For a few months now, I have been on a crusade to educate people about ecospheres. There are several websites selling these, including through Amazon. I have been posting my "review" on as many sites that will allow me. Amazon has at least 10 different sellers. Here is my review:
Do NOT purchase these enclosed ecospheres! These shrimp, with a normal lifespan of around 20 yrs will only live for about 2 years in these enclosed systems! They will slowly starve or suffocate to death! If you want to set up a proper small tank and raise these awesome low maintenance shrimp properly, go to the website petshrimp.com and you will find all the information you need, including purchasing the shrimp and proper care and feeding of these fascinating creatures. With proper care, these "Super Shrimp" AKA Opae Ula Shrimp, will live long, breed and last you a lifetime!
Why are these ecospheres even legal to sell? They are clearly inhumane. I have received several responses to my reviews. Mostly all positive. One woman did respond that her ecosphere has lasted 8 years and the shrimp are still alive. Either a rare exception or she works for the company selling them. Many reviews, however give them 1 star and say after three or six months, the shrimp all died. That, according to the reviews, seems to be the norm.
These ecospheres are expensive too! They want around $65.00 for a small baseball sized one that contain only 4 shrimp.
What can be done to outlaw them?
Ecospheres
Moderator: Mustafa
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jcfrank922
- Tiny Shrimp
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:49 pm
- Location: Saint Louis MO
Ecospheres
Last edited by jcfrank922 on Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:04 am, edited 4 times in total.
Re: Ecospheres
I have to say that realistically it would be very difficult, even impossible, to outlaw them if you did so on the basis of them being inhumane. In part due to how hard it is to establish that invertebrates may suffer "pain" or "suffering" in a way that warrants legal protection. If it was established then you'd have to provide similar protections to things like lobsters put in boiling pots and such.
For comparison just look at how hard it is at times to enforce anti-cruelty laws toward creatures more like us, namely mammals and birds? And let's not even get started on reptiles and amphibians.
Not to be a downer, many people will agree they are inhumane regardless of laws, thus I think that spreading the word that ecospheres are inhumane is a worthwhile endeavor. But hoping for legal action may be a bit much. On the other hand, if such sellers get a bad enough reputation then they could be barred from selling on big websites like Amazon if that particular company's policy decides it warrants it.
For comparison just look at how hard it is at times to enforce anti-cruelty laws toward creatures more like us, namely mammals and birds? And let's not even get started on reptiles and amphibians.
Not to be a downer, many people will agree they are inhumane regardless of laws, thus I think that spreading the word that ecospheres are inhumane is a worthwhile endeavor. But hoping for legal action may be a bit much. On the other hand, if such sellers get a bad enough reputation then they could be barred from selling on big websites like Amazon if that particular company's policy decides it warrants it.
Re: Ecospheres
Wow! Good job.
And it would appear that the life expectancy of Opae Ups is so long that it is unknown. I think te longest known is pushing 25 years.
I also want to add that the life expectancy in Ecospheres is variable depending on the size of sphere. The larger spheres live longer. That woman that has had hers for 8 years (if that is true) must have a larger sphere. They can live well beyond 8 years in the "exhibition" size spheres.
It's so nice that you are actively doing something about this lie that Ecospheres and Associates are telling to people at the expense of the lives of these creatures for financial gain.
And it would appear that the life expectancy of Opae Ups is so long that it is unknown. I think te longest known is pushing 25 years.
I also want to add that the life expectancy in Ecospheres is variable depending on the size of sphere. The larger spheres live longer. That woman that has had hers for 8 years (if that is true) must have a larger sphere. They can live well beyond 8 years in the "exhibition" size spheres.
It's so nice that you are actively doing something about this lie that Ecospheres and Associates are telling to people at the expense of the lives of these creatures for financial gain.
Re: Ecospheres
Hey JC,
If you want to continue your activism I recommend keeping an eye on the "Ecosphere" page on wikipedia. It appears like someone connected to the manufacturer (user name: "Oknazevad" on Wikipedia) removes anything controversial and only keeps information that puts the ecosphere in a positive light. For example, someone had added a section called "Concerns about the Ecosphere" last year, and literally 10 minutes later it was removed by the user above. I have just added that section back and we'll see how long it will take for it to disappear again. Here it is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosphere_(aquarium)
If more people keep an eye on such biased pages we'll be able to actually keep such biased representation of the ecosphere and similar systems from fooling fellow human beings everywhere.
Anyone can edit Wikipedia pages with or without usernames by just clicking "edit" on the page or undoing changes in the "history" link.
If you want to continue your activism I recommend keeping an eye on the "Ecosphere" page on wikipedia. It appears like someone connected to the manufacturer (user name: "Oknazevad" on Wikipedia) removes anything controversial and only keeps information that puts the ecosphere in a positive light. For example, someone had added a section called "Concerns about the Ecosphere" last year, and literally 10 minutes later it was removed by the user above. I have just added that section back and we'll see how long it will take for it to disappear again. Here it is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosphere_(aquarium)
If more people keep an eye on such biased pages we'll be able to actually keep such biased representation of the ecosphere and similar systems from fooling fellow human beings everywhere.
Anyone can edit Wikipedia pages with or without usernames by just clicking "edit" on the page or undoing changes in the "history" link.
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jcfrank922
- Tiny Shrimp
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:49 pm
- Location: Saint Louis MO
Re: Ecospheres
Thanks Mustafa! As of today, it looks like that section in the wikipedia post on Ecospheres is still posted. It also stated this: "A further concern is that this shrimp’s sole habitat is shrinking, with over 90% of Hawaii’s anchialine pools having disappeared due to development" That's alarming! Killing off 90% of these shrimp in their only natural endemic environment to build oceanfront hotels and properties. Very sad indeed.