Crystal Shrimp – species and keeping in an aquarium

If you are looking for aquarium inhabitants that not only swim but are also a real decoration, take a look at Crystal shrimp. These small crustaceans are striking with their bright, contrasting stripes, reminiscent of candy. It is interesting to watch their transparent shell with a clear pattern for hours.

It is worth knowing that there are several varieties under this general name, differing in the intensity of their color. The most common are red and black Crystals, ranging from modest stripes to a deep, almost solid color. The more saturated the color, the more valuable the shrimp is considered to be, but the more attention it will require.

Keeping these beauties is not that difficult if you create the right conditions for them. They need stable, clean water without copper and ammonia impurities, soft and slightly acidic. High-quality filtration is very important, but without a strong current. In the right aquarium with shelters and live plants, Crystal shrimp will feel great, delight you with their activity, and even produce offspring.

Crystal shrimp are small, transparent aquarium inhabitants with a beautiful pearlescent sheen, which are perfect for both beginners and experienced enthusiasts. There are several types — white, black, blue — differing in color and brightness of pattern, but they all require clean, slow-flowing water and stable environmental parameters. It is best to keep them in a separate aquarium or with peaceful small fish so that they are not disturbed. Shrimps are unpretentious in their diet — they eat food scraps, algae, and special mixtures. With proper care, they reproduce quickly and enliven the aquarium with their constant movement.

Wild form of Crystal shrimp

Crystal shrimp (Caridina logemanni) in the wild in its natural coloration

However, in Russian-speaking countries, the name “crystal shrimp” has a broader meaning, referring to all selective varieties of Caridina logemanni. In Russia and the CIS countries, the phrase “bee shrimp” is practically not used, and “tiger shrimp” is only used in relation to the popular seafood.

Furthermore, to avoid confusion in the context of this article, crystal shrimp will be used as a synonym for bee shrimp/tiger shrimp.

Habitat

Despite the fact that these shrimp have been popular around the world since the mid-1990s, for a long time the general public did not know where exactly they lived. Only the approximate region was known — the southern provinces of China. The fact is that, due to their commercial success, local suppliers tried to keep their habitat secret to avoid competition.

However, in 2014, the secret was revealed. It turned out that wild forms of Caridina logemanni are found in a limited area near Hong Kong in three streams covering only a few square kilometers.

The typical habitat is a shallow stream with a slow current and a rocky substrate. Depending on the season, the water temperature ranges from 13°C to a maximum of 28°C. The hydrochemical composition has low pH and dKH values.

Description

Adults reach a size of about 3 cm. Females look slightly larger than males.

The natural form of these shrimp is not particularly brightly colored. They have a translucent chitinous cover with alternating white and dark brown pigmentation.

Characteristics

Size — 3 cm, rarely 4 cm

Lifespan — 1.5–2 years

Varieties

In 1991 (according to some sources, 1993), active breeding began thanks to a randomly discovered mutation. By 1996, the new color variation had become established and was given the patented name Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS). Over decades of active breeding, dozens (perhaps hundreds) of new color forms have appeared based on this.

The evolution of the crystal shrimp

Schematic representation of the development of selected varieties of Crystal Shrimp

The most commonly mentioned varieties besides CRS are the following: Crystal Black Shrimp, Golden Bee Shrimp, Panda Shrimp, and several others.

Keeping and care, aquarium setup

By nature, shrimp are undemanding, and artificial forms have adapted to conditions that are significantly different from the natural habitat of wild specimens.

It is recommended to keep crystal shrimp in species-specific or community aquariums of 20 liters or more. It is important to provide potential hiding places, such as thickets of small-leaved plants, aquatic mosses, ferns, dried leaves of some trees, or similar artificial decorative elements.

Aquarium maintenance is standard. It is important to maintain a stable hydrochemical composition of the water and prevent the accumulation of waste. Water should be changed weekly. When choosing a filtration system, it is worth choosing a model that does not cause excessive water movement. Shrimp do not tolerate strong currents well.

Optimal conditions

Total hardness – 4-20°dGH

Carbonate hardness – 0-6°dKH

PH value — 6.0–7.5

Temperature — 16–29°C (comfortable 18–25°C)

Feeding

In a well-organized and fully equipped aquarium with aquatic plants and fish, shrimp will not lack food. If desired (or if necessary), you can use specialized feeds produced by many manufacturers.

Compatibility

Compatible only with peaceful miniature fish such as Rasboras, Danios, Guppies, and others. It is acceptable to keep them together with other species of shrimp of comparable size. Crystal shrimp prefer to be in the company of their own kind, so it is advisable to purchase groups of 5 or more individuals.

Breeding

Breeding is quite simple. With males and females present, offspring will appear before long. The only important condition is water quality. Females carry their eggs for 4–6 weeks (depending on water temperature). One brood can contain 25-40 young shrimp.

It is worth remembering that keeping representatives of different color forms together can lead to the appearance of hybrid offspring.

Snow-white shrimp

The snow-white shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Snow White”) belongs to the Atyidae family. A beautiful and unusual variety of the Red Bee shrimp, it is distinguished by its white coloration, sometimes with noticeable pink or blue hues. There are three types of body coloration based on the degree of whiteness. Low type – many colorless areas; medium type – mainly solid white coloration, but with noticeable colorless areas; high type – perfectly white shrimp, without any other shades or colors.

Blue tiger shrimp

The Blue Tiger shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Blue Tiger”) belongs to the Atyidae family. The exact origin of the species is unknown; it is the result of selection and hybridization of several related species. Adult females reach 3.5 cm in size, while males reach 3 cm. Their lifespan rarely exceeds 2 years.

