Aquarium Fish Experts fish tanks

Family: Caridina

Distribution: Caridina gracilirostris, perhaps best known as Rhino Shrimp, has its origins in India and Southeast Asia.

PH: 7.5 – 8.5

Temperature: 20– 27°C (68 – 80°F)

Hardness: 3 – 20 dH.

Description:  Caridina gracilirostris is a bizarre-looking dwarf shrimp with a long bright red rostrum.  This rostrum, which looks like a nose, is the reason it has been dubbed the “Red Nose Shrimp”.  The nose, if broken off during shipping, has the remarkable ability to regrow itself.  This species can reach between 2.5 – 3.5 cm in length and it has a peculiar way of drifting around the tank, with its nose pointing down.  Males have a red nose and are larger than females.

Diet: Caridina gracilirostris shrimp are omniovorous and should be fed a combination of fish flake, typical food pellets and algae.

Breeding: Rhino Shrimp larvae will evolve from a planktonic state into miniature shrimp, but only with the assistance of brackish to full-strength saltwater.  This species is considered hard to breed and is best left to experienced hobbyists.

Comments: This docile shrimp will have a preference for planted aquariums.  Rhino Shrimp will moult approximately once a month, so bear this in mind if they have gone missing – they are most likely in hiding, waiting for their new shell to harden.  It is recommended you keep a small level of iodine in the water to facilitate this moulting process.  The Rhino shrimp is also very sensitive to excessive nitrate levels and ammonia.  This species is best left to those with plenty of experience.

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Recommended Compatible Species: It is not a good idea to house this shrimp with large, predatory fish.  It has a peaceful demeanour and will not bother other tank inhabitants, so it can be easily housed with other small, non-aggressive species, particularly shrimp.

Family: Cambaridae

Distribution: The Dwarf Crayfish originates from Lago de Patzcuaro, Mexico.

PH: 6.5 – 8.5

Temperature: 10– 26°C (50 – 79°F)

Hardness: 12 – 15 GH

Description: Male Orange Dwarf crayfish will grow a whopping 4 cm in length; females will be slightly smaller.  It will show different tones of orange depending on the individual, and can be moulted or striped.  The ones with good genes have a bright orange colouration.

Diet: Crayfish, by nature are scavengers: they’ll eat whatever they can get.  Plain shrimp pellets and flake food will do the job; crayfish will sometimes eat their own moults to pick up lost nutrients.

Breeding: The male Orange Dwarf will transfer sperm to the female; she will hold this sperm for as long as she feels it is safe to extract the eggs.  Eggs will take around 30 days to hatch.  You may have some difficulty breeding this species simply because the young are so small and sensitive.

Comments: You can house many adults in a 10 gallon aquarium.  Males can display aggression towards other males.  If there is not enough space for the young to move around in, they may cannibalise each other.  You might consider using gravel or sands in your aquarium, and make sure you give the cambarellus patzcuarensis plenty of places to hide.  You can provide upside down pot-plants as hiding spaces.  This species can be difficult to maintain and, as such, is possibly not the best choice for newcomers to the hobby.

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Recommended Compatible Species: Due to its small size, this species will not threaten other tank mates.  It can be housed with small, non-aggressive fish.

Family: Atyidae

Distribution: The Yellow Shrimp has its origins in Japan, but were selectively bred in Germany from the Neocaridina heteropoda wild variety.

PH: 6.5 – 7.5

Temperature: 15 – 27°C (59 – 81°F)

Hardness: 3 – 15 dKH

Description: The Yellow Shrimp female can come in an extremely bright yellow colour, while males are more opaque in appearance.  Males are usually 2.5 cm in length; females will be slightly larger at 3 cm.  The female’s saddle and eggs are also of a yellow colouration.  This species has a life expectancy of 1 – 2 years.

Diet: The Yellow Shrimp is omnivorous and will eat lots of algae.  It can also be feed cleaned, boiled vegetables and food designed for bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates.

Breeding: Like the Red Cherry Shrimp, the Yellow Shrimp is a prolific breeder and will not require any coaxing.  The female will carry the developing eggs in her saddle.  As long as you have a mature male and female in a good quality, well-maintained tank then you will have no problems breeding this species.

Comments: The Yellow Shrimp can live in a wide range of water parameters and is a good species for beginners.  Given its small size, it could easily be housed in a tank of about 20 litres.  Be careful not to drop the pH level below 6.5 or the Yellow Shrimp will die; 7.0 is a good level for this species.  Be careful not to allow any traces of copper into your aquarium: copper can kill dwarf shrimp.

