The Crystal Red Shrimp Care Guide: Everything You Need to Know

What is a crystal red shrimp?

The Crystal Red Shrimp is a prevalent dwarf shrimp species for freshwater aquariums. They’re small in size but are lovely and eye-catchy creatures. They are a color variation of the Bee Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis), a member of the Atyidae family; therefore, its actual scientific name is Caridina cantonensis var. ‘Crystal Red.’

In certain parts of Asia, they are known as Red Bee Shrimp. Their color variation originated in Japan, where they were first carefully cultivated but are now produced worldwide.

Crystal Red Shrimp need exact water parameters and near-perfect water quality. Due to their specific care requirements, they are best maintained in a Crystal Red Shrimp-only tank. They are non-aggressive and energetic shrimp.

These shrimp are a little bit costly, as they need too much care. They are expensive and have very demanding care needs. However, with a bit of skill, these crystal red shrimp are well worth it.

Where can you find Crystal Red Shrimp?

The Crystal Red Shrimp originated in Japan, where they were developed from Bee Shrimp in 1996 by shrimp Hisayasu, an enthusiast of Sukzuki. Crystal Red Shrimp are marked in the correct number of methods.

Several years of inbreeding to acquire the absolute most coloring that is attractive patterning accounts for the species’ fragility.

Because Crystal Red Shrimp is a human invention, you won’t find them in the wild, but Bee Shrimp is native to Taiwan, which will be essential to learn whenever setting your aquarium.

Hence, you can find the crystal red shrimp in the aquarium of any fish store.

How to breed Crystal Red Shrimp?

In contrast to its Neocaridina cousins, Caridina cf. cantonensis or the crystal red shrimp is famous for demanding water parameters. The crystal red shrimp breed is developed from just three shrimp, rendering it very inbred and sensitive. 

Crystal Red shrimp le are great because they’re easy to breed in captivity. It permits you to help keep your collection fresh and never having to purchase new specimens! The shrimps reproduce at a very young age. 

The female shrimp will begin to bulge with eggs in almost no time if you feed them properly. The female shrimp then emit pheromones into the water, signaling to shrimp males that she’s prepared to mate!

As soon as the temperature is approximately 78 degrees Fahrenheit, these shrimp breeds are more likely to reproduce. 

Females shrimp deposit eggs and carry them under their stomachs. The female shrimp continuously fan all of them with her swimmerets.

The eggs take about 30 days to hatch. They shall, however, soon become adept at scavenging. To feed them, you can use a powdered food source that is shrimp. Provide a good food source if you want them to grow healthy. 

To improve hatchling survival opportunities, remove any fish and put a sponge to the filter. 

Crystal red shrimps mature very quickly. They reach adulthood in four to five weeks. They’ll be able to reproduce by then.

How do you plant a tank with Crystal Red Shrimp?

When designing a tank for an aquatic pet or simply for the red shrimp cr cr or cf cantonensis, the ideal approach is to mimic the circumstances they would encounter in the natural. Understandably, they choose comparable living circumstances in captivity.

Because Crystal Red Shrimp (cf cantonensis) are only found via selective breeding of Bee Shrimp, the red shrimp one have a natural environment.

The bee shrimp and the crystal red shrimp are closely related; you may replicate the Bee Shrimp’s atmosphere to that of crystal red shrimp.

This shrimp crystal is somewhat more susceptible to bad water conditions than the majority of shrimp. They are not just smaller, but they are also weaker due to inbreeding in crystal shrimp farms. The shrimp red needs proper shrimp care. 

As a result, keeping the appropriate water and planted tank conditions should be a primary concern. Each week, use a water testing kit to ensure that the water parameters are as they should be.

The nitrite level must not be very high in the water; necessary calcium is provided, and a minor ammonia level increases. 

Keep the temperature between 71°F and 77°F by using a heater. The pH level should be between 5.8 and 7.4. A perfect pH level is highly recommended. 

A soft sandy substrate should be used on the tank’s bottom since it is less prone to scratch. On top of that, you may scatter different pebbles and debris about the area to construct caves and hiding places for your shrimps. Building it is somewhat complicated but is worth it. 

