Ecospheres

[furtech]

Darn it! I really wanted to get another ecosphere , but this site (about pet shrimp) claims that the shrimp are slowly dying, not surviving in a balanced environment.

So, who's right?!?

I had one a few years ago and the shrimp actually grew noticeably over the year+ that I had it (broken in a house-cleaning mishap-- became the "Ghettosphere" at Casa Zor). So I'm not sure who's right.

Any opinions?

Comments

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

It's a shrimp.

Being cruel to a dog or cat? Crime and tragedy. But that's because dogs and cats feel emotions. They suffer. Shrimp barely even have nervous systems. I would buy an ecosphere without any qualms whatsoever.

Also, that site contradicts itself.

"The little algae they find in the container lacks in nutritional value and is just not enough to keep these shrimp alive for long."

"It is a typical algae and aufwuchs eating shrimp, which should be fed very sparingly once the tank is established and has algae growing in it. I only add some finely ground flake food only if I feel that the algae are depleted."

So... they starve if there's only algae to eat, but you don't need to feed them anything else, so long as they have algae? Which is it?

And

"The truth is that these shrimp are slowly *starving to death*, *suffocating* and being *poisoned* in those containers, due to lack of food and oxygen, and the accumulation of shrimp waste."

"Water changes do not seem to be necessary for this species as my population has been breeding in water that has not been changed in over a year."

So do they need to have fresh water and their waste removed periodically, as that first line suggests, or don't they?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Good point on the contradictions! That's one of the things that has me doubting the absolute certainty of the site's owner.

As for a shrimp isn't a cat or a dog-- I'd still feel guilty. I suppose I have unresolved issues somewhere.

[coyoty.livejournal.com]

The point of an Ecosphere is you don't change the water or add food. That will kill the shrimp. Ecospheres are designed to be balanced environments that only need controlled light and temperature to survive. It's not a fish bowl, and trying to open it to save the shrimp from dying of starvation and asphyxiation is like taking fish out of water to save them from drowning.

I had a thriving five-inch sphere for over two years, until I accidentally smashed it with a coffee cup. I haven't been able to afford replacing it yet.