How long do ecospheres last

Can you believe it!! I love it! Poor thing is getting yellow with age. To think it is 20!! My son sent me this as a present about 13 years ago. I worked in an office at the time and he thought would be good on my desk. I had it there for awhile and dropped a staple remover on it and cracked the top so I taped it up.

Here it is many years later and I am enclosing pictures cause there are still 2 left. This is not a joke. I just wanted to contribute to your client testimonials. I received a small Ecosphere from my parents for Christmas in It was my first year in college, and my three little shrimp were a welcome addition to my tiny dorm room! The sphere moved along with me, from dorms to apartments to houses, a total of 12 moves, through getting married, becoming a veterinarian, and having my first child!

That little shrimp has been with me for Thank you for such an amazing little object of wonder! Just wanted to let you know that after about 18 years my EcoSphere Shrimp died. It was like having a friend pass away. Great product. One shrimp died within 2 years, the second within 4—5 years. Almost as long as most of my cats! I was just looking at your website and wanted to let you know that I have had my ecosphere for over 13 years! I truly enjoy watching my little guy and have created quite a buzz whenever someone new sees him on my desk.

Thank you for making these incredible ecosystems available to the public. On my desk is an EcoSphere. The two shrimp were named Scooter 1 and Scooter 2. Scooter 2 remains active and seemingly healthy.

I am amazed that such a small and delicate creature could last inside the EcoSphere for over 9 years. My mother gave me my first large pod EcoSphere back in October ….. I keep him on my desk at work and he is the envy of many. Long live Shrimpie! I just wanted to tell you how incredibly happy I am with my Ecosphere. I have 9 lively shrimp in my medium sphere and they are fun to watch as they go about their day. I find their presence on my desk very soothing — especially at the end of the day.

The low light in the building seems to be fine for them. A restaurant or a new TV series, not so much. Anyway, about 10 years ago possibly 11—12 , I gave my mother an Eco—Sphere. I still have it. Through my magnifying glass, I see its clear—colorless shed carapace hanging from the coral twig. The newly emerged crustacean is lively, seeming to go from transparent to lobster—red depending upon….????

There is a lush plume of green algae fluffing around one finger of the coral, but the water is clear. My mother has been deceased for several years now, and since this sphere was my gift to her a few years prior, my time—frame is accurate.

Thanks for giving me a sense of wonder in this jaded world. I would like to inform you that my daughter purchased a 3. I report that of this morning all three 3 shrimp are still alive and active. Thanks for a fascinating object of interest. I have an eco—sphere that I received as a birthday gift years ago.

I thought you might want to know what an amazing product you have. The number on the bottom is The shrimp are named Oscar and Matilda. Anyway…I was looking at it today, and just wanted to send an email to express my pleasure with my cute little ecosphere! I just wanted to let you know that I am in love with my small EcoSphere.

I would not get the small sphere again. Please do not shake. Regardless, I am endlessly fascinated by my sphere. I love watching my little shrimp swim around, and they look so cute when they are eating. Years ago I purchased two EcoSpheres and each one lasted a few years. I purchased my present eco—sphere at a reptile auction in Hamburg, Pa. I carefully marked down the date I purchased it on the enclosed information, which my wife discarded about two years ago.

Very disappointing. The rapid response to my eco—sphere inquiry revealed that it was created in October I learned that there are a few that are much older. Just wanted to share my eco life story. I have had my eco—sphere since December I still have 3 very active shrimp — Bubba and Jenny! Thank you for this amazing creation! I am a biology teacher and I bought a small sphere in June with 3 shrimp. Today my sphere is still thriving with 2 shrimp.

I use it every year to introduce photosynthesis. I started practicing law in and purchased an Ecosphere as a gift to myself. Now in , and I still have my shrimp prominently displayed on my desk. The two original shrimp are still very active.

They have provided me a talking point, enjoyment, and pets at work. These two tough guys have even survived a few unfortunate shakes from when visitors thought they were a snow globe. I just thought I would pass on my amazement in your product.

There are several websites selling these, including through Amazon. I have been posting my "review" on as many sites that will allow me.

Amazon has at least 10 different sellers. Here is my review: Do NOT purchase these enclosed ecospheres! These shrimp, with a normal lifespan of around 20 yrs will only live for about 2 years in these enclosed systems!

They will slowly starve or suffocate to death! If you want to set up a proper small tank and raise these awesome low maintenance shrimp properly, go to the website petshrimp. Why are these ecospheres even legal to sell? They are clearly inhumane. I have received several responses to my reviews. Mostly all positive. One woman did respond that her ecosphere has lasted 8 years and the shrimp are still alive.

Either a rare exception or she works for the company selling them. Many reviews, however give them 1 star and say after three or six months, the shrimp all died. That, according to the reviews, seems to be the norm. These ecospheres are expensive too! What can be done to outlaw them? Guidelines for EcoSphere Care. Cleaning Your EcoSphere From time to time you may wish to clean any film that may have formed on the inside of the glass.

Some of the micro-organisms, which are of nutritional value to the shrimp, are capable of creating a thin film on the inside of the glass. This film is not harmful to the system. To make cleaning your Ecosphere easy, we have installed a magnet on the inside of the unit and supplied another attached to your EcoSphere handbook.

To clean the EcoSphere, simply take the handbook magnet and bring it near the gravel at the bottom of the EcoSphere to attract the magnet on the inside of the EcoSphere. Once you have the magnets attracted to each other, proceed to drag the magnets across the surface of the Ecosphere in a light scrubbing motion to remove any excess film on the inside of the Ecosphere.

It is not necessary to clean the entire surface at one time. If you lose your outside magnet, any refrigerator magnet will do. You will not harm the unit by moving it as you clean it. How Long will the EcoSphere Live? The average life of an EcoSphere is between 2 and 3 years.

The life expectancy of these shrimp is known to exceed 5 years, and the oldest EcoSpheres are now over 10 years old and still going strong. While we know that the life expectancy of these shrimp can exceed 5 years, we have no way of knowing how old each shrimp is as it is put in an EcoSphere.

All things considered, an EcoSphere may last many years or not depending on the age of the shrimp and the environment in which it is kept. Why do I See Condensation Inside? Condensation forms on the inside of the glass periodically. If it is warmer inside the EcoSphere than outside, water will condense on the cooler walls of the EcoSphere. Sometimes, excessive condensation can give the illusion of a change in the water level.

Is My EcoSphere Leaking? The EcoSphere is a completely closed system and the only way for water to escape is if the glass has been cracked. Consequently, if water is leaking there would be salt deposits around the leak. You can put a piece of tape at the water line and wait a few days or weeks to see if the water is truly evaporating.

With the condensation that occurs inside the EcoSphere and the shape of the glass, it can appear that the water level is dropping. What if One or More of the Shrimp Die? Since the age of each shrimp is not known, it is not unusual for some of the shrimp in the EcoSphere to perish. If the shrimp die all at once, this is a clear indication that the temperature limits were exceeded.

If they die over a period of time, they are probably meeting their normal life expectancy. As long as there is one shrimp alive in the system, it is a functional ecosystem. The pale translucent shrimp-like bodies you may see lying on the bottom now and then are not dead shrimp, but exoskeletons. Shrimp are crustaceans. This means that they have their skeletons on the outside rather than on the inside. As the shrimp grows, it replaces it from time to time. After the old exoskeleton has been shed, the new one expands and hardens.