Sea fans

[Green_Flash]

An auction site has some, they look cool. Thinking of getting one for an opae ula tank. However are sea fans safe to use? I was always under the impression their skeleton is organic and can dissolve and foul the tank water?

Also does this raise KH, and GH?

Opae can be acclimated to pure fresh? I have read that, not sure if it is true though.

[blacksheep998]

I can't help you on the sea fans, but from what I've heard, the Opea's will take pure fresh water. They won't breed in it but they can survive.

[cookymonster760]

yes opa ulae can be acclimated to pure freshwater but the babies wont survive in fresh water

[dougolasjr]

I wonder if you could transfer the babies to salt water for them to grow out of the required saltwater stage.

[somewhatshocked]

You could acclimate berried mama shrimp to brackish water, though there's the chance she'll drop her eggs.

If she doesn't, then you can rear the young until they're old enough to make the transition back to fresh.

It's so easy (since they're really hardy) just keep OU in brackish water, though, that it's mostly just a hassle to try moving them from fresh to brackish back to fresh.

Re: Sea fans... I've never had one break down or alter water params.

[Rob in Puyallup]

I wouldn't put a Seafan in any aquarium. Learned that like 25 years ago. They are a sort of "skeleton", and will decompose, polluting your tank.

[mach_six]

If you're not keeping the shrimps in full saltwater skip this. Try a macroalgae instead. Some sea fans, not sure which you are looking at are not photosynthetic.