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Encyclopedia / Shrimp / Crystal red shrimp
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Variations

10 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Crystal red shrimp

Caridina cantonensis · Crs, Crystal red, Crystal black, Bee shrimp, Taiwan bee

Peaceful; needs soft, acidic, very stable water and active aqua soil.

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3 cmAdult size ✓
20–24 °CTemperature ✓
5.8–6.8pH ✓
19 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Crystal red shrimp only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Betta eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Crystal red shrimp only grows to 3 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
Not recommended
  • Dwarf gourami eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Crystal red shrimp only grows to 3 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

81 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓4–6 dGH
Group size ?10 or more
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓1–2 years
Size in shops 1.5–2 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful; needs soft, acidic, very stable water and active aqua soil.

Food

Biofilm, shrimp foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Females are larger than males and have a deeper abdomen (tail section), used to carry eggs.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate

The female carries the eggs under her abdomen until they hatch as tiny copies of the adults (no free larval stage).

Pairing

Start with 10-15 shrimp of good grade. Pick bright white and red banding.

Setup

A 30-40 L tank with a sponge filter, soft water, pH 6-7, and soft substrate like soil. Keep cooler, 20-24 C.

What starts it

Stable soft water and good food. Keep changes small.

Eggs

Females carry the eggs for about 4 weeks (about 28 days at 22 °C); young hatch as miniature adults.

Raising the fry

Feed fine powder foods and biofilm. Keep water very stable. Cull poor colours when you grade.

Common mistakes
  • Large water changes
  • Hard water
  • Using copper-based medicines
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMan-made colour strain – wild ancestor from southern China
Rivers and lakesStreams of Guangdong and Hong Kong
HabitatAncestors live in cool, clear streams
Native rangeAbout 400 km across
See it on the world map

Plants that suit it

Dwarf baby tears

The story of the crystal red shrimp

In 1996 Hisayasu Suzuki in Japan found a red shrimp among his black bee shrimp; the crystal red line was bred from it. Shrimp with more, and more opaque, white are graded higher.

The wild bee shrimp was described in 1938 from southern China. In the 1990s Japanese breeder Hisayasu Suzuki selected a red mutation, creating the crystal red shrimp. Breeders now grade it by the amount and pattern of white, and top-grade animals can be very valuable.

First described by Yü in 1938.

  • It was first bred in Japan in the 1990s.
  • It is graded by the pattern of red and white.
  • It prefers soft, cool water.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources