Are there any, any animals that will mix with opae ula?

[Iwantshrimp]

So i wa wondering of there are any animals at all that will mix with opae ula besides snails??? I know it isnabdunb question.

[KenCotigirl]

Rob and Harry have dwarf hermit crabs. I may add one or two in a future tank. What are you looking to add. Plants? I hope Mustafa sells his moss balls soon. Fish? No! I may sound like a broken record but i think it is wise to have a thriving tank and then experiment. Add a second tank with extra shrimp from the thriving tank or buy more shrimp. The tanks (gallon size or smaller) for these shrimp have such a small foot print adding more is not a problem. Also being low tech lighting and filtration is not a issue.

[Iwantshrimp]

I am going to get some dwarf hermit crabs and i also put in some eleocharis parvula (sea grass) that survives in brackish water. Thanks!

[Harry]

My dwarf hermits, tiny as they are, are very industrious. They are very busy, constantly cleaning the gravel. I saw an Opae approach one, and it quickly darted away when the crab moved one of it claws. I understand they coexist very well.

[Mustafa]

My dwarf hermits, tiny as they are, are very industrious. They are very busy, constantly cleaning the gravel. I saw an Opae approach one, and it quickly darted away when the crab moved one of it claws. I understand they coexist very well.

They may coexist, but they may not be good match long term due to different food requirements and feeding frequencies. It may take a while, but I bet the hermit crabs will starve over time if you feed every two weeks, and the shrimp will suffer if you feed every few days.

[Rob in Puyallup]

It's been ages since I dropped in.

I still have a few hermits in a couple of my Opae Ula tanks. I feed these tanks DAILY, a very small portion of finely ground, nearly powdered TetraColor flaked fish food. The opae ula gather upside down under the waters surface, grab a morsel of food, then swim off to eat it. Enough food makes it to the hermits.

[KenCotigirl]

Great to hear from Rob! How about sharing that photo of larvae from your uneverything tank.

I got a few hermits Rob. Not impressed. Lot of hiding. Would need more hermits but that would necessitate more feeding, filtering, etc.. I like the very low maintenance of Mustafa's system. No more hermits.

Ken

[Harry]

Well, snails and hermits are a form of filtering. Hermits are part of the cleanup crew. They eat leftover food, which keeps the water clear. Some of mine hide for a while and then they come out. I've read that they can exhibit both active and in active behavior. I also find that the hermits are big algae eaters and they seem to feed off the algae just like the shrimp. So I don't do any extra feeding. But still, it will take a while to see what effect they have on the tank.

I just found what I thought was a dead hermit, outside of his shell. But it was a molt and the actual hermit was back in a shell.

[Mustafa]

Harry, the main reason why you don't want to feed too much is because it increases nitrate levels over time to a point where it's detrimental to the inhabitants. Plus, as ammonia gets produce a whole lot more often in such tanks, it can temporarily accumulate to levels where at least the larvae won't survive. Hermits or snails eating leftover food does not help with that matter. There should not be any leftover food to begin with.