Do Opae's have feeding times?

[ShrimpGuy]

Hi all,

It's been about 3 weeks since I added my shrimp to the tank. They have been hiding ever since (you can see my other post "where have they gone" to read about that. Anyway... they are slowly making an appearance but I notice its only certain times of the day. I'll see about 5 to 7 of them appear to be feeding on rocks and substrate or just swimming around, just before the lights come on in the morning and for about an hour afterward, then they disappear again. They seem to re-appear around 6pm to 7pm and do the same thing. Lights go out at 10pm.

Is this normal?

[eightoeight]

That's a good question. Though I don't have an answer, I've always been wondering if there was a correlation between time and their behavior. Sometimes I see them perched on things, or on the bottom and other times the majority of them are swimming around. If they do have a "schooling" nature, then maybe the behavior is less tied to time.

[Rob in Puyallup]

Seems mine are always out eating.

[Mustafa]

Seems mine are always out eating.

That's what they *should* be doing...always running around picking at things. ShrimpGuy, if your shrimp aren't all that active, just wait it out. I bet they aren't all that crazy about food either when and if you feed them. That just means that your tank has not "settled", yet. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do. Just wait and things will fix themselves eventually. If you want to accelerate things, you may consider adding some Supershrimp Macroalgae.

[ShrimpGuy]

Seems mine are always out eating.

That's what they *should* be doing...always running around picking at things. ShrimpGuy, if your shrimp aren't all that active, just wait it out. I bet they aren't all that crazy about food either when and if you feed them. That just means that your tank has not "settled", yet. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do. Just wait and things will fix themselves eventually. If you want to accelerate things, you may consider adding some Supershrimp Macroalgae.

I haven't fed them since our last discussion " Where have they gone" post. I've had your snails and your Macroalgae in with them since the very beginning. I did your suggested 95% water change about 2 weeks ago, and have been waiting it out since. No food, I've made no changes and haven't disturbed anything. I just watch more and more algae begin to grow on the rocks and substrate (still very light). There sudden and occasional appearances made me think things were getting better, but maybe not. I guess I just run out of patience sitting here staring into, what seems to be an empty tank.

By the way, what water test kit do you use for a brackish tank? Fresh or Saltwater?

[Harry]

I use the API ammonia kit for freshwater/saltwater. This is a liquid kit comprised of two liquids that are added together in a test tube with your tank water. Petco sells it for $10 and you get over 120 tests with it. These liquid test kits are supposed to be more accurate than test strips.

[ShrimpGuy]

I use the API ammonia kit for freshwater/saltwater. This is a liquid kit comprised of two liquids that are added together in a test tube with your tank water. Petco sells it for $10 and you get over 120 tests with it. These liquid test kits are supposed to be more accurate than test strips.

Thanks Harry,

Unfortunately, I have the API complete kit for freshwater AND the API Master kit for Saltwater. NOT the combo. I hate to purchase yet another test kit. I figure I can test my purchased RO water, and my purchased Saltwater separately, but unfortunately that doesn't tell me what's going on in my tank.

[Harry]

Check the API kits that came in your freshwater and saltwater packs. Does the ammonia kit say saltwater too? I believe API has only one ammonia test kit for both. Mine comes with color charts for both freshwater and saltwater in the same pack. Check to see.

[ShrimpGuy]

Check the API kits that came in your freshwater and saltwater packs. Does the ammonia kit say saltwater too? I believe API has only one ammonia test kit for both. Mine comes with color charts for both freshwater and saltwater in the same pack. Check to see.

Well.. I get the RO and Saltwater separately and they both read 0 on ammonia, nitrates and nitrites.

I just checked and YES, it does say can be used in freshwater where salt has been added (weird way of putting it). SO.... I'll be back in 5 minutes with the results of my tank. Thanks Harry!

[ShrimpGuy]

Check the API kits that came in your freshwater and saltwater packs. Does the ammonia kit say saltwater too? I believe API has only one ammonia test kit for both. Mine comes with color charts for both freshwater and saltwater in the same pack. Check to see.

Well.. I get the RO and Saltwater separately and they both read 0 on ammonia, nitrates and nitrites.

I just checked and YES, it does say can be used in freshwater where salt has been added (weird way of putting it). SO.... I'll be back in 5 minutes with the results of my tank. Thanks Harry!

Ok... the reading on my tank shows somewhere between 0 and .25 I would say. So now what? do yet another water change, or wait it out? I haven't noticed any dead shrimp, but I haven't removed the rocks either. Mustafa suggested I just leave things alone. Moving things would just make things worse. But if there are dead shrimp where they can't be seen would he make the exception???? Or would the snails I got from him take care of that?

[Harry]

Between 0 and .25 is probably the best you can get. Use two different test tubes, one for your tank and one for your bottle of brackish water that has not yet been used. See if they test the same.

[ShrimpGuy]

Between 0 and .25 is probably the best you can get. Use two different test tubes, one for your tank and one for your bottle of brackish water that has not yet been used. See if they test the same.

I don't see a difference.

[Harry]

If you don't see a difference, then your tank water is as good as your bottled water. Tip for using the color chart: Press the finished test tube directly to the white part of the card. Then hold it directly under a bright lamp, say 10 inches away from the lamp with the light shining directly on the test tube. What may have seemed greenish to you before, will now look like bright yellow.

[ShrimpGuy]

I think my water is fine. So... not sure what my problem is then.

[Harry]

You may not have a problem. I have three small containers: 1/4 gallon betta tank, 1/2 gallon jar and 1 gallon jar. Two of these tanks are filled with exhibitionists. At least 60% of the population is out and about swimming, eating, etc all the time. The largest 1 gallon jar has lots of rocks with crevices. Those shrimp seem to stay under the rocks in their little "caves". I see a few every now and then. But mostly they are hidden away. Likely they are finding their food down their. But it is dark under the rocks, so algae will probably not grow well under there. Sooner or later, they will realize that the algae is growing out in the light and they will go there. To encourage that, I would not feed.