Keeping your Opae Ula shrimp tank well-fed is really easy.
They don’t need much to eat, and it’s simple to get food they love.
Do you need to feed Opae Ula?
Not frequently.
In a mature tank that’s been running for a few months, you can be pretty sure they’ll have enough to eat already.
This is one of the main reasons you should wait a few weeks after setting up their tank before adding any shrimp. Letting their tank mature and grow algae for a few weeks massively improves their chances of survival.
What do Opae Ula shrimp eat?
Opae Ula spend almost all their time grazing on algae and biofilm growing all over the tank.
However, it’s still a good idea to feed them something different every so often. A balanced diet can help them molt safely and stay healthy.
Popular foods for Opae Ula tanks are:
- Spirulina powder
- Algae
- Biofilm
- Algae wafer pieces
- Bee pollen
How much do they eat?
Opae Ula shrimp don’t eat much, they only need tiny portions to keep going.
Always feed less than you think they need. The algae and background biofilm should keep them happy, the extra food is more like a treat.
For powders like dried spirulina, only add a tiny pinch, like the size of a match head.
With Bee pollen pellets, two or three pellets should be plenty. Try to float them on the surface, so the pollen slowly falls down into the water and spreads further.
These shrimp also enjoy the occasional bit of algae wafer. Don’t add a whole one, though. Try to split it into pieces roughly the size of a shrimp’s body.
A whole algae wafer is more likely to break down and rot than get eaten in time.
Should you remove uneaten food?
Yes, it’s a good idea to remove anything uneaten after a few hours. Otherwise, it will start to break down and pollute the water quality.
Using a feeding dish can help make it easier to remove leftovers.
How often do they need feeding?
Only add extra food as a rare treat, you shouldn’t be feeding your Opae Ula multiple times a week.
Personally, I give them some bee pollen or a bit of algae wafer every few weeks. Something like once a month.
Tips for growing biofilm and algae
Get a basic aquarium light and set up a timer so that’s on for 12 hours a day. This will help kickstart algae growth in the tank.
You might need to adjust the timings slightly as time goes on. Cut back on the hours of light if the algae starts going out of control.
Adding rocks to your tank will give biofilm and other tasty bacteria more surface to grow on.
Lava rocks are great for Opae Ula tanks. Their porous surfaces have massive surface area, and they won’t react with your water at all.