Curated catalog
Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS)
Caridina cantonensis var. Red
The *Caridina cantonensis var. Red* (CRS) is the crown jewel of advanced shrimp keeping, famous for its bright red and intense chalk white bands. Unlike the hardy Neocaridina, CRS are extremely fragile and intolerant of errors. They cannot be kept in tap water: they require remineralized RO water, active soil to keep the water acidic (pH 5.5-6.5), and KH at zero. They need cool temperatures (never above 24°C). Breeding them successfully is a rite of passage for expert aquarists.
- Family
- Atyidae
- Origin
- Mutazione spontanea (selezionata in Giappone negli anni '90) della Caridina cantonensis selvatica (Bee Shrimp) proveniente dai torrenti freschi e acidi della Cina meridionale.
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
18 °C - 24 °C
5.5 - 6.5
Freshwater
Pascolatore di biofilm e microalghe
Estrema (Mortalità fulminea al 100%)
Description
The Summer Apocalypse and the Deaf Immune Collapse (The Thermal Condemnation of the Futile Boiled):
*Caridina cantonensis* comes from cool, shaded mountain streams. TEMPERATURE is your mortal enemy. Above 24°C, dissolved oxygen plummets and the shrimp's immune system shuts down. At 26-28°C, normally harmless bacteria take over, decimating the colony in a few days. In summer, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHILLER or powerful fans, give up from the start. Even thermal shocks (e.g. cold water changes in a warm tank) will force premature molts, leading to certain death.
Care and observations
The Lethal Deception of Tap Water (The Deadly Molt and the Blind Futile Stone Shell):
NEVER try to keep CRS in tap water. If the KH is greater than 1 and the pH is basic, the shrimp will inevitably die within a few weeks. Water that is too hard (high GH) will make its carapace so hard that, at the moment of molting, the shrimp will be trapped inside, dying of exhaustion and suffocation. The MANDATORY SETUP is: Reverse Osmosis Water + specific GH+ salts (without KH) + Active Soil. Without this trident, you are just throwing money away and killing animals.
Invertebrate profile
- Type
- Gamberetto Nano Avanzato (Acqua Tenera)
- Diet
- Onnivoro specializzato / Detritivoro / Biofilm e mangimi specifici
- Ecological role
- Pascolatore di biofilm e microalghe
- Minimum group
- 10
- Adult size
- 2.5 cm
- GH
- 4 dGH - 6 dGH
- KH
- 0 dKH - 1 dKH
- TDS
- 100 ppm - 150 ppm
- Copper
- Estrema (Mortalità fulminea al 100%)
- Shock sensitivity
- Estrema (Sensibilissime agli sbalzi termici, osmotici e di pH)
- Calcium and minerals
- Medio-Alto (Sali specifici GH+ necessari per garantire il calcio senza alzare il KH)
- Molting
- La muta è il momento più critico. Acqua con TDS > 200 o GH > 8 rende il carapace troppo duro da rompere, causando la morte durante la muta.
- Reproduction
- Si riproducono solo se i parametri sono perfetti e stabili. Le femmine incubano le uova per 30 giorni. I piccoli nascono già completamente formati (no stadio larvale).
- Compatibility
- Da allevare esclusivamente in un acquario monospecifico (solo caridine). Qualsiasi pesce, anche i minuscoli rasbora, prederà i cuccioli. Le lumache inoffensive (Ramshorn) sono ottimi compagni di vasca.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.