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Recommended Compatible Species: Not a great deal of information is available on this species, but given its similarities to the Red Cherry Shrimp you should house it either in a one-species tank or with placid tetras.

Family: Caridina

Distribution: Caridina sp., or Malaya Shrimp, is distributed in Malaysian waters.

PH: 6.5 – 8.0

Temperature: 22– 30°C (72 – 86°F)

Hardness: 2 – 5 dKH

Description:  Malaya Shrimp are new to the hobby and not a great deal is known about them in that sense, but this Caridina makes a visually appealing addition to any aquarium.  Small in size – 2.5 cm in length on average – this Malayan dwarf shrimp can range in colours, often leading to its misidentification.  The Malaya Shrimp can have colours ranging from blue, red, green, brown and gold.  Males are smaller, not as colourful and lack the white lines of the females, but they are by no means bland.

Diet: This Caridina may be fed algae foods, fish flakes and typical fish food pellets.  The Malaya Shrimp is not a fussy eater and can be also fed lettuce, spinach, zucchini and the occasional bloodworm.  Be careful not to overfeed this species.  If it doesn’t appear to be searching the tank for food, it may be worth feeding them at night and providing them with more hiding spots.

Breeding: The pregnant female Malaya Shrimp will hold around 50 eggs; it will take around 15 days for these to hatch into larvae.  The Malaya Shrimp has a larval stage of about three days, after which small, fully developed shrimps will appear.  This species does not require brackish water to breed effectively.  Young shrimp will not display the distinctive markings of the adults until they reach a larger size.

Comments: You could easily keep a colony of Malaya Shrimp in a 65 gallon tank.  Provide rocks and hiding places – and be careful to always provide good clean water.  You will need to keep the level of organic waste in your tank to an absolute minimum.

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Recommended Compatible Species: This species is most likely suited to other dwarf shrimp species and, according to reports, does not cross with other shrimp.

Family: Caridina

Distribution: Caridina gracilirostris, or Green Neon Shrimp, is distributed in the waters of India.

PH: 6.5 – 7.5

Temperature: 20– 28°C (68 – 82°F)

Hardness: gH < 10; kH < 10)

Description:  The Babaulti group is very controversial and it is hard to tell the different species within this genus, given they are all so similar.  The Green Neon Shrimp measure at about 3.5 – 4 cm in length and, despite their name, are not always green.  Their colouration can vary from a green to a brownish-green, even brown in some cases.  Females are bigger than males and have a more intense colour; males are smaller – usually 2.5 cm – and slimmer, with a clearer colouration.

Diet: Caridina babaulti should be given algae, flake food, frozen foods and, on occasions, live food and vegetables.

Breeding: The female Green Neon Shrimp will carry its eggs for around four weeks before releasing small, colourless shrimps.  The actual act of breeding will generally occur at night; males will swim rapidly through the tank in search of females.  Mating, alas, will last only 2 – 3 seconds.

Comments: Too many green plants in your aquarium will make it virtually impossible to see the Green Neon Shrimp.  This species will do best in an aged tank: the moss and mulm will be of good sustenance for the little shrimplets if you are planning on breeding.

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Recommended Compatible Species: It is not a good idea to house this shrimp with large, predatory fish; the green Neon will hide in the plants and you simply won’t see it anymore.  It has a peaceful demeanour and will not bother other tank inhabitants, so it can be easily housed with other small, non-aggressive species, particularly dwarf shrimp.

Family: Palaemonetes

Distribution: Palaemonetes paludosus, better known as Grass Shrimp, is native to freshwater lakes and rivers of southern parts of the United States, particularly in Florida.

PH: 6.5 – 7.5

Temperature: 18 – 30°C (64 – 85°F)

Hardness: 3 – 10 dH

Description: Palaemonetes paludosus has a transparent appearance which allows it to blend into the wild.  This shrimp will reach a maximum length of 6 cm; males are smaller than females.  It also has an orange or yellow spot in its tail, a segmented body, and a whopping 10 sets of legs.  The Grass Shrimp has a life expectancy of 1.5 – 2 years.

Diet: The Grass Shrimp is an omnivore and, as such, will eat most things you throw at it.  It will eat algae and detritus, but provide it with a quality flake or pellet food as a supplement.

Breeding: Many people believe the Grass Shrimp needs brackish water to breed properly, but freshwater is actually just as fine.  This species has a larval stage in which the shrimps hatch from the egg before developing.  This differs to the Red Cherry Shrimp, for example, which will hatch as a miniature version of its parents.  You should raise young Grass Shrimp on a diet of baby brine shrimp, fry food and miniature algae.

