Shrimp Bubble Self-Sustaining Ecosystem - Natural. Contains Live Opae Ula Shrimp

Update: One of the shrimp recently laid eggs that successfully hatched and I now have 5 larval shrimp swimming around in the bowl, along with the 4 adults I originally received. On top of that I now have 2 MORE shrimp that are currently carrying eggs (meaning I originally got 1 male and 3 females). Not sure if my little bubble can handle 20 shrimp!!! I might need to purchase a second EMPTY Shrimp Bubble to have a place to put all these shrimp! 🙂 This is an awesome little shrimp ecosystem! I had previously had a similar product from another brand, but unfortunately after many many years the glass ecosystem was accidentally broken, and my shrimp did not survive. Upon looking for a replacement, I found this Shrimp Bubble. While I really enjoyed the other brand too, the only thing I didn't really like was that that other ecosystem was completely sealed. Ethically I had a bit of a problem with that. I didn't really care for the fact that I could NEVER change out the water, feed the shrimp, or care for the system if one of the shrimp didn't make it. Although this Shrimp Bubble ecosystem is also self sustaining, I really liked the idea that I could open and care for the animals if I needed to. The Shrimp Bubble is also a bit less expensive than the other brand, and I prefer the look of this one as the Shrimp Bubble's decor (with the sand, shells and live algae), makes it look more natural. I put this Shrimp Bubble on a window sill in my kitchen that does not get direct sunlight, so the algae will benefit from the sun. I've learned alot from keeping the other brand of shrimp ecosystem for many years, and the biggest tip I've learned is that you must occasionally rotate the containers location. If the algae becomes too abundant, you need to move the shrimp to a location further away from sunlight, even sometimes into a room with NO natural light. Then, if the algae starts looking a little too sparse, move the container back to a location that does get some indirect sunlight. If there is too much algae, the shrimp waste CO2 will not be enough to sustain it, and the algae will start to die and muck up the water. Although these little pets are extremely easy to care for, you have to do your part to keep their ecosystem healthy. Overall, I love this product and highly recommend it. It makes a very unique gift for someone that is difficult to buy for, and is even more fun as a gift for yourself!

This has got to be one of the best purchases I've ever made. I bought this for myself as a Mother's Day gift. Shipping was so fast, less than 48 hours from time of purchase, and it was on my doorstep. Packaging was great, everything was very well protected. Instructions were very clear and easy to understand, so the setup was a breeze. Aesthetically, it is beautiful. It is a tiny bit smaller than I was imagining, so I'd say it's about the size of my palm in terms of how big the 'ball' of the glass is. All four of my shrimp were alive and thriving on arrival and I put them in 24 hours after we got them, per instructions. They are so happy in their ecosystem and I can't wait to make them thrive for years to come.

I have now had my shrimp bubble for almost a year. I love it. It sits next to my favorite chair in which I spend most of my retired life and brings me much enjoyment. But I learned something really important: you must give them healthy light. For my first six months I watched them slowly decline, less active and pale color. Desperate, I tried a tiny LiFMIRA clamp-on light with adjustable light spectrum 3000 to 6500k (I use 6500) and ten light intensity settings. I like to start and end their day gradually like the sun. They are now bright orange and continually active and the foliage is thriving. I have only opened it once for no particular reason I can recall. It's a tiny little living world at your finger tips. CAUTION! This my second one. I still have my first but I absentmindedly left it where the sun could hit it and in only a couple hours the shrimp were dead. Now all that lives in it is the plants and it's a sealed model so I can't add any new creatures.

So cute and a perfect gift just wish it was a bit bigger

I purchased my Shrimp Bubble for my office in June 2020. Even living in a rural area it arrived nicely packed and with 4 live shrimp. It was very easy to put all the different elements of the little ecosystem together. In the nearly 3 years that I have owned this bubble, I have opened it once and that was only because the magnet that had been provided to clean the glass started to rust and so I took it out. (see photo 2 of rust stain). All 4 original shrimp are still alive and in fact, there are now a total of seven shrimp as one of the shrimp hatched some eggs. One tip is, I did buy a UV grow light and a timer to help control the growth of the algae and keep everything in balance. What I love: Very easy to start and fun to look at. Almost no work once it is set up. If there are young children in your life it is a great teaching tool about nature and ecosystems. I would buy it again. What I would change: The magnet cleaner (if the ecosystem is balanced it shouldn't even need it) my bubble is as clear as when I bought it. The original cork was very brittle and fell apart when I had to get the magnet out. I had to replace it but these are little things compared to the overall value of it. If you want to bring a little bit of nature to a room or office without taking up a lot of space and with almost no care or upkeep this is a product you may like.

