 04/10/2025 19:24

Just tell him no more and let the ones he have die of naturally. How long do they live?

londongirl12 · 04/10/2025 19:24

just because he has autism, doesn’t mean he can dictate everything in the house. You need to tell him he needs to reduce his collection.

goes off to Google sea monkeys….

Whaleandsnail6 · 04/10/2025 19:22

I don't know anything about sea monkeys but can you not compromise and merge the 2 large tanks into one and then just have one 20l tank and the little ones (which if they are anything like the ones I have seen, are only like 30cm so not too imposing?)

He's not unreasonable to want them in the livingroom but you are not unreasonable to want a limit on the numbers of them if they feel like they are taking over