How to Breed Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp

Cardinal shrimp, genus Caridina, arrived in the pet trade in 2007. Cardinal shrimps are native to Sulawesi in Indonesia and come in various striking shades of red. These shrimp are moderately challenging to breed in home aquariums, but an experienced aquarium owner may find breeding the shrimp a rewarding and potentially profitable experience. As people are becoming more aware of the damage caused by taking aquarium animals from the wild, the demand for captive bred fish and invertebrates is growing. If you successfully breed more cardinal shrimp than you wish to accommodate yourself, it's likely you'll find a market for them.

Things You'll Need

  • 20-gallon or larger established freshwater tank
  • Rocks
  • Nitrate and phosphate test kits
  • Fish food
  • Phytoplankton
  • Boiled vegetables
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Instructions

    • 1

      Introduce several rocks if your tank doesn't already have them. Cardinal shrimp need places to hide and to breed.

    • 2

      Maintain the tank at a temperature of about 78 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 3

      Monitor water hardness, pH, nitrate and phosphate levels weekly. The shrimp require fairly hard water, about 8dkh, and relatively alkaline water, with a pH of about 8. Naturally, phosphate and nitrate levels should be close to zero.

    • 4

      Introduce five or more cardinal shrimp. It's very difficult to determine their sex, so you'll need several to ensure you have at least one male and one female. Provided they have a mate, the shrimp breed readily, although the females produce only about 10-15 eggs at a time. The females carry the eggs until they hatch as miniature versions of the adults.

    • 5

      Feed the shrimp daily on a high quality food for bottom-dwelling fish, supplemented with some phytoplankton and a small amount of boiled vegetables. Feed the juveniles on the same foods as the adults.