Plants are essential complements to the tank; make sure there are enough of them. The grass is welcomed; Dwarf Hairgrass is a good choice. Planted tank looks very good, and it’s a perfect choice for the aquarium shrimp. The shrimp tanks look beautiful.

To keep the water pure, you’ll need a filter. You won’t need a water/air pump since the filter output will generate enough current to flow through the tank. Standard aquarium lighting will suffice. Tank maintenance is highly recommended. 

What is the grade for Crystal Red Shrimp?

The Crystal Red Shrimp (Cantonesis var) is a unique and attractive species distinguished by its white and red stripes. The Crystal Red Shrimp are categorized into seven classes based on the distribution of white and red patches. 

Colour striping is the only difference between classes of Red Crystal Shrimp; size, health, life duration, and demand are all the same.

The most desirable to the least desirable grade pattern: SSS, SS, S+, S, A, B, C; SSS has the most incredible white hue, while C is mainly red with just a slight white visible. The red ss is the grade of the crystal red shrimp. 

What are the water parameters of a Crystal Red Shrimp?

As with any creature, water shrimp crystals prefer stability over change. It is essential to maintain the pH of these shrimp below seven; if the pH exceeds seven, you may not get optimum breeding outcomes. Crystal red or crystal black shrimp do not comply with this strongly buffered water.

They are not fond of 6 pH until they have been exposed to it for an extended length of time. In any event, it is not a wise course of action. They like a pH range of 6.6 to 7, with 6.6 being the least acidic and seven the most acidic.

We need to enter that range, which is very easy to maintain. Maintaining it is easy with remineralizes such as Salty Shrimp or Shrimp King. Keep the following things in mind while taking care of an aquarium crystal red shrimp:

The temperature of the water: 62°F to 78°F (above 70 degrees is recommended)

pH values range from 5.8 to 7.4

0-4 kit water hardness

What does it mean when your shrimp is graded as Grade A?

The various degrees of red coloring is used to evaluate the red crystal shrimps grade. The red hue becomes more vivid as the incline rises. Only skilled shrimp breeders can selectively breed such qualities. Furthermore, the best red cherry shrimps may be extremely costly and hard to come by on the market.

A-grade Crystal Reds are an excellent choice for beginners since they provide a more opaque color with defined bands than B-grades at a lower price than higher grades.

What should you feed your crystal red shrimp?

The nutrition of most dwarf shrimp is similar to that of Crystal Red shrimp. They are omnivores that spend most of their time foraging and eating anything they come upon.

They’ll eat algae and aufwuchs in the aquarium, but since the environment is too clean to contain enough food to support them, you’ll have to provide extra choices frequently.

You can feed your Crystal Reds once a day, but varying the feeding frequency is a good idea. Because they are omnivores, they will eat a wide variety of meals.

As a starting point, give a high-quality shrimp diet and mix it up with blanched vegetables and frozen delicacies like bloodworms.

What is the lifespan of a Crystal Red Shrimp?

When maintained in captivity, the average Crystal Red shrimp lifetime is only around 18 months. In an aquarium, these creatures don’t survive very long.

This lifetime is only achievable if you take excellent care of them. If you’re not cautious, this shrimp’s susceptibility to terrible water conditions may lead to an early death.

What is the best temperature for crystal red shrimp?

Shrimp are poikilothermic, meaning their surroundings control their body temperature. As a result, the temperature in your dwarf shrimp tank has a direct bearing on their behavior. Your shrimp’s feeding, breeding, and general movement are all affected by the temperature of their tank.

Crystal shrimp thrive at temperatures between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius (70 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit). Typically, this is the constant room temperature, necessitating the absence of a heater.

It is unnecessary to heat the tank since they thrive at that temperature. Allow them to cool to 68 degrees, and they will be OK. As a consequence, this shrimp is an excellent choice for the basement.

On the other hand, a thermostat heater may help prevent sudden temperature swings and keep things as stable as possible if you cannot maintain the desired temperature or have significant variations.

What are some tank mates to put with Crystal Red Shrimp?

Dwarf shrimp are regarded as snacks by fish that are large enough to consume them (which is a lot of them) (which is a lot of them). You must select small, gentle species that will leave your shrimps alone.

