I've had my Opae Ula jar for about 10 months now, and everyone seems happy and healthy - I've even got babies and another mommy with eggs. But I worry that there's not _enough_ food in the tank for them to be as happy and healthy as possible. I'll attach a very recent photo of the tank, the water is crystal clear, the glass is clean, and the substrate doesn't really look like there's anything growing on it. They're getting partial light from a full-spectrum aquarium LED fixture. I've got a bunch of lava rock to help grow bacteria and algae, the chaeto is going gangbusters, and the shrimp _are_ breeding which I assume means happy? I've only fed them a tiny little dusting of food about every 3-4 months since I've had them. I ask because while I know they are hardy, but I want them to not be just "ok" but I want them to be ecstatic and so they'll make lots more little shrimpies for me to enjoy.
Also somewhat related, can I separate that chaeto and take some out of the tank? It really is being a weed!
Can my jar be TOO clean?
Moderator: Mustafa
Can my jar be TOO clean?
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Re: Can my jar be TOO clean?
I would say that as long as your shrimp are breeding, they are pretty much "ecstatic". 
However, if you do want to increase biofilm/algae growth on your rocks and glass, then you can maybe try feeding a little more every time, or feed every 2 months instead of every 4 months.
However, before you increase feeding try to reduce the size of your macroalgae lump by 70-90%. That alone may give the other algae a better chance at competing with it. The macroalgae is a nutrient sponge.
However, if you do want to increase biofilm/algae growth on your rocks and glass, then you can maybe try feeding a little more every time, or feed every 2 months instead of every 4 months. However, before you increase feeding try to reduce the size of your macroalgae lump by 70-90%. That alone may give the other algae a better chance at competing with it. The macroalgae is a nutrient sponge.
Re: Can my jar be TOO clean?
This is on my shortlist of maintenance things for the jar. I have been pestering friends to set up their own jar so I don't have to trim the macroalgae and just chuck the trimmed bits out.However, before you increase feeding try to reduce the size of your macroalgae lump by 70-90%. That alone may give the other algae a better chance at competing with it. The macroalgae is a nutrient sponge.
I'll try feeding a little more often after removing a big chunk of the macro, and see how it goes. And yes, I figured if they are breeding, they must be pretty happy, but I love super-happy supershrimp.
