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Hi from the UK. I have recently set up a habitat for opae ula in a spare 35L tank.
The tank is cycled but there is hardly any algae yet. I am using RO water with instant ocean marine salt. The salinity is 1.010. There is about 30 opae ula in there but they are hiding most of the time. I occasionally see one or two out and about.
There's also a horned nerite, some macroalgae and some copepods that must have come on the algae.

Looks loverly! I’m sure they will be very happy. How old is the tank? Some newish setups will have the shrimp hiding, new doesn’t mean non cycled but a cycled tank can take time to mature. They will be out and about once it matures a little.


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Hi odin I started it off a couple of months ago and cycled with liquid ammonia. Hopefully I'll see more of them once they are settled in.
Do you think it's worth putting a tiny bit of spirulina powder in so they have something to eat while more algae is growing?

Have you tested your water parameters? You can add a small amount if you have a cycled tank once a fortnight but I’m talking dipping the end of a tooth pick in the food and tapping it in the tank.

You could leave the lights on to encourage algae growth.


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Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8
Lights are on 12 hours.
I'll put a teeny bit and see if it encourages them to pop out

Awesome, let us know how it goes!


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The algae is starting to grow and the opae ula are getting braver and coming out. The red macroalgae went white and died sadly, but the chaeto is going strong. Unfortunately this tank has a partitioned off sump at the back, and some of them managed to find the one tiny hole that I hadn't sealed off and have set up home back there.
As long as they're happy, eh

Thanks for the update, yes they will find any place that you would think was impossible for them to get into.


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I am seeing more of the opae ula now the algae is growing. I just have one question, there is a green bubbly film on top of the water now, is it ok to leave that or should I try to skim it off?

You can take it off or leave it, doesn’t really matter really.


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