Gave this to a cousin for a birthday over a year ago. Because of its life sensitive nature I had it shipped to me and started it immediately upon arrival. They are fascinating "pets" and enchant everyone who views them. My cousin keeps them in her home office and sees them daily. Anyone who visits always has to check them out. One died a couple of months after delivery but we were warned that it's not uncommon for that to happen. The remaining three shrimp seem quite healthy. Periodic infrequent water maintenance is required but it is rather simple. Easy, rare feeding is also required. Greatest temptation is the desire to overfeed them. DON'T! A magnetic scrubber is included in the kit. It could be described, at best, as only adequate. We are trying to come up with an alternate way to clean the globe without jeopardizing the shrimp and their environment. There are videos for those who want more instructions on setup and care. Will consider this as a gift for other people who I feel it would be appropriate for.

I bought this product because - like many of you - I wanted something small to place at my desk for patients to see and enjoy. The product itself came fine. The shrimp were alive and they still are a few months later. However, I wanted to know more about these little guys. What I found out made me regret buying it. These little shrimp are indeed hardy, but these "ecospheres" are a complete lie in saying they can sustain them. The company says that the "ecosphere" cycles light, CO2, shrimp waste, oxygen, and microorganisms, but this is just a scam. These shrimp NEED actual food like pellets or flakes. Microorganisms are NOT enough to keep them healthy. In fact, these "ecospheres" are starving them which will take years because these shrimp are extremely hardy. Not to mention that you are also poisoning the water from the shrimp waste. Every year that passes, the shrimp will get smaller every time they molt - which means they are literally eating themselves away. I'm not going to ask for a refund for this, but I am going to be spreading the word about the truth of these "ecospheres." As for my shrimp, I'll be getting them an actual tank and making sure they are fed properly. If you are someone who has read this review to this point, don't be an idiot like me and just take a company's "facts" about a product they sell as the truth. Like with any animal, research what they need to live a long and healthy life. Sure these shrimp are super easy to take care of, but they deserve better than a glass vial.

I’m glad I got this. I had bought this after wanting one of the old fashioned closed systems from brookstone many years ago, maybe going on 18 years ago. Though at the time definitely couldn’t afford one. I searched the internet periodically over the years and never found anything worth buying… that is till I found this. With great excitement I bought one. sadly due to some logistical errors things didn’t go exactly as planned however the seller was very kind and humble, they ensured my concern was heard and well addressed, and as of tonight I happily have a eco sphere with 4 lil shrimps!! I couldn’t be happier. I’m actually pretty well seasoned with taking care of and building aquariums as well aquascapes and planted aquariums, so I’m going to look up and follow some basics for these little guys to try and provide a good environment, however with the science there, technically 2ish shrimps should be able to survive without any intervention. Putting it together was a tad bit tricky the algae that the shipping bottle comes with kept catching the shrimps when trying to transfer them. So I used a long pair of aquarium tweezers to safely transfer the algae first then the shrimps. I held the bottle slightly off even so the water gently flowed following the inner wall of the sphere rather just dumping them in like I’ve seen on YouTube videos. The water itself is a bit cloudy however that is not shocking, shrimps especially these kind are more common in rivers and more brackish pods so it’s not going to be crystal clear drinking water. I will acknowledge that just shy of $100 USD is… a bit high however to find an enclosure, stock it with rocks branch algae etc, the shrimps themselves and the ready to go water solution, I’m okay with paying the price vs doing it myself for a tad less cost. I’m excited to see what the future of this sphere holds, hopefully many more years of enjoyment!! As a closing statement, I’m sorry to hear about the people who have had bad experiences with this seller/item set up, I honestly feel like everything is exactly what you’d expect, the customer service was outstanding. Price a tad high but justifiable. Over all I have zero regrets with this purchase.