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Red line shrimp

Caridina striata

Also known as Matano red line shrimp, Red stripe shrimp

FreshwaterShrimp

Red line shrimp (Caridina striata)

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–88°F
26–31°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg carrier · Easy
Rarity
Rare
Family
Atyidae
Origin
Malili lake system, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Overview

The red line shrimp is a small, peaceful Sulawesi shrimp for a warm, hard-water tank. It is a step up from the easiest shrimp, since its needs are specific.

Did you know

The red line shrimp comes from ancient lakes, among the oldest on earth, that hold species found nowhere else. Its red pinstripe evolved in a closed bowl of warm, alkaline water that has stood for well over a million years.

Caring for the red line shrimp

Keep red line shrimp in a colony of at least six, in a tank kept just for their own kind and lake-mates. A stable tank of 5 gal (20 L) or larger works, with good filtration and rock cover. Once settled, they graze biofilm and algae from rock in the open.

The water must stay hot, hard, alkaline and above all steady. Hold it at 79 to 88°F (26 to 31°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Avoid the swings that soft-water shrimp shrug off, because this species will not.

Feed a fine shrimp food, and let a mature tank grow the biofilm they prefer. Do not house them with fish that hunt shrimp, and do not mix them into a soft-water community.

Despite their fussy reputation, red line shrimp breed readily in fresh water. They are direct developers, so a female carries a small clutch and releases tiny benthic shrimp with no marine stage. The challenge is the water, not the spawning.

Good to know

The red line shrimp, Caridina striata, is an atyid dwarf shrimp described in 2009. A clean red stripe runs the length of its body. It is also sold as the Matano red line shrimp or red stripe shrimp.

In the wild

Red line shrimp live only in the Malili lakes of Sulawesi, mainly Lake Towuti. There they graze rock in warm, sunlit, mineral-rich water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red line shrimp is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a red line shrimp need?

A red line shrimp needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a red line shrimp need?

A red line shrimp is comfortable at 79–88°F (26–31°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a red line shrimp eat?

A red line shrimp grazes biofilm and algae from rock. Feed it a fine shrimp food, and let a mature tank grow the biofilm it prefers.

How big does a red line shrimp get?

An adult red line shrimp reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

How does a red line shrimp breed?

A female red line shrimp carries a small clutch and releases tiny benthic shrimp with no marine stage. It breeds readily in fresh water, and the hard part is keeping the water right.

Related species