TankBud

Sulawesi shrimp

Caridina dennerli

Also known as cardinal shrimp, Matano Blue Dot Shrimp

FreshwaterShrimp

Sulawesi shrimp (Caridina dennerli)
DirkBlankenhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0

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
Very rare
Family
Atyidae
Origin
Sulawesi

Overview

The Sulawesi shrimp is a tiny dwarf shrimp that lives in a colony and grazes biofilm and algae. It is best with a little experience, because its water needs are exacting.

Did you know

The Sulawesi shrimp wants the opposite of most dwarf shrimp, with warm, alkaline water rather than cool and soft.

Caring for the Sulawesi shrimp

Keep Sulawesi shrimp as a colony in a stable tank of 5 gal (20 L) or more. They are peaceful and delicate, so a dedicated species tank with no fish is safest. Rocks and wood covered in biofilm give them both cover and grazing.

Hold the water warm, hard and steady at 79 to 88°F (26 to 31°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Build it from remineralized water and a mineral-rich substrate or rock. Sudden changes stress them badly.

Warm water holds little oxygen, so gentle surface movement helps. Never let copper near them, as it is fatal to shrimp. Feed a fine shrimp food and a little algae, on top of the biofilm they graze.

A berried female carries a small clutch of around fifteen eggs, which hatch as miniature shrimp with no larval stage. Once a group is truly settled in the right water, the colony renews itself steadily and breeding is easy.

Good to know

The Sulawesi shrimp is Caridina dennerli, a dwarf shrimp in the family Atyidae. It is also sold as the cardinal shrimp or Matano blue dot shrimp. It is deep red, dotted with white, with white tips on its legs. It is listed as critically endangered in the wild.

In the wild

The Sulawesi shrimp is found only in Lake Matano on Sulawesi. It is an ancient lake, and its water is warm, hard, mineral-rich and alkaline all year.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Sulawesi 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 Sulawesi shrimp need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Sulawesi shrimp need?

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

What does a Sulawesi shrimp eat?

A Sulawesi shrimp grazes biofilm from rock and wood. Feed it a fine shrimp food and a little algae as well.

How big does a Sulawesi shrimp get?

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

How does a Sulawesi shrimp breed?

A berried female Sulawesi shrimp carries a small clutch of around fifteen eggs. They hatch as miniature shrimp with no larval stage, and breeding is easy once a group is settled in the right water.

Related species