Going to be honest, having kept for some time now fresh water shrimps (Neocaridina and Caridina), making the jump to O.Ula is a bit more challenging. Everything that I have learned about keeping the fresh water shrimps....just toss MOST of it out and with O. Ula, all you need to do is essentially leave them be
Still none the less, I did my research and this forum (YOU ALL) have been very helpful for me to build on the knowledge base for me before I jump right in.
Tank measures 14.5" wide x 8.5" deep x 9" tall (approx. 4.8 gallons)
crushed aragonite sand (CaribSea)
black sand w/crushed aragonite sand (CaribSea)
initial water fill (1.010 salinity)
LED light and HOB filter to get water circulating
24 hours later
initial rock scape w/ micro algae and moss ball(from PetShrimp)
Now the most important part.....WAIT. ....and more waiting while tank cycles and biofilm growth begins
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Looks good but maybe too much substrate. They do not need a lot of substrate. Also no need for a filter of any kind. Opae Ula are less challenging than freshwater shrimp.
I assume the filter is just in there temporarily, since it says its there to get the water circulating (probably to clear the water up, I did the same when I first set up my tank).
And yeah, the substrate in the back might be deeper than necessary, but provided you get snails to dig in it it should be okay. Just keep in mind that every inch of substrate is another inch of space the shrimp won't be able to use (they don't really dig at all).
I went the opposite. Started with the opae and then years later to FW shrimps both Neocaridina and Caridina. So much work with FW. That's why I'm glad I don't have to tend to my 9 Opae Ula tanks.
Yes, the substrate look is a little misleading. It’s about 1/2” at the front and at most 1” towards the back. It’s sloped up towards the back so I can always see them. Good point on the additional space would be for more shrimp!
The HOB filter is temporary and I will eventually remove it once everything’s settles down. Pretty sure tank was cycled before I tossed in the initial O.Ula and sine I decided to just toss in big lot of them, I want to give the good bacteria a chance to keep tank going.
Been monitoring the water parameters and they have all stayed within acceptable range (ammonia/nitrate/nitrite are all at zero). They have now been in there for just under a three weeks, once I know the water isn’t going to fluctuate any more because of the increased bio-load and that the tank itself can manage, I will be taking out the filter.
Starting to see the other green algae grow on the rock scape.
My little one gallon tank would not finish cycling. It kept showing fairly high nitrite levels. I put the filter in that it came with and let it run for a day with no media inside and the nitrites all disappeared. I then took the filter out and ordered my shrimp. I think the circulation of the water did the trick.
For sure, the current that gets moved about helps to cycle a tank to keep every thing moving instead of a stagnant water. Once the tank cycles, the shrimps moving about will create the water movement needed.
Although I’m still a fan of a tank with a small Hand on Back filter to keep water circulation, I know it’s NOT necessary nor is it recommended either........
When the tank is established and shrimp and snails are doing well, just the occasional addition of distilled water to top off evaporation loss probably provides enough circulation.
