# Opae Ula



## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

Hi,

I've kept them for 4+ yrs. now.
started out with a 1/2gal with 25 juveniles.
stayed at 25 until a few months ago.
this past summer, after I guess they got old enough, they started breeding and didn't stop until the weather turned colder.
there are now over 100 of them.
I recently - last week - trasferred them over to a 3gal tank - 78*F, 7.6pH, 1.008sg. I've read they can tolerate 1.000sg-1.040sg, if acclimated slowly enough, but have only had them as high as 1.014sg. Their preferred range is supposed to be 1.005sg-1.010sg.

since the new tank is heated, I'm hoping they start breeding again after they get used to it.

make sure they have plenty of algae to eat. Barring that, feed them crushed spiralina algae. Also, build a small mound with lava rocks. This provides them with plenty of nooks and caves to get busy in.

good luck!


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Hey thanks very imformative. Where you able to keep any plants with it at all?

Also by any chance would u be willing to sell any? Or do u know someone who can?

These seem pretty awesome


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

no problems.

the old 1/2gal only had lava rock with dense growth of green algae (in a thick mat) and a little bit of red-brown algae (also in a thick mat). The algae grew on the lava rock mountain I made and I allowed the green to grow on the back wall as well. The shrimpies delighted in picking on it constantly, keeping it nicely under control.

when they started breeding, I supplemented more spirulina - once every 2 days instead of 3 days.

in the new 3gal, I have java fern (16 leaves), java moss (2.5"x7" carpet), and bolbitis (as well as the transplanted green and red algae lava rock). If you want to set up a planted tank, you'll have to choose similar salt-tolerant plants: 
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracplants.htm
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Brackish_Water_Plants_s/22.htm

And, unless you buy them brackish, it will take you a few weeks to transition the plants over to 1.005-1.010 Make sure you ask them about their water parameters.

sorry, I'll probably not sell any shrimpies until I get to at least 500! But you can buy them here: http://www.aquatic-store.com/en-us/dept_307.html
be sure to inquire about their water parameters before, so you can setup your tank accordingly.

here's an excellent resource: http://www.fukubonsai.com/micro-lobster.html This is where I got my 1/2gal habitat and original 25 shrimpies 4 years ago. They sell fully cycled and complete oape'ula habitats.

the opae'ulas are pretty awesome. Easy to care for, unassuming, easy to breed (when old enough - they live long for dwarf shrimps), and very interesting (they like to swim around a lot - if you keep them in a cylindrical tank, they will generally "herd swim" all in the same direction, round and round and round. Too bad my 3gal nano is a bow-front, so they all do their own thing now.

good luck, and keep me posted!


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

also, make sure the filter is covered with a sponge pre-filter (don't want to lose any) and that the flow is really slow (they don't seem to like too much current - which makes sense, since their native habitats are anchialine ponds in Hawaii).


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## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

they've bred in a nano with my dwarf seahorses...

i got them from [email protected]@mac.com...in Hawaii...

they're pretty cheap...like $.50/each...


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

leemacnyc said:


> they've bred in a nano with my dwarf seahorses...
> 
> i got them from [email protected]@mac.com...in Hawaii...
> 
> they're pretty cheap...like $.50/each...


Oh cool. I'll try to contact him. I assume your also from NYC. Do you have any of these shrimp u would be willing to sell?


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## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Doc...I've only got a few left...the nauplli were in the hundreds, but were all eaten by my seahorses...was going for a sustainable set-up

might order some more...could pool on shipping though its only about $15 or so...

they are very animated little shrimp and look like a mini CRS...

i currently have about 100 +/- mysis shrimp...they are vocacious little guys!


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## kvntran (Feb 16, 2008)

tw33kerloki said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've kept them for 4+ yrs. now.
> started out with a 1/2gal with 25 juveniles.
> ...



Hi,

Great info. So does this mean their life expectancy is a lot more than 4 years, and they are not sexually mature until 4 year or older? Very interesting read. Thanks.

Kevin


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

leemacnyc said:


> Hey Doc...I've only got a few left...the nauplli were in the hundreds, but were all eaten by my seahorses...was going for a sustainable set-up
> 
> might order some more...could pool on shipping though its only about $15 or so...
> 
> ...


Sure that sounds cool. I just don't like to ship from Hawaii at this timeof the year. 

The only thing now is that how to I get such a salinity? Do I just get a sea water mix pack and how about water changes? Do you just mix up a batch before changing? I never had any experience with salt water set up.

Also t33k thanks for the list I didnt know so many common plants are salt tolerant.


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## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

i set up a gallon jar with rock a few weeks ahead...using instant ocean...prob need to cycle...after its cycled, i'd just replace 25% 1x a month...haven't gotten them to breed in the 1-g culture, but they breed fairly often in the 7g with the seahorses...


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

"Great info. So does this mean their life expectancy is a lot more than 4 years, and they are not sexually mature until 4 year or older? Very interesting read. Thanks."

