# What won't eat my Opae Ula shrimp?



## OpaeUla (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi Everybody!
I'm thinking of possibly getting a 5 gallon tank from Walmart (a store) that has a filter and everything for my Opae Ula shrimp. I'm also of thinking of getting a couple more shrimp. But mainly, I need people to tell me what fish or shrimp that are low maintenance would get along and WON'T EAT MY SHRIMP I should get.
Please recommend!
Thanks for your help!
Aixa
P.S. I am not asking for you to send it, I am asking for names.


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## smash (Apr 28, 2010)

Shrimp: cherry shrimp. The "crystal" shrimps and all their derivatives are not low maintenance.

Fish: really small ones that don't have a mouth large enough for the shrimp to fit in. Neon tetra ect. Bunch of others, you're young, you can do some research to figure it out.

Of course livestock comparability would depend on your water parameters. I'm Assuming you keep your opae ulas in brackish, so there might not be much choice for small fish or shrimp in that department.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Honestly, you might want to consider not putting any fish with shrimp in a tank that small. You will have a trouble keeping the water super clean already so your shrimp may not like the extra bioload. If you are insistent on having fish then I would go with something very small like rasboras or tetras. Note that if you go TOO small fish wise (0.5" fish or so) the shrimps can sometimes eat them.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

If you add some Java Moss to the tank, it will reduce the number of shrimp that get eaten.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

After looking in to the shrimp you mentioned, I read that the Opae Ula shrimp require brackish water. This very much limits what you can keep in the tank. You are also limited by the small size of your tank. I'd stick with an Opae Ula only tank if I were you. 

You could keep guppies, but if you did you would have to acclimate them slowly to the brackish water from the fresh water. They cannot just be dumped in or they will die. You could get 5 or so guppies, if you like, but make sure they are all one gender or else you will be overrun with guppies, and your tank cannot handle very many.

Do not try to keep other fresh water fish in a brackish tank.


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## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

I keep my Opae Ula shrimp alone in unfiltered brackish tanks. They are so tiny that they would be too temping for most fish to eat and there are not many fish that would enjoy the same conditions as them. I think they would have to hide a lot if "busy" fish were in their space which would be a shame as they are so pretty. Mine are doing very well and have had a lot of babies 

I keep my tanks pretty simply: White fine crush coral sand and either a chunk of black volcanic or white coral rock. I throw in a little java moss from my other tank, it takes a few months to die and I replace it with greener stuff. I have 1 leaf of pelia in one tank that has not grown but not died eather, strange.


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## OpaeUla (Jul 2, 2013)

Keri said:


> I keep my Opae Ula shrimp alone in unfiltered brackish tanks. They are so tiny that they would be too temping for most fish to eat and there are not many fish that would enjoy the same conditions as them. I think they would have to hide a lot if "busy" fish were in their space which would be a shame as they are so pretty. Mine are doing very well and have had a lot of babies
> 
> I keep my tanks pretty simply: White fine crush coral sand and either a chunk of black volcanic or white coral rock. I throw in a little java moss from my other tank, it takes a few months to die and I replace it with greener stuff. I have 1 leaf of pelia in one tank that has not grown but not died eather, strange.
> 
> ...


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## sodafox (Aug 27, 2013)

Where can a person buy these Opae Ula in Canada?


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## Livyding (Feb 6, 2013)

Honestly I wouldn't waste my money on any tank from walmart if I were you... If you look through the FW classifieds here you'll find lots of good deals on second hand stuff, and you can get yourself a 20 gallon plus a stand and a sponge filter for what you would probably spend on your little Walmart kit.

As for tankmates, there is nothing that will fit in a 5G except for shrimp, maybe a snail or two, and some plants (though I doubt that the light fixture Walmart gives you will be enough to grow anything except for some moss or something)

You might be surprised at all the plants that can grow in brackish though:

" Anacharis", actually members of the genera Egeria, Elodea are either the most common species of aquarium plant or close to it.

Anubias spp. A large assemblage of African species and cultivars that are very resistant to both salt intrusion and fish predation.

Bacopa spp., especially B. monniera is found in brackish waters.

Cabomba species. Beautiful, but easily fall apart when moved, and readily eaten. Take care to cut away rubber bands, remove lead weights, and gently plant individual stems if bought in typical "bunches".

Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum et al. spp. (coontail to pond people). Cool and tropical water species occur. Generally unpalatable to brackish water fishes.

Water Sprite, Ceratopteris spp. Amongst my favorite aquarium plants period. Beautiful, undemanding, adaptable. Here Ceratopteris cornuta in a floating phase.

Cryptocoryne spp., particularly C. ciliata is well-adapted to brackish water.

Echinodorus spp. The Pygmy Chain Sword, E. tenellus is well-regarded as a part-marine species.

Hairgrass, Eleocharis, particularly the more popular E. acicularis. Lives well in cool water, unheated aquariums. Of the 150 or so species, there are ones found in the tropics to the Arctic.

Hygrophila polysperma, Hygrophilia sticta, many others. "Hygros". Distasteful to many brackish fishes. Do check on the individual species requirements. Most prefer pH's no greater than 7.5, some get very large, others more suitable as closely cropped foreground plants. Some occur in red colors. Emergent species. At right, H. polysperma at a wholesale growing facility.

Microsorium pteropus , Java Fern. One of the best brackish water plant species. In fact, about the only regularly sold aquarium plant that is "naturally" brackish. Slow, but steady grower, attached to wood.

Myriophyllum spp., Foxtails, Parrot Feather.

Temple Plant, Nomaphila spp. A close relative to Hygrophila.

Banana Plant, Nymphoides sp. Close relatives of water lilies.

Sagittaria spp. Tough, waxy leaves help this genus of attractive tall and short plant species to resist salt leaching and consumption by brackish fishes.

Vallisneria spp., particularly the "Giant" Val.s, like V. americana, hold up well to browsing and salt intrusion.

Vesicularia dubyana, Java Moss. Can tolerate low to high light intensity, soft to very hard waters.

BracPlants


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## qyrus (Apr 21, 2010)

sodafox said:


> Where can a person buy these Opae Ula in Canada?


I maybe wrong, but I think most people are getting these guys at J&L. You can call them to see if they have any in stock.


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