Comments: Be aware that this shrimp has a high mortality rate, which is due to poor care during capture.  If your Grass Shrimp has a milky colouration then prepare yourself to say its last rites.  You should house this species in a tank around 20 litres in volume and provide sand or gravel for it to create burrows in.

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Recommended Compatible Species: This shrimp should be kept in a species-only tank as it will attack smaller shrimp (and will be eaten by larger predators).

Family: Cambaridae

Distribution: The Dwarf Crayfish originates from Mexico and is distributed around the Oaxaca region.

PH: 7.0 – 8.0

Temperature: 22– 24°C (72 – 75°F)

Hardness: 12 – 15 GH

Description: Cambarellus montezumae are short in length, measuring in at a maximum of 6 cm.  The Dwarf Crayfish has a number of regional colour variations.  After birth, most of the young will have a light brown colour before developing a moulted pattern.

Diet: Cambarellus montezumas is an omnivorous species and can be fed a similar diet to the Orange Dwarf Crayfish.  All crayfish are scavengers and will be able to go days without a regular food source.  Plain shrimp pellets and flake food will do well as a staple diet.

Breeding: According to reports, tap water can be used to breed this crayfish.  Its tiny size can leave the young susceptible to other fish.  You can prevent this from happening by allowing hideouts, caves and plantation in your aquarium.

Comments: This species will look excellent in a mixed population tank of at least 100 litres.

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Recommended Compatible Species: This peaceful species is very compatible with other fish species, but its young may become food for larger fish.

Family: Cambaridae

Distribution: Procambarus versutus, known commonly as the Sly Crayfish, is distributed in North America from Alabama’s Mobile River drainage east to the Chattahoochee-Apalachicola drainage in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

PH: 7.0 – 8.0 (but it is quite tolerant).

Temperature: 18 – 26°C (64 – 79°F)

Hardness: 6 – 20 dH

Description: Procambarus versutus has a black-splotched tail and small, black bumps on its large claws.  Its carapace is adorned with cream and black markings on top of a tan base colour.  It has two very distinctive spines that sit either side of its carapace.  This species has a maximum length of 7 cm and its colour can change after each moult.

Diet: This species is omnivorous, but it will not attack your plants.  Feed it a typical crayfish diet of fish pellets, flake, frozen shrimp, and vegetables.

Breeding: The Sly Crayfish breeds as per most Procambarus.  There is not a great deal of breeding information available on this species.

Comments: You can easily keep one pair of Sly Crayfish in a tank 60 cm x 30 cm.  This species is unlikely to eat your plants, so feel free to adorn your tank with plenty of plant life and hiding spaces.

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Recommended Compatible Species: While there is not a great deal of information available on recommended compatible species, Procambarus versutus is mild-mannered enough to be housed with prawns, shrimp, fish and snails.  This species is perfect in both a community tank environment and in a one-species tank.  It is also unlikely to attack within its own species.

Family: Atayae

Distribution: Atyaephyra desmaresti is historically distributed from North Africa to Spain, Italy and Corsica, but has recently been seen in Holland, Austria and in the Danube.

PH: 7.0 – 8.5

Temperature: 25°C is ideal (77°F), but can exist in temperatures ranging anywhere from 2°C – 30°C (35.6 – 86°F)

Hardness: 5 – 20 GH

Description: The Freshwater Shrimp has a transparent colour with some black, brown or green marks.  It has long antennas, big eyes and a green tinge.  They are generally 2.5 – 3cm in length and can live in excess of two years in aquariums, which is longer than they do in nature.  Females are bigger and have stronger colours than males.

Diet: Atyaephyra desmaresti are omnivorous and prefer a diet of algae and decaying matter.

Breeding: This shrimp will require special attention from predators as it produces highly sought-after larvae.  The Freshwater Shrimp can carry in excess of 1500 eggs in nature.

Comments: Atyaephyra desmaresti live mostly in rivers and places where there is little current to speak of.  They will require a well oxygenated tank and plenty of plant cover to simulate their natural habitat.  They are a very easy species to look after and have a very peaceful demeanour.  This species is definitely suitable for newcomers to the hobby.  It has a wide distribution in nature and is very adaptable to different conditions: it can live in water ranging anywhere from soft to hard.

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Recommended Compatible Species: The Freshwater Shrimp has a calm temperament but should not be hosed with large fish.  Care should be taken during breeding as other fish may rush to eat the tasty larvae.