Opaeula.co.uk

A dedicated forum and online store for the Opae ula shrimp! 

This section is to discuss anything Opae ula shrimp and brackish water related. e.g Nerite snails, algae etc..
 #6276  by opae ula related
 
Scaredy Shrimp wrote:Hello! I'm Scaredy Shrimp, and I live on the east coast USA.

I don't have any shrimp yet, but I'm moving my fish downstairs and I'd love a low maintenance replacement for them in my bedroom. These little guys seem like a great choice for the empty 10 gallon (about 38 litres) tank that I've had sitting around!

It doesn't seem like many people in the mainland US keep these shrimp outside of the crummy little spheres, so this place has been a great resource for me :smile:

I hope to get my shrimp within the next few months so that I can share them with everyone here
Welcome

How did you discover Opae Ula?
 #6342  by Scaredy Shrimp
 
I first found out about opae ula around a year ago, I think while I was researching various shrimp species online.

At first I was put off by their requirement for brackish water, but after looking into them more they seem easier (and definitely more resilient) than freshwater shrimp
 #6343  by Vorteil
 
Welcome

Algae in Space did make a great point about the sponge filter. The bioload is minimal. Plus you need it to feed the algae. If it's too clean there won't be much for the opae to feed on. I too started with sponge filters but took them all out. Water stays crystal clear. The only think I get is the film that forms at the waters surface but the opae feed on it. I don't keep the front glass clean all the time and the rest I never touch. Granted the reason I have so much algae growing in the tank is from feeding too much. I don't feed any of my tanks at all.
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 #8787  by Jeroen
 
Hello everybody,

As promised already earlier I want to introduce myself. I’m Jeroen 27 years old from the Netherlands and completely new to the Opae Ula

Currently my hobby is owning and restoring classic cars. At the moment I own a 1965 VW bug, a 1968 Morris minor traveler, A 2002 MGF convertible and as a daily driver my 2003 4.2L V8 Jaguar XJ8 X350. Besides this I love to drive on my 1663 Velosolex.

I always loved special animals, so I the past I’ve owned a terrarium with:
- Anolis Carolinensis
- Takydromis Sexlineatus
- Plestiodon Fasciatus

I’ve also owned an aquarium for three Axolotl’s.

Since a few months i’m “addicted” to shrimp keeping. As we have an aquarium for the christal red cherry, I decided it was time to expand.
I knew those nice ecospheres exist, but as they are so expensive I searched for the shrimps in there. Fortunately I always do my homework before starting with animals as I wrote that those ecospheres are horrible.

I’m now cycling my 3 liter jar for 2 weeks already and can’t wait to introduce my Opae Ula in there!! First want my tank to fully cycle with the fish food methode, and i’m also waiting for my Black Sea fan to arrive. Here you can find my tread and a reference to my photos so far.
 #8788  by odin
 
Welcome to the forum! I’m glad you always do the research, it makes sure you have a great and successful experience with the shrimp.

If you need any help just put up a post and we will give you help :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 #9369  by Johnny Max
 
I finally found out the name of the tiny shrimp I saw a couple of years ago in the eco-spheres. I forgot about them, then searched again and kept clicking links until I found their name. Opae Ula. So here I am. I don't believe in locking them in a closed environment, I want to take care of them.
I have loved shrimp all my like since I started working on my father's shrimp boat on Corpus Christi Bay at 12 years old. Ten years ago I dug 1/3 acre pond on my property. The first thing I stocked it with was Ghost shrimp. So I have a huge source of them, LOL.
I had 7 aquariums at a time, but a year ago I went down to one. A 75 gallon tank with Mozambique Tilapia. That seems to have quenched need to care for fish. They keep me busy.
I had brine shrimp on my desk at work for a couple of years. I loved them, but one day I lost the colony. Not sure why.
For a while I had Japanese Trapdoor snails in the small tank on my desk. They are all in the pond now.
Now to the Opae Ula shrimp. I am really excited and I don't get too excited at 58 years old. Just saying.
This is where you introduce yourself. I like sailing, fishing, aquariums, gardening, my dogs and most of all, I love spending time with my wife, kids and grand-kids.
Thanks for the site. I learned a lot from here and where to get my shrimp.
I ordered shrimp, algae and snails today from Vorteil. Now to wait until I get them in the mail...
 #9376  by odin
 
Thanks for the introduction, I’m glad you find the site useful and we have some very knowledgeable members here! :smile:

You won’t believe how different these type of shrimp are to look after and care for compared to fresh water shrimp lol. If you need any help just put up a post and we will help. Enjoy.
 #9397  by Rhinck
 
Aloha! I'm Rhiannon and I live in Hawaii. Set up an old 10 gallon aquarium a few years ago then went to the beach. Got some lava rock, coral rock and black sand at the beach. I know, I know.. big no-no, but it gave me some cool stuff in the tank: a couple aplasia, a hermit crab, a tiny mussel, a few snails and a weird worm thing. The snails and the mussel are the only things left from that start-up phase. Spent a week or so slowly adding fresh water to get the specific gravity where I wanted it. Then I went and got my Opae Ula at a local pet store. 20 shrimp for a few dollars. Acquired some chaetomorpha and added it in there. It kinda broke down slowly and now I have some lovely hair algae stuff that the opae absolutely love. Went from 20 shrimp to over 100. They love hiding in their little lava rock crevices. Never see one with berries, but i always see a floating orange hatchling or 10 in the water. I use no filter system at all. I just top up with fresh water when needed. 12 hours of light (blue and white LED). I'll take some pics tomorrow.
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