Kevin 

My original exposure to this was 8yrs. ago. In 2001, my gf (now my wife) bought a Migi-cube from a co-worker as a present for me. The Migi-cube was one of those inexpensive "self-sufficient" eco-sphere things and contained 4 opaes, a snail, and about 5oz. of water. The system wasn't completely sealed - there was a plug at the top for gas exchange. No instructions other than leave near indirect sunlight for algae growth.

Well, the snail died for lack of sufficient algae within 4 weeks. Ironically, by the 5th week, I had quite a bit of algae. Still, things were hardly in balance. Something went terribly wrong, the system probably crashed, and one by one, the opaes died over the next 9 months. The survivors turned cannibal until there was just one guy left. I'm pretty sure they didn't kill the live ones, just ate the dead.

I knew nothing about them at the time, not even their common and scientific names, and so it was tough to find out much about their ecology. I assumed they were just short-lived. But, that last guy lived in that death chamber for another 3yrs. all by himself, eating the algae that formed on the walls, and thinking lonely shrimp thoughts.

In 2005, I stumbled on more info about these opaes, did some research, ordered the 1/2gal habitat from fukubonsai, and dremeled the lone survivor out of the Migi and put him in with the 25 or so in the 1/2gal. He was different: smaller, paler - it turns out he had SHRANK because he wasn't getting enough nutrition during those first 4yrs.! I feel terrible about that.

Anyway, he lived happily with his new buddies (lots of bigger females in the 25) for the next 4yrs. and I could always tell him apart from the rest of them because he was the smallest. About 4 months ago, they started breeding. The kids grew up quick, and now I have a bunch of smaller opaes swimming around, so I can no longer tell him apart. He could be dead, he is 9yrs. old. Or he could still be alive and a midget.

To answer your questions: yeah, that first dude lived at least 9yrs. and may still be alive. As for sexual maturity, since I didn't change any of their water parameters, I'm assuming they came of age in August (which would make them ~4yrs. old), and then did what comes naturally.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

dude i want some of these now that i know theyre saltwater


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Some thoughts.

The first seller of the shrimp listed is using other people's photos. Some getting credit some not. His new site he took the fish photo graphic thing from the Boston Aquarium. To my eyes, that doesn't look good but I may be mistaken.

Secondly, These shrimp are said to have a very quick maturity time but very very long life. This has to do with the ecology of the environment they come from. You probably know that they are indigenous to the pools of water in the Hawaiian Islands and are very hardy because of this. This is also why they are treated terribly in the ecospheres or biospheres or whatever they are marketted as these days.

Lastly, the natural history museaum has one of the largest ever "Eco Spheres" in their planetarium building in NYC. This is where I first saw the shrimp in person (In October/early Nov. or so) after reading about them for a while (years) Neat shrimp.

Also, Bill Southern has a colony as well, or did.

Neat shrimp, let me know how they work for you guys I might be interested in getting some before summer next year.

-Andrew


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

I am at work now and cannot access my e-mail (but strangly, this site isn't blocked...) but I have contact information from someone selling them $25 shipped for I think 20 of them. Live arrival guaranteed.


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## kvntran (Feb 16, 2008)

tw33kerloki said:


> "Great info. So does this mean their life expectancy is a lot more than 4 years, and they are not sexually mature until 4 year or older? Very interesting read. Thanks."
> 
> Kevin
> 
> ...



Thanks for such detail info. Wow, they live that long! neat shrimp. I will probably setup a 10G for them.


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

Actually, I was kind of surprised that opaes have almost no following. I figured it was because they're brackish, making them less suitable for most planted setups.


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

http://www.dansgreenhouse.com/lobsters.html

It does not say that you can buy them, but e-mail them and ask. 12 for $25 shipped, live arrival. 

Sorry I thought you got more but that's still about $2 a piece!

I do hope to get some soon. Just waiting to get my air pump set up.


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## Felf808 (Jan 22, 2008)

leemacnyc said:


> Hey Doc...I've only got a few left...the nauplli were in the hundreds, but were all eaten by my seahorses...was going for a sustainable set-up


They're especially popular with seahorse breeders here because they promote nice coloring and they're quite inexpensive plus some have even lived as long as a few decades 

http://www.seahorse.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=17
http://www.fukubonsai.com/micro-lobster.html


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## StevenLeeds (Oct 9, 2007)

Pretty cool looking lobsters/shrimp. I have a lot of interesting lava rock in the garage if you need some for your tank. 

I live in Las Vegas and collect it from the desert before it gets scraped off and crushed when the land is developed.

My shrimp love it. PM me if you need some.


