EcoSphere Closed Aquatic Ecosystem, Small Pod, with Turntable Base

I brought one of the original ecospheres 23 years ago , when it arrived it had four shrimps and the last one only just died at the age of 23, as long as you take care of how much light they receive they will last a long time .

This type of shrimp, Halocaridina rubra, can live for twenty years in captivity. Ecospheres, according to the company that makes them, tend to last two to three years. You're not buying a perfectly balanced ecosystem, you're watching a hardy little crustacean slowly starve to death.

My Ecosphere came neatly packed with a lot of protections to prevent any damage. Mine came with 4 small shrimp which at the time of writing this review (5 months after the purchase) are still alive and very active. At first there was no visible algae in the sphere but after a few days of receiving enough sunlight the algae started to grow and some of the branches in the coral started to turn green. Taking care of it its the easiest, it just needs enough sunlight for the algae and the shrimp to warm up and be active, that's it, nothing else is needed, no need to clean anything or feed the shrimp or change the water, nada, as advertised, it is a self sustained environment. Now I've read some of the reviews saying their shrimp died all too soon, now I don't know in which conditions these people are keeping their spheres but I make sure mine gets actual sunlight and not just artificial light. I've read somewhere that having shrimp babies is somewhat rare but as you can see in the video my shrimp got horny and had several babies which are swimming around, not sure if the babies will survive, but It would be very nice to have at least 2 or 3 grow up to adult size!. Again make sure the sphere gets sunlight and its in a stable room temperature. If you want to impress, this is an awesome gift by the way.

I have had a few ecospheres in the past and always loved them, but I’ve always had the small round ones and I’ve never ordered one online. Of course, there’s negative reviews for everything so, after reading some, I was a bit worried that I would get a bunch of dead shrimp, a dirty or broken sphere, or something else. I was so pleasantly surprised when I opened my box. First of all, they pack this thing so well, it’s amazing. Second, the ecosphere I received was so beautiful and it has four healthy looking and very brightly colored little guys in it. I didn’t expect to get four shrimp in it and all four of them are super energetic. They dart around like crazy, which makes it really entertaining to watch. I was really really happy, especially since this was a gift for my husband’s desk. We’ve had it for about two weeks now and it’s still looking awesome. Everyone is still alive and well, no algae growing, and it’s just as beautiful as the first day.

I originally purchased this ecosphere for my husband for Christmas. Both of us are absolutely obsessed with it. It came with 4 shrimp in it and a small piece of algae that managed to grow at least 6 times its size since then. Our shrimp are very happy living in their eco-home on our dining room table. It's very relaxing watching them swim around all day and it's definitely a conversation starting piece. Everyone that has come into our home was mesmerized by what it is. Before ordering, I was worried that the size of it would be too small based on other reviews, however, I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that the size of it is great! We have had it for about 2 months now and it's still not dirty, the shrimp are still alive and everything looks great. I would highly recommend purchasing this ecosphere!

It’s been 8 years and one shrimp is still alive! A lot more plant life, but unbelievable.

I saw these 'Ecospheres' displayed in the Sharper Image for years, and since it's about the only type of live thing I would be able to keep alive, I got it. It was fascinating to me. I bought mine about 10 weeks ago, and it had 4 shrimp. I am down to 2 shrimp now. The first shrimp died of seemingly natural causes. Then, I discovered that these types of shrimp typically have a life-span of 10-20 years. Delivery was harsh, but all 4 shrimp lived for about 2 months, so I figured that they would be ok. 2 months in, one of the shrimp died. The body laid on the floor for a couple of days before disappearing. The body disappeared quickly, as advertised. The other shrimp seemingly didn't take notice, and thrived on the nutrients of the dead shrimp. Then, less than a week ago, a saw the largest of the remaining 3 shrimp carrying around the body of another shrimp. At first, I thought that the actions might lead to more shrimp, but then I realized that this shrimp had cannibalized the body of another shrimp. I realized that when I saw the head and thorax of the the other shrimp floating around. My "ecosphere" was going hunger games on me, not something I wanted to see. I now have 2 shrimp left, and one of them is a cannibal, and the other is probably living its life in fear of the other. This thing is a a shrimp torture chamber. I don't know if I should just put them out of their misery, or let the "ecosphere" continue. Either way, now I am faced with this ethical dilemma. Should I let the shrimp live their stunted lives, or end their suffering early!????? This is NOT what I wanted! I used to look at them every day, and now I am afraid to even glance at the this oblong sphere of death.