How to Keep Cardinal Shrimp

Cardinal shrimp are sought-after invertebrates for the freshwater hobbyist. These attractive little shrimp have a dark rose-red coloration with white dots running along their sides. The cardinal shrimp is native to the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia. These shrimp inhabit lakes on the island, where they forage among rocks for algae. Cardinal shrimp are best kept by the more experienced hobbyist, but will thrive if their specific water-quality parameters are taken into consideration.

Things You'll Need

  • 25-gallon aquarium
  • Aquarium stand or other sturdy surface
  • 10-gallon plastic bucket
  • Aquarium gravel
  • River rocks
  • Liquid chlorine remover
  • Canister filter
  • Bio balls
  • Activated carbon in nylon bag
  • Filter floss
  • Aquarium heater
  • Test kit to measure the pH of the tank water
  • Aquarium buffer agent to raise pH
  • Aquarium flakes
  • Aquarium sinking pellets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a 25-gallon all-glass tank on an aquarium stand or other sturdy surface.

    • 2

      Rinse your hands under warm tap water to remove lotions or soap residue, which are detrimental to the aquarium water and to the beneficial filter bacteria.

    • 3

      Half-fill a 10-gallon plastic bucket with aquarium gravel and place it under a garden tap. Add water to the bucket and swirl the gravel around with your hand. Carefully pour off the water and repeat, until all the dust and dirt has been washed away.

    • 4

      Place a 1-inch-thick layer of washed gravel in the aquarium.

    • 5

      Rinse several rounded river stones and place them on the gravel.

    • 6

      Fill the aquarium with tap water and add a chlorine-neutralizing liquid.

    • 7

      Remove the lid from a small canister filter and fill the biological compartment with bio balls.

    • 8

      Place 1/2 cup of activated carbon into a nylon bag and rinse well under a garden tap until the water leaving the bag is free of carbon dust.

    • 9

      Place the nylon bag in the chemical-filter compartment of the canister filter.

    • 10

      Fill the mechanical-filter compartment with filter floss and replace the lid of the filter.

    • 11

      Connect the canister filter to the aquarium, using the piping provided. Turn on the filter.

    • 12

      Set the thermostat on an aquarium heater to the range of 80 to 84 degree Fahrenheit and place the heater in the aquarium. Turn on the heater.

    • 13

      Use an aquarium pH test kit to measure the pH level of the water.

    • 14

      Use an aquarium buffer agent to raise the pH to between 7.6 and 8.4, if required. Cardinal shrimp prefer slightly alkaline conditions.

    • 15

      Feed your cardinal shrimp aquarium flakes and sinking aquarium pellets after you have added them to the tank. These shrimp will also feed on algae, once it has begun to grow.