It's...ALIVE! (?)

November 18, 2008 9:55 AM

How can I bring life to my cubicle at work?

I will soon be moving my desk at work to a new area, and it’s the typical cube-farm setup. However, being in a somewhat more creative group, we’re being given some freedom to decorate our new areas however we choose (within the rules set up by Facilities, of course). In thinking about what I’d like to have at my desk, I’ve decided I want some kind of life form that isn’t a plant. I won’t have any sunlight, and no one will be able to care for it over the weekend, so it would have to be pretty low-maintenance. And ideally, not more than $50 or so. My first thought was an ant farm (and depending on answers here, that might be what I have to settle for).

Here are some I’ve considered and eliminated: Hamster or other small mammal – would love one, but might get smelly and may not be happy over the weekend. Praying Mantis – so cool, but will only live 8 to 9 months. Leech – looks great swimming in water but how do I feed it? Where would I even get one? Eco-Sphere – cool, but very expensive at a size large enough to be interesting.

Some others I am thinking about: Fish – will it live over the weekend without food? Spider in a tank – cool, but can I feed it reliably? Sea Monkeys – failed at these as a kid, can I do better now?

Your opinion, Hive Mind? Help me liven up my boring work area!

posted by TochterAusElysium to pets & animals (20 comments total)

Ant farm?
posted by callmejay at 10:07 AM on November 18, 2008

Why not get a stuffed beaver or such, and make a life size diorama? You could have a nice old log, some plastic foliage and random woodland debris around it, maybe some kind of background image to give some depth to the scene.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 10:10 AM on November 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Our HR dept used to have a betta who did fine over weekends....they got him some three day feeders for long weekends but he was fine over regular ones, they'd feed him friday and then Monday.


reg
posted by legotech at 10:12 AM on November 18, 2008

I have a little blue betta fish named Spartacus on my desk. I would never have thought it, but he honestly gives me so much entertainment. I've had him for almost a year now and he's still going strong, never heard him complain :)
posted by CAnneDC at 10:19 AM on November 18, 2008

You need live people to come to you, so I would suggest:

1) catapult or trebuchet for your desktop so you can quickly deliver a volley of jelly beans or even assorted work to your fellow cubists;

2) a bowl of very tasty treats like tiny bags of cheetos or some other body as temple defying treat -- you can of course rig a trap of some sort

3) lip balm -- this worked at my office. I had a giant assortment of fresh lip balms in a display. There are many dry, chapped parts that need unguents of some sort in an office and you can be part of that moisturizing solution

If you want something live to keep as oppose to capture a beta seems to survive well in offices and plant wise, jade plants seem to do well and so spider plants. I would suggest a fish tank but that can be a real hassle to maintain.

But remember this, lip balm addicts are everywhere and in high places. Got me a job offer when I offered a lip balm once.
posted by jadepearl at 10:20 AM on November 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

a betta would be great as long as you keep up with water changes. I work at a pet store and also have a betta myself, I feed mine three times a week and he has nearly doubled in size since i got him. At work, the ones we sell get fed twice a week. If you keep a betta in a small bowl, you'll need to change the water twice a week. If you go with a larger bowl, or a one gallon corner tank, you'll only need to change it once a week. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions about them!
posted by d13t_p3ps1 at 10:23 AM on November 18, 2008

Truth be told, jadepearl, I would probably rather see fewer live humans than more. They're so pesky, always wanting something. Definitely like the treats idea, though, to keep them distracted while they're there.

Taxidermied animals are right out.
posted by TochterAusElysium at 10:24 AM on November 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I have 2 small fishtanks at work. Both under 3 gallons. The first one is an All Glass 2.5 gallon with java ferns and a betta. I use one of those desktop "daylight" lamps to keep the plants, the fish and myself happy. Bettas can be fed once or twice a week.

The other one is a Picotopoe, with all kinds of aquatic plants and what I hope is a breeding colony of Celestial Pearl Danios. They do great being fed only 5 days a week. This tank used to hold ony invertebrates, but I moved them. Take a look at dwarf crayfish, crystal red shrimp and all kinds of neocaridinia shrimp.

The Picotope is about $30, plus a $10 dollar heater if you office gets cold, you have $10 left for fish and planst.
posted by dirty lies at 10:31 AM on November 18, 2008

What's wrong with an herb garden? Hook your desk lamp up to a timer that comes on when you're supposed to arrive, turns itself off when you leave, and turns itself back on at night when no one's around... except your herbs.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:46 AM on November 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

My wife has a few hermit crabs in her classroom, they do fine over long weekends. They are mostly nocturnal, but will get pretty active if you take them out to play with some.
posted by jrishel at 10:58 AM on November 18, 2008

I would be careful about bringing any animals or insects into your work environment that aren't approved by SOMEONE. You can't just bring a hamster to work and expect everyone to be okay with the smell and the damage and people might be allergic. Ant farms could cause infestations. Spider is going to freak people out.