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

most of the OP questions have been already posted, but the simple way is to do a small 2.5 to 5 gal tank, with a bunch of lava rocks on a basic inert gravel substrate. i use a single sponge filter with a very low bubble rate, they do not like high water movements. my sp is or was 1.008 (havent checked in over a year) but depending on the pools the shrimp were originally collected from it can range from near full fresh water to 2x sea water salinity. they are very adaptable though so you can acclimate them to your water parameters easily enough. they dont seem to breed though below about 1.005 so keep it slightly brackish. do a search for sea horse live food (thats what they are sold as), or contact Jojo (aquascapes). he can ship to you if its legal. as for water changes, i dont do any, just top off evaporation with RO. let the algae that grows cover 3 of the 4 sides of the tank and your good to go. i feed mine crushed spirulina maybe once a week.

planted tank friendly they are not. i tried java moss, fern etc from the supposedly brackish list, but it never grew and only slowly rotted away. if you look at their natural pools they are simple sink holes in the lava or coral rock with no plants besides algae.

they supposedly can live 20 years or more, my oldest is one of those mini tanks i got as a gift back in 1996 or so. was like 1/2 liters max. my dad kept it and took off the cover so he could feed and top off easier. they are all still alive, and i still see the tank on the bookshelf when i visit. no water changes, just topping off with distilled water, and once a week feedings. they wont breed in such a small container though, so if you want to do that, you need a tank. 

good luck, they are marvels of nature, i havent come across another invert that can tolerate the crap they are put thru and survive....


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

'havoc,

you're second person to mention [email protected]
googling brings up pond designers, pool designers, etc.
can you post Jojo's contact info?
I'd love to add some new opaes and inject some new genes into my population.

as for plants, I know about the anchialine ponds (rocks+algae+bacterial mats), but wanted something more aesthetic. After 2 weeks, my java moss seems to be doing okay, the java fern went a little brown, but the new leaves are nice and green, but the bolbitis is having a little algae problem. I'm hoping the snails (ramhorns, pond, mts) will help there.


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

Leemacny listed Jojo's email: [email protected]@mac.com 

you actually want the algae mat to grow. the thicker the better. the mat in my tank is at least 2mm thick.


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

The BGA mat was nice and thick (3-4mm) and growing all over the lava rocks and on the walls of the old 1/2gal. Unfortunately, the snails made quick work of it. I've spent the last few days removing the snails, so the algae's coming back on the lava rocks. Will probably be weeks removing the baby snails - dang these things are prolific!

thanks for the contact info!


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## Grundy (Dec 11, 2008)

Can anyone post pictures of their aquaria? I am interested in these guys as well.


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

I cannot seem to get my point-and-shoot to behave.


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

here's a pic of bunch of out-of-focus shrimpies on the algae-covered lava rock jumble. This is from two weeks ago, a few hours after I transferred them over to this 3gal habitat. They were still in shock, so they had not colored up. They're usually the same color as that one berried female (pic taken through jeweler's loup) in the picture above.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Thats really cool. I think I'm going to have to start it now. Im gonna try and get in contact with him for some shrimp.

BTW where did you get ur salt mix? I can't find it for any less thank 5 gal buckets. Im going to be keeping probably a 5 gal or smaller. So I'm trying to find something more in my terms


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

I just went to my LFS and asked for 1 gallon of cycled saltwater.
it was like $0.40 or something.
and I only need about a 1/2gal to raise that 3gal to 1.008sg.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

tw33kerloki said:


> I just went to my LFS and asked for 1 gallon of cycled saltwater.
> it was like $0.40 or something.
> and I only need about a 1/2gal to raise that 3gal to 1.008sg.



Hey thanks, ok cool im gonna try to see if my local petland discounts does that


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

oh btw, there are supposed to be 9 identified "strains" (subspecies?) of opaes, with varying color intensity and behavior, from various ponds on various Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian authorities trace them by DNA to track legal collection vs. poaching. I've been told that the different strains don't hybridize/interbreed and can be territorial toward each other to the point of having been observed engaging in a "fight to the death." 


mine are all Big Island. Jojo's are Oahu.

if I get some from Jojo, it would be to start a 2nd, separate colony tank.

food for thought.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Whoa. Thats unexpected. Ok cool I guess I should start large. To make sure I don't need to get anymore for the risk of contamination. Man that sounds really cool though. Im gonna try to see if I can pull up any scientific articles on these guys. Where did you read/heard of that?


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

David Fukumoto of Fukubonsai relayed it to me. 

just google/bing/yahoo halocaridina rubra and read all you can.
that's what I've been doing the past few months.
trying to pick up more knowledge so I can create a happier opae habitat.

GL and keep us informed.


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

*opae'ulas - halocaridina rubra*

woot!!!
X-mas present: one of the big females is berried again.
this is the first berried female in the new habitat and the first in over 6 weeks (when I slowly lowered the salinity from 1.014 to 1.008).
looks like my little colony of Big Island opaes - 25 adults and 75 juveniles - will be growing by another 8-10 soon.

Happy Holidays!


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## edotero (Jan 7, 2010)

I need to get these for my seahorses...


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## tw33kerloki (Aug 24, 2009)

tw33kerloki said:


> mine are all Big Island. Jojo's are Oahu.
> if I get some from Jojo, it would be to start a 2nd, separate colony tank.
> food for thought.


CORRECTION: Jojo is in Oahu, but her opaes are originally from The Kona Coast, so I got some to add to my colony.roud:


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## Felf808 (Jan 22, 2008)

tw33kerloki said:


> CORRECTION: Jojo is in Oahu, but her opaes are originally from The Kona Coast, so I got some to add to my colony.roud:


lol Jojo is a dude btw


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