Crystal Red Shrimp - Caridina cf. cantonensis sp

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Common Name: Crystal Red Shrimp

Scientific Name: Caridina cf. cantonensis sp. "Crystal Red"

The Crystal Red Shrimp was originally bred by Japanese shrimp keeper Hisayasu Suzuki when he discovered a single red shrimp with his normal bee shrimp. This died with no obvious offspring, but when 3 red shrimp were discovered in the next generation they became the start of an intensive breeding program. Hisayasu Suzuki trademarked the name Crystal Red Shrimp in Japan, started selling them and the rest is history!


The striking red and white stripes have made Crystal Red shrimp very popular they can be selectively bred to improve the brightness of these stripes, some to the extreme of being totally white. The shrimp available in the uk tend to have lower quality stripes with broken white areas, although some higher quality shrimp are becoming available now. Unfortunately due to their inbred nature these shrimp can be very sensitive to small changes in water quality.

Compatibility: The following species will hybridize with Crystal Red Shrimp so you should avoid keeping them together or you will get cross bred shrimplets - Bee Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp, Blue Tiger Shrimp.


Feeding: Crystal Red Shrimp do especially well when fed a specialist invertebrate food such like other dwarf shrimp they will also feed on algae in the tank and any dead plants or leaves they will also graze on almond leaves and cucumber


Sexing: It is quite hard to sex young CRS shrimp, as they become adults the females are noticeably bigger & fuller than the males.

Breeding: The breeding of these shrimp is very simple. All you need are healthy shrimp of both sexes in the right conditions and they will breed! The babies not need any special water conditions and wont be eaten by the parents so can live in the same tank.
Crystal Red Shrimp are regular breeders. It takes around 30 days for the eggs to develop and during this time they are carried by the mother. Not long after the eggs hatch the mother will shed her skin and mate again. The average brood is between 15 and 30 shrimplets. The new born babies are miniature adults, even with the red and white colouring. They become sexually mature at around 5 months old