ʻōpae ʻula tank (or opae ula if the diacritics mess it up)

[Emika_B]

Aloha all!  I had a 5 gallon tank sitting around and after asking the Forum what I should do with it I was inspired to do ʻōpae ʻula, or Supershrimp. This will be a whole new experience for me, as they're brackish shrimp.  I am intrigued by the simplicity of their tank habitat - no filter, no air bubbler, not much lighting and hardly any feeding.  The lack of plants will also be strange, though I have read of a macro algae that can be used.  The cycling takes quite a while - 4-6 weeks from what I've been reading.  However, once it's up and running it's pretty much just watch the little guys swim about and pick at the rocks.

I need to pick up a few more rocks (or break up the one I have since it is rather large), but this is pretty much all it will take.  As you can see in the photo there's a 'mesh' on the left of the tank.  This is a Fluval Spec (I believe) that I removed the false wall and filter from; the 'mesh' is to help disguise the filter.  I'll probably stick lava rocks to the wall in that area just to help disguise it.  It doesn't bother me that much, so we'll see if I just lazy out and leave it alone.

 

[OceanTruth]

This is a very awesome project! I saw a lfs tour in Hawaii on youtube a few years ago where the owner had this amazing opae ‘ula pico tank. It was tiny, simple, yet all so beautiful nevertheless.

He said he hadn’t done a water change in a couple of years or something crazy like that. My mind was blown. I’ve always been interested in self sustaining eco systems, but I hadn’t seen anything like that before. Really inspiring.

Best of luck on this tank. Can’t wait to see it get going.

[Emika_B]

OceanTruth - Thanks!  It's funny - when I asked about stocking ideas for this tank I was thinking neocaridina shrimp and someone said opae ula.  I live in Hawaii - why wasn't that the first thing that popped into my mind?  I'm looking forward to this one.  When I was a kid we had a big salt water tank that I loved.  I had a pet lobster named Lawrence, so maybe I'll name this tank in honor of him.

[Emika_B]

Well, the tank's been set up and settling in.  It feels very strange not using an airstone or filter.  The tank's lid has a large opening, so I'm not worried about gas exchange.  It just feels wrong somehow.  I know their natural habitat doesn't have much water movement, though I'm sure there are some tidal effects.  I did order a nano sized sponge filter from the Co-op and I have a Ziss Never-Clog airstone just in case I do need something to move the water.

Now it's the waiting game to let algae grow.  There's one site that is referenced by many who grow these shrimp as having the only plants that are truly brackish-water friendly.  I may order some shortly.

The substrate is Caribsea aragonite and black cinder for gardening from a local company.  Both were thoroughly rinsed in distilled water.  The large rock is an aggregate lava rock from a local fish store.  I had hoped to break it up into smaller pieces so I could stack them but that didn't work.  So I used a masonry drill bit, a flat head screwdriver and a rubber mallet to make the rock more interesting.  I'm mostly happy with the results.  I am happy with the rock wall I was able to make on two of the three sides with the 'mesh' where the filter used to be.  I spread black aquarium sealant fairly thick and pressed black cinder into it.  I was going to do all three sides but it was a bit too dark on the front panel so I decided against it.  The two sides with the rocks make it dark enough that the 'mesh' doesn't really show too much.  The salt is Instant Ocean brand, a little less than 1/4 C per gallon of distilled water.

 

[Kirsten]

Nice! I'm watching my opae ula right now, up here in an attic office that I didn't want to have to lug buckets up for water changes. About 6 weeks in and they're doing great with some brackish-specific macro algae, crushed coral and some rocks. No filter, no airstone, just distilled water and the initial bit of marine salt. They're super tiny, but active! I love watching them swim upside down on the water surface.

I'm only feeding them once a month, 1 betta pellet on the full moon 🙂 Best of luck on your shrimp adventure!

[Emika_B]

Kirsten - Thanks!  I'm really looking forward to having the shrimp.  They're so much fun to watch as they scurry about.  I was at a fish store the other day and they had captive bred shrimp - not too much color but they sure are active little guys!  I'm glad to know that your tank is doing well without filter or airstone.  I know it's the rule of thumb for this kind of tank, it just feels so weird not to have at least an airstone.

I'll post pics once there are shrimp in hale o ahi (house of fire if I'm translating that correctly).

[Lifeisgood]

On 4/2/2021 at 8:15 PM, Kirsten said:

Nice! I'm watching my opae ula right now, up here in an attic office that I didn't want to have to lug buckets up for water changes. About 6 weeks in and they're doing great with some brackish-specific macro algae, crushed coral and some rocks. No filter, no airstone, just distilled water and the initial bit of marine salt. They're super tiny, but active! I love watching them swim upside down on the water surface.

I'm only feeding them once a month, 1 betta pellet on the full moon 🙂 Best of luck on your shrimp adventure!

Could you post a picture of your tank?

[Kirsten]

14 hours ago, Lifeisgood said:

Could you post a picture of your tank?

Sure! Not much to look at yet, especially since the bio load and nutrients are so low, it'll take awhile for the algae to grow. Right now I think it kind of looks like the surface of the moon, so I call the shrimp my mooninites 😄

Little 1.5 gallon tank from some big box store.

[Emika_B]

Kirsten - that’s a beautiful tank!  May I ask if you got your algae plant from a site run by a person whose name sounds like Mufasa?

