Photos © Sean Evans
|
Common name: | Crystal Red Shrimp, Red Bee Shrimp |
Scientific name: | Caridina cantonensis var "Crystal Red" |
Synonyms: | |
Size: | Approx 1" (2.5cm). |
Origin: | China and Taiwan. |
Tank setup: | Ideal for planted nano tanks. |
Compatibility: | Totally peaceful and fine with other shrimp, but very likely to be eaten by anything but the smallest and most peaceful fish. |
Temperature: | Tolerate cooler temperatures, but 21-24oC (70-75oF) ideal. |
Water chemistry: | Soft to medium hard and pH around neutral to slightly alkaline is ideal, but not critical as a wide range is tolerated. |
Feeding: | Omnivores, will eat algae and scavenge most other foods. Include a good quality flake or granular food with at least some veggie component, such as spirulina flake in
addition to specialist shrimp foods that are available. |
Sexing: | Females can be clearly identified when carrying eggs. |
Breeding: | Can be bred in aquaria provided good water quality is maintained, though they do not breed as readily as the Red Cherry Shrimp.
Keep temp around 24oC (75oF). Eggs are carried by the female and hatch into miniature versions of the adults. |
Comments: |
These striking shrimp are ideal algae eaters and general scavenge feeders for peaceful planted tanks, or entertaining in their own right for small species tanks and nano tanks.
For breeding purposes, they should be housed alone, as the tiny young are likely to be eaten even by small fish.
The red and white form is an aquarium-bred variant, and does not occur in the wild.
These shrimp are often graded, mainly according to the amount of white on the body. Common grades (from most white) are SSS, SS, S, A, B, C. Very high grade shrimp are very expensive.
The common name of Red Bee Shrimp is also used for a slightly different variant that some speculate is a hybrid between the Crystal Red variety and one of the Bee Shrimp varieties.
|