Cardinal Shrimp

Caridina dennerli

Family : Atyidae

InvertebrateFreshwatershrimp

The Cardinal Shrimp is an endemic species from Sulawesi, recognizable by its white spots on a bright red background. It is demanding in terms of water parameters.

Cardinal Shrimp — photo 1 sur 2 — DirkBlankenhaus · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.01 / 2

Popularity

Freshwater shrimp

group keeping

Availability

Common in shops

Shop availability

IUCN Status

Endangered

Biotope

Indo-Pacific

Récifs coralliens de l'océan Indien et Pacifique tropical.

Description

This shrimp reaches 2-3 cm. Its body is bright red with small white spots arranged regularly, resembling a cardinal's robe. Legs are white. The rostrum is short. It lives in the hard, alkaline waters of Lake Matano. Its behavior is peaceful but sensitive to stress. It feeds mainly on biofilm and microalgae. Reproduction is difficult in captivity, requiring very stable conditions. Females carry few eggs (10-20) and the incubation period is long.

Habitat

Region :

Freshwater lakes with hard, alkaline water, rocky areas

Distribution :

Recommended parameters

Temperature26–30 °C

pH7.5–8.5

GH6–10 °dGH

KH3–6 °dKH

NO₃

≤ 10 mg/L

PO₄

≤ 0.2 mg/L

Care

Difficulty

4/5

Diet

Omnivore

Min. tank

40 L

Min. group

Adult size

3 cm

Lifespan

2 years

Temperament

Peaceful

Propagation

difficult

Care notes

Critical parameters: temperature 26-30 °C, pH 7.5-8.5, GH 6-10, KH 3-6. A minimum tank size of 40 liters is required. Specialized diet: biofilm, shrimp powders, mineral supplements. Very stable water, small and frequent water changes (10% weekly). Gentle filtration, no strong current. Inert substrate or sand. Avoid any fish. Reproduction is delicate, requires slow acclimation. Water that is too soft or acidic is lethal.

Track this species in your tank