Blue-legged bee shrimp

The Blue-legged Bee shrimp (Caridina caerulea) belongs to the Atyidae family. It originates from Southeast Asia. One of many species imported from the ancient lakes of Sulawesi. It is distinguished by its original appearance and high endurance. Adults reach only 3 cm in length.

Green shrimp

The Babaulti green shrimp or Green shrimp (Caridina cf. babaulti “Green”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It originates from the waters of India. The original body color is not only a hereditary trait, but can also be enhanced by including foods such as green peppers and other vegetables that are green when ripe in the diet.

Red Bee

The red bee shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Red Bee”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is one of the most beautiful and valuable varieties, most popular in Japan. Experts distinguish several strains with 3rd, 4th stripes, V-shaped stripes, etc. Each of them is bred separately, and the closer the specimen is to the specified parameters, the higher the cost of the specimen.

Red Tiger Shrimp

The red tiger shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Red Tiger”) belongs to the Atyidae family. Among experts, it is considered one of the best varieties of tiger shrimp due to its transparent chitinous cover with a series of red ringed stripes. Adults rarely exceed 3.5 cm in length and have a lifespan of about 2 years.

Red-nosed shrimp

The red-nosed shrimp (Caridina gracilirostris) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is one of the most unusual-looking shrimp species. It has elongated protrusions on its head resembling a “nose” or “rhino horn,” which gave this species one of its many common names.

Red crystal

Red Crystal Shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Crystal Red”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is one of the most valuable varieties, distinguished by the size of the white part in its coloration. The quality of cultivated forms is achieved through targeted selection. They are most popular in Japan, where buyers pay four-digit sums in euros for some specimens.

Amano shrimp

Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) belongs to the Atyidae family. Perhaps the most famous thanks to the outstanding Japanese specialist in the field of professional decorative aquariums, Takashi Amano. They do not have bright colors, but they have another advantage. Takashi uses them in his works, and his aquariums cannot be called anything other than an effective tool for combating algae, which is extremely difficult for other species to compete with.

Golden Crystal Shrimp

Golden bee shrimp, commercial English name Golden bee Shrimp. It is an artificially bred variety of Caridina logemanni shrimp (formerly known as Caridina cf. Cantonensis), which is better known in the post-Soviet countries as crystal shrimp.

Cardinal shrimp

The Cardinal Shrimp or Dennerli Shrimp (Caridina dennerli) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is endemic to one of the ancient lakes of Sulawesi (Indonesia) and lives in shallow water among the rocks and cliffs of the small Lake Matano. It takes its name from the German company Dennerle, which financed an expedition to study the flora and fauna of the Indonesian archipelago, during which this species was discovered.

King Kong Shrimp

The King Kong shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “King Kong”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is the result of artificial selection and is a close relative of the Red Bee shrimp. It is still unknown whether this variety is the result of successful breeding or a simple but fortunate mutation.

Wine Red Shrimp

The Wine Red Shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Wine Red”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is the result of selective breeding by Chinese breeders. The successful experience was adopted by specialists from Germany. Thanks to its widespread distribution, this variety has become widely available. It is distinguished by its rich raspberry coloration. Adult specimens rarely exceed 3.5 cm in size, and their lifespan in favorable conditions is about 2 years.

Red Ruby Shrimp

The Red Ruby Shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Red Ruby”) belongs to the Atyidae family and is the result of further selection of the Red Bee Shrimp. In some cases, reverse mutation occurs during home breeding, resulting in loss of color.

Mandarin Shrimp

The Mandarin shrimp (Caridina cf. Propinqua) belongs to the large family Atyidae. It originates from the waters of Southeast Asia, particularly the Indonesian archipelago. It has an attractive light orange coloration of its chitinous shell and can decorate almost any general freshwater aquarium.

Panda shrimp

The Panda shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Panda”) belongs to the Atyidae family. As with the King Kong shrimp, it is the result of selective breeding. However, it is not known whether this was a deliberate effort or a random but successful mutation.

Bee shrimp

The black bee shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Black Bee”) belongs to the Atyidae family. Native to the Far East (Japan, China), it is the result of artificial selection. Its exact origin is unknown, but it appears that the first commercial specimens were obtained in China.

Bumblebee shrimp

The bumblebee shrimp (Caridina cf. breviata “Bumblebee”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It comes from the waters of the Far East, mainly from eastern China, where it inhabits cool, clean streams and rivers. Adults are quite small, reaching only 2.5–3 cm.

Striped Bee

The striped bee shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis “Bee”) belongs to the Atyidae family. It is an artificially bred variety and is not found in the wild. It is modest in size, up to 3 cm, and has black and white coloring with stripes of both colors, located mainly in the abdomen area.

Keeping Crystal shrimp is a fascinating activity that even beginners in aquarium keeping can handle. The main thing is to remember their basic needs: stable and clean water with the right parameters, calm neighbors, and high-quality food. If you provide them with these basic conditions, the little “treasures” in your aquarium will actively reproduce and delight the eye with their bright, contrasting colors.

The variety of species, from classic red and white to rarer black and white or blue, allows you to create a unique underwater world. Watching their measured life is a pleasure in itself. They are like living gems, constantly busy with their own affairs: cleaning plants, searching for food, caring for their offspring.

Ultimately, success in keeping these shrimp comes down to attention to detail and patience. Don't chase after the highest color gradation from the very beginning. Start with easier-to-care-for varieties, gain experience, and then your shrimp tank will surely become a real gem of your home aquarium.