I've strongly considered bringing a terrarium type thing into my cube. there are some very cool terrarium type things from this seller on etsy.

Realize, however, you can't just bring in something other than the standard plant or fish - and even then I would be checking with HR. the last thing you want to do is purchase something and then find out it's against company policy.
posted by micawber at 10:59 AM on November 18, 2008

An Ant Farm is perfect for a someone who works in a cubicle...and...welcome!
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 11:02 AM on November 18, 2008

You want a pet that isn't likely to escape, is perfectly safe and is fairly low maintainance, right?

Two pets I've kept that fit this description:

Giant african land snails. These start off tiny (eggs are white spheres approx 3mm across) and will grow until the shell is as big as your fist over a few years. You can keep them in a fishtank with a fixed lid (because snails can and will climb up the walls and along the lid), with an inch of soil in the bottom. They need a cuttlefsh bone for their shells and green food scraps to eat. Mine lived happily on cucumber, lettuce, occasional apple slices, etc.

They're much cuter in real life than you'd expect them to be - slowly roaming around their tank and waving their antennea (properly called pseudopodia IIRC). Also, it's great to see them eating cuttlefish (your co-workers will be amazed that snails can eat a bone) and lettuce leaves, which they sometimes lift up and slowly wave in the air. You need to be cautious about keeping them together: snails are hermaphrodites, so any two adults kept together can and will breed to lay hundreds of eggs. Check up on the legality though: in some places (California, IIRC), concerns about protecting crops have lead to a ban on importing them.

My second suggestion is stick insects. Again, get a tank with a closed lid and put some soil in the bottom. Put some foliage in the tank -- I used ivy from a nearby wall -- and that's all the food and drink they'll need. When your colleagues are bored they can play "spot the stick insect", trying to decide which twigs are actually camoflaged insects. Again, you get to see them wonder around their tank, interact (well, not much) and do occasional very convincing twig impressions. If the office is quiet enough you'll hear them eating as well: you'll notice an almost imperceptable "chomp chomp chomp..." of an insect munching on a juicy leaf. They'll also happily wander around on your hands and try to munch your fingernails, which is quite good fun. Some species can fly which is great to watch, but inconvenient when you're replacing the foliage in their tank.

Stick insects are fairly common class pets, so lots of school supply websites can send you the eggs for next to nothing.

Both of these are perfectly happy living in a classroom environment and in a home, so I'm sure your office would be fine too.
posted by metaBugs at 11:07 AM on November 18, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

callmejay beat me to it. I also think the Antfarm from ThinkGeek is pretty cool.
posted by WizKid at 11:17 AM on November 18, 2008

Bonsai.
posted by Tacodog at 11:19 AM on November 18, 2008

Yeah, I know what you said about not wanting a plant, but bringing in anything other than fish is going to get HR's attention.
posted by Tacodog at 11:21 AM on November 18, 2008

A note, Giant African Land Snails are illegal to keep in the States.
posted by sid at 2:26 PM on November 18, 2008

Snails are great. My young son currently has one as a pet - we picked it up outside. (Pacific Coast area.) You can have a nice jar or tank with some plants and add some lettuce every few days. These things live out in my yard all summer with no rain and little food. Going a weekend, even a long one is no problem - they just shut up and hibernate until you give them more moisture and food. And they are cute. I don't think that there are any restrictions to keeping the snails in a tank - most people here put out poison for them. HR shouldn't have too much of a problem - make certain there is a lid on the jar or tank so it can't get out.

wife of 445supermag
posted by 445supermag at 5:02 PM on November 18, 2008

Regarding your above questions about leeches:
http://leechesusa.com/

Includes a leech FAQ, leech dwellings, and - if you're into that sort of thing - instructions on how to apply leeches and care for the post-bite wound.
posted by lholladay at 1:19 PM on November 19, 2008

I had two betta fish in two adjoining jars last time I had an office. I named them Sparky and Thurman after the great New York Yankees battery. They would dance and show off their beautiful colors with each other. Changing their water was a snap and they could easily go a weekend without food. Keep them away from ammonia though :( Mine met their untimely demise when some nearby equipment failed to completely filter out ammonia fumes :(

Let me know what food you need :)
posted by vito90 at 1:08 PM on November 24, 2008