There are numerous choices, and you might try Zebra Danios, Neon Tetras, Otocinclus, Cherry Barbs, or guppies, to mention a few.

You may combine Crystal Red Shrimp with other species too. Most shrimp species make excellent tank mates, as long as they don’t have a reputation for harming other shrimps.

How do you care for a Crystal Red Shrimp?

Crystal Red Shrimp are delicate creatures that need the ideal environment to be healthy. They are not well-adapted to abrupt changes in their environment.

Their sensitivity is very certainly a result of the intense inbreeding that happens on shrimp farms.

You should maintain the tank as clean as possible. Today, a filter will suffice, but you will need to conduct frequent water changes and remove any extra algae.

What size tank should I get for my Crystal Red Shrimp?

These shrimp are tiny, yet they flourish in big planted aquariums. Therefore a tank of at least 10 gallons is suggested. The more space you have, the better.

The water conditions in larger tanks are easier to maintain. Because Crystal Red Shrimp are very sensitive to environmental changes, this may be important.

When should I feed my Crystal Red Shrimp?

They’ll eat algae and aufwuchs in the aquarium, but since the environment is too clean to contain enough food to support them, you’ll have to provide extra choices frequently. You can feed your Crystal Reds once a day, but varying the feeding frequency is a good idea.

What is the ph of crystal red shrimp?

Crystal Red Shrimp need pristine water and exact water conditions. Soft, acidic water is ideal for these shrimp. Their optimum temperature is between 70 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Their water should have a pH of 6.2-7.2, which is somewhat acidic.

What is the S grade for a Crystal Red Shrimp?

S-grade Crystal Reds have a more opaque coloring than A-grades, with more white and a less clearly defined center red band. A shrimp may be upgraded from S to S+ if it has good color consistency, additional white, and specific color patterns.

What are the behaviors of a Crystal Red Shrimp?

Crystal Red Shrimp are very safe and will not damage any of their aquariums. However, the reverse may be an issue since these shrimps are very susceptible to their tiny size.

They spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank, searching for food by walking over surfaces.

Shrimp moult regularly. Shrimp moult or lose their old shell to develop a new, stronger one. Because the body does not grow with the rest of them, they must do so.

The shrimp will be especially susceptible after moulting since their new exoskeleton takes time to grow and harden. They are most likely to hide at this period to prevent hurting. 

What are crystal red and black shrimp?

Crystal Red Shrimp

The Crystal Red Shrimp is a beautiful and famous freshwater dwarf shrimp in the hobby. A color variant of the ordinary bee shrimp, these shrimp have a wide range of uses.

Some parts of Asia still refer to them as “red bee shrimp” because Japan initially raised them meticulously.

Crystal Black Shrimp

The black stripes that run the length of these shrimp’s immaculate white bodies give them the nickname “black bee shrimp” or “crystal black shrimp.”

These shrimp, like crystal reds, were raised from bee eggs with care. These fish can liven up any tank with their eye-catching black and white colors, and keeping them may even be lucrative.

If you like to know more about Blue Velvet Shrimp, then check out this article Blue Velvet Shrimp – Care Guide

Which grades are there for Crystal Red Shrimps?

The Crystal Red Shrimp are categorized into seven classes based on the distribution of white and red patches: SSS, SS, S+, S, A, B, and C; SSS has the most incredible white hue, while C is mainly red with very little white visible.

Red Crystal Shrimp grades are distinguished only by color striping; all steps have the same size, health, life cycle, and demand characteristics.

Habitat and Tank Conditions

Tank Conditions

Compared to most other shrimp, this species can be slightly more vulnerable to low water quality than the majority of others. Not only are they significantly smaller, but inbreeding in shrimp farms has resulted in their being significantly weaker.

Use a heater to maintain a temperature between 71°F and 77°F in the room. The pH level should be between 5.8 and 7.4.

What Size Aquarium Do They Need?

Crystal Red Shrimp are tiny in size but like to flourish around an ample space. So, a size 10-gallon tank is perfect for the crystal red shrimp.

How Many Can Be Kept Per Gallon?

2-5 shrimp can easily be kept per gallon.

FAQ