"The Hawaiian Red Shrimp is probably one of the most amazing creatures out there. It is a shrimp of the extremes. Coming from anchialine ponds in Hawaii, it had to develop a host of abilities to survive in very hostile environments and circumstances. Hence, this shrimp became a "Super Shrimp" of sorts over its millions of years of evolution. The Opae ula (as this shrimp is called in Hawaii) can take temperature extremes, salinity extremes (from fresh water to more than full strength saltwater), environmental extremes (lack of food for months or years) and supposedly manages to live for more than 20 years if given the right conditions!
Sadly, this little shrimp is currently being abused by being sold in tiny, spherical, fully sealed glass containers widely called "ecospheres." It is claimed by the companies that sell them that they are selling a fully functioning ecosystem with the shrimp and the algae keeping each other alive. However, that is a sad and devious lie, which is being propagated by these companies for the sake of profits and to the detriment of these wonderful animals. The truth is that these shrimp are slowly *starving to death*, *suffocating* and being *poisoned* in those containers, due to lack of food and oxygen, and the accumulation of shrimp waste. This kind of container would kill any other shrimp within a few days, but it takes 1-3 years for Hawaiian Red Shrimp to finally die, since it has developed such a remarkable physiology to deal with extreme situations. During this 1-3 year torture, they actually *shrink* (every time they molt) due to lack of food, which means that they are basically consuming their own body. They could perfectly well take all the other extreme conditions in those "ecospheres" (lack of air etc.), but what kills them in the end is the lack of real food over a long period of time. The little algae they find in the container lacks in nutritional value and is just not enough to keep these shrimp alive for long. It seems to be "in" and "cool" to have these tiny torture containers sitting on one's desk nowadays, but hopefully this website can contribute towards informing the general public about what is really behind those "ecospheres." It is my sincere hope that this shrimp becomes widespread in the hobby at some point in time, so that there will be no need to buy "torturespheres."
The Hawaiian Red Shrimp should be given just as much space as any other shrimp mentioned on this website to flourish and breed. A minimum of 2 1/2 gallons is appropriate for a group of 15-30 and still leaves some room for offspring. It is a typical algae and aufwuchs eating shrimp, which should be fed very sparingly once the tank is established and has algae growing in it. I only add some finely ground flake food only if I feel that the algae are depleted. This species prefers to live in brackish water. I have kept and bred this shrimp at salinities ranging between 12 ppt (about 1.008 sg) and 23 ppt (about 1.016 sg). Water changes do not seem to be necessary for this species as my population has been breeding in water that has not been changed in over a year. However, it is important to top off with freshwater periodically when evaporation decreases the water level of the tank significantly. More info on salinity ranges for keeping and breeding should become available in the future as these shrimp become more common in the hobby. The Opae ula is a truly remarkable shrimp and should be given the respect it deserves.
Unfortunately, more than 90% of this species' habitats in Hawaii have been destroyed by development, and although this species is not listed as endangered (yet) it should be considered endangered for all practical purposes. Hence, the purchase of wild-caught animals should be"
from
http
/www.petshrimp.com/hawaiianredshrimp.html
has anyone herd of them?
($64). I think they were brine shrimp.
