Hey guys! It’s the holiday season and I am seeing it pop up
in my various social media feeds that folks are asking for / receiving these
neat sealed ecosystems for shrimp.
I remember seeing these at the mall in a big city, in the 80’s,
before household internet was a thing, and being smitten! How AMAZING, these
glass containers, with a perfectly balanced ecosystem of shrimp and algae
inside! The only reason I never got one was the cost. We were not very well
off. So I would stare at them when we’d go to the city, once a year or so. So
cool!
They do seem very neat. There is some science there: the species of shrimp used
are Opae Ula (Halocaridina
rubra), a very unique and amazing species endemic to the Hawaiian
islands (I find it curious that the company that makes these does not specify
what species they use; are they worried people will find out more about them
and stop buying the product? I digress…). This brackish water species is
incredible, as it can tolerate truly abysmal conditions, especially if it is
slowly acclimated to them. Notice I said “tolerate” and not “thrive”. The
sealed tanks are “perfectly balanced” to grow algae and microscopic life, which
feeds the shrimp. The shrimp’s waste then feeds the algae and bacterial growth.
It really does sound legitimate, and the sealed tanks may well start out that
way (I’d have to bust one open and do some water testing to really know).
However, if we delve into the science a bit, and learn some chemistry, we
realize that this slowly becomes their death trap. Anyone that has cycled an
aquarium might know of the nitrogen cycle, and that in a sealed environment
with living organisms, things do not stay “in balance” indefinitely. Even with
bacteria and algae converting ammonia and nitrites, over time these accumulate
regardless in these sealed environments with no gas exchange. The Opae Ula are
extremely resilient; moreso than any other shrimp species commonly kept in
captivity, and so they do survive this for a while. But over a year or three,
they gradually starve and the toxins build up, and they perish. They don’t breed. The idea of a “zero
care” pet is attractive, but ultimately a bit misleading.
This is a shame. Though 2-3 years sounds
like a long time for a shrimp to live, this species has been known to live for anywhere
from 12-20 years (one anecdotal experience from a keeper was that a shrimp
purchased in a sealed sphere was “broken free” and lived an additional 16 years
after).
It’s especially a
shame since the sealed spheres are an expensive gimmick; one can easily set up
a small tank at home where the shrimps will not only live, but thrive and
breed, in a setup that costs less than
one of the small sealed units (and honestly they can look way cooler when you do it yourself). I have long loved shrimp and keep a few
freshwater species. I researched Opae Ula after a friend visited them in their
native habitats in Hawaii, and put together a setup for far less than one of
those sealed units. My shrimp are very active, healthy, and breeding like whoa. After
initial setup, their care requires less attention than a houseplant. I feed
them a tiny amount once to twice a
month, and top off their water when necessary with distilled water. They do not
require filtered water (actually the water movement can be harmful especially
in smaller tanks), and your room temperatures should be between 55-85°F. You
can easily keep them with no electricity, unlike other tanks. My houseplants take
more time and are more fussy than that!
I know some of you are thinking, “lawd, this person is so
worried about some dang water bugs! I eat shrimp for lunch with cocktail sauce!
How stupid! Who cares!” That’s fair. What you care about is up to you! But I
know many friends and acquaintances prefer not to buy into gimmicky and
potentially cruel products when much happier alternatives exist. I just wanted
to put this info out there because the sealed spheres DO seem REALLY COOL, and
exciting, especially to my fellow nerdy people. I just wanted to let folks know that it’s possible to be smitten
with these tiny amazing shrimp AND keep them in conditions that they will
thrive in!
If you are interested in learning more, please do some research into their
needs, and source responsibly! Mine are breeding so well that I will probably
need to find new homes for some in the spring when the temperatures increase.
It’s very possible to find captive bred shrimps, at least here in the USA.
According to researcher, Scott R. Santos, of the Department of Biological
Sciences and Cell & Molecular Biosciences Peak Program, at Auburn
University in Alabama, “Commercial harvesting, coupled with habitat destruction
as well as strong regional endemism, could lead to the depletion and/or
extinction of unique Halocaridina populations or genetic groups.” (source)
MORE INFO (I’m not affiliated
with any of these people just FYI):
So there you have it! Sealed shrimp tanks: you can do better, with only a tiny
bit more effort! Buy an Ecosphere… or not… the choice is yours. At least now
you know more about it!
My brother bought one of these a while back (yes, I warned him). Shockingly, they all died within days of hatching. Now its a super neat tank for my low-maintenence pets! ..moss balls
I’ve spoken about these before, a long time ago. Thank you for the well written post!
They require basically zero maintenance in a proper tank. Literally all you do is add some distilled water once a week to keep up with evaporation, make sure they’re near a light source, and that’s IT. You don’t need to feed them until they multiply into a large swarm, and even then, it’s once a week or so. No filter, no heater, not even a LIGHT if you keep them near a window. The easiest aquatic pets in the world, and cute as heck.
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