Cardinal Shrimp

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Moderate   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 1"
• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons   • Water Conditions: 74-85° F, KH 3-10, pH 7.4-8.4
• Color Forms: Red   • Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Sulawesi Indonesia
• Family: Atyidae   • Species: Shrimp   • Aquarium Type: Shrimp

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Cardinal Shrimp are a smaller tropical species of dwarf shrimp that originate from the lakes of the Sulawesi region of Indonesia. While a little smaller than many of their contemporaries, they are a long lived species that tend to live on average about 6 months to 1 year longer than the average dwarf shrimp.

Their bright red coloration made them an instant hit in the aquarium hobby, and their relative ease of care and active lifestyle have helped to retain their very high popularity. While somewhat shy at first, an established group of Cardinal Shrimp will become quite active and exhibit a variety of interesting social behaviors that are very enjoyable to watch.

Housing for the Cardinal Shrimp should consist of a well cycled mature aquarium with stable water parameters and high quality filtration. Cardinal Shrimp are less tolerant of water fluctuations and poor water conditions than some species. However, once they are acclimated to their environment they are not difficult to care for. They are a tropical species that prefer warmer water temperatures than most dwarf shrimp species, with an ideal temperature or around 78° being preferred.

Along with the elevated temperatures, Cardinal Shrimp also prefer a slightly higher Ph of around 7.8 to 8.0. They should be kept in an aquarium with plenty of moss or algae covered rocks or driftwood and will also benefit from the presence of plants or grasses on which to graze and seek shelter when they feel threatened.

Cardinal Shrimp spend most of their time grazing for algae or decaying plant matter, thus a large portion of their diet should be algae and plant based. If they are kept in an aquarium with insufficient algae growth, they can be fed algae wafers or sinking vegetarian pellets. However, they are true omnivores and will readily consume crushed flake foods, blood worms, tubifex worms, crushed pellet foods and blanched vegetables such as spinach.

Breeding Cardinal Shrimp is a relatively easy and straight forward process, provided that they are housed in a proper environment. When kept in an aquarium with the proper water parameters, the Cardinal Shrimp simply needs a steady food source and the presence of both male and female shrimps and it is a good bet that they will breed. While easier to breed than most dwarf shrimp species, the Cardinal Shrimp does have fewer babies per spawn.