[Kirsten]

1 hour ago, Emika_B said:

Kirsten - that’s a beautiful tank!  May I ask if you got your algae plant from a site run by a person whose name sounds like Mufasa?

Thanks! Yup, I got the algae and the brackish-adapted moss ball and they both seem to be doing well.

[Lifeisgood]

3 hours ago, Kirsten said:

Sure! Not much to look at yet, especially since the bio load and nutrients are so low, it'll take awhile for the algae to grow. Right now I think it kind of looks like the surface of the moon, so I call the shrimp my mooninites 😄

Little 1.5 gallon tank from some big box store.

Love the mooninites!!😂

Thanks for posting, I have never seen this kind of setup before.  It is very nice!

[Emika_B]

Kirsten - Thanks for the confirmation.  I was debating on getting the algae but I think I will after all.

[Emika_B]

Woohoo!  I now have shrimp 🙂  I apologize for the blurriness of the linked video - I couldn't find the focal length on my camera. 

The tank has been set up for 2 - 3 weeks now and I noticed the other day that there were lots of tiny bubbles.  Happy algae, pearling!  That means the tank has enough food for the shrimp.  So I was able to pick up some today.  I decided to start small and only got 25.  I'll give them a week or two and if all goes well, I'll pick up another 25.

They really like the rock wall, which makes me happy.  I'll have to find a way to dim the light a bit so they'll spend more time out on the big rock in the center of the tank.  But until then, they seem to have found a nice spot to forage and hang out.

[Emika_B]

Thought I should put an update on this tank.  I’m really enjoying watching the shrimp scuttle about, even upside down.  The front of the tank developed some thick but fluffy algae but the shrimp didn’t seem to pay it any attention.  It was getting to the point I couldn’t really see the shrimp, the fluffy algae and just plain old regular algae.  So I got a small scrubber to clear it away.  The little guys scurried around in a frenzy - they weren’t used to their water moving like that.  But it all settled down after a few minutes.

I haven’t seen any babies, not even any berries.  Still, I’m not too disappointed.  I might test adding a small crumble of algae wafer to see if that makes a difference.  Or get some brackish-specific greenery.  Eh, we’ll see.

Enjoy!

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Emika_Breally like the build and video! We have our own opae ula that are doing great. Have had some success with minute quantities of spirilina algae powder and bee pollen. The guy on Aquabid I bought from sent me the plant in the background and it seems to be doing well. The marimo moss will probably not make it long term but has stayed healthy so far. Let us know how the algae wafers go always looking for a new way to spoil these amazing critters! 

[Emika_B]

@Beardedbillygoat1975 - Your tank is coming along nicely!  I’d read that spirulina (or however it’s spelled) works well for them.  I may have to add that to my list of foods to keep on hand.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

It does not dissolve well into the water is the only issue so I have to stir it in but a fine layer stays on the surface. This actually leads to a fun behavior of them swimming to the surface and cruising along eating as they go. I may end up doing a water change one of these times despite my putting in very small amounts  because I don’t want it to hang there forever but it usually goes fairly quickly. 

[Emika_B]

I have berried shrimp!  I thought I'd give the opae a treat and broke off a bit of algae wafer for them.  Dropped it in and quite a few scurried over to investigate.  To my surprise (and great joy) I saw two berried shrimp!  And one other looks like it had eggs so I should see the little floaters if that was the case.  Either way - yay!  Enjoy a video of the little guys (and girls) munching.

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Emika_Bdid you give them a quarter of a mini wafer? Haven’t tried this yet. Curious how they did in eating it? Did you have to remove it after awhile?

[Emika_B]

@Beardedbillygoat1975 - I just broke off a portion of a regular sized wafer that I was putting in my main tank.  If I remember the size of the mini, yeah, it might be a quarter of that.  They’re still swarming it but I’ll probably take out whatever’s left before I go to bed.

Now I have to watch out for the larva babies 🙂

[Emika_B]

The journey continues!  I've been anxiously watching for the baby opae and finally saw them.  Oh man are they tiny!  I'd guess maaaaybe 1/2 centimeter.  I can barely see them from a few feet away, just the vague impression of a tiny dot floating mid-tank.  I think I counted 10.  One of the girls still has her berries so I should have more babies soon!  I just love watching these little guys!

Enjoy

 

[Emika_B]

Just wanted to update this.  I counted my little bobbers this morning and had at least 26!  I saw one of my girls with eggs that looked like they might be hatching (never seen them hatch but hope to catch it) and another with eggs.  I'm going to have soooo many babies!

I fed the tank a tiny pinch of Repashy powder and boy did they go nuts for it once it started to sink.  I just love these little guys!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Emika_Bthe Repashy powder is such a great idea!

[RogueAquarium]

SUPER cool project, will be following with interest. Thanks for showing me a new species I had never heard of before!

this just adds to my obsession of eventually doing a "Patriotic" themed fish room featuring ONLY species endemic to US states/territories. Sadly, this would very likely mostly be several species from the everglades, and then a couple from Hawaii, and then probably a LARGE cold water tank for the vast majority of the rest of the states that largely have the same 8 ish species.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@RogueAquariumI think between Sunfish, darters, shiners, and mollies you’ll have plenty of color! 
My only regret with my Opae ula setup is the size. Wish I had a bigger setup for them.