Red Nose Shrimp (Caridina gracilirostris)
The Red Nose Shrimp is an intriguing animal and a great though somewhat uncommon addition to a home aquarium. The combination of their strange swimming style, the weird-looking appearance as well as their cleaning skills puts Red Nose Shrimp between one of the most exciting ornamental species of freshwater and brackish invertebrates.
Red Nose shrimp can make a pleasant and worthwhile pet for a dedicated shrimp keeper as they have a relaxed disposition, making them perfect for housing with other types of freshwater Shrimp, fish and snails in your aquarium. They can peacefully coexist with any other inhabitants and are not aggressive.
Like all dwarf Shrimp, the Red Nose shrimp are very social, and they prefer to cluster with other members of their species. These Shrimp make an excellent addition to the community aquarium as you will not have any territorial disputes in your tank. Usually, they are not shy, and in large numbers, they become very active and bold no matter what time of day it is.
You should note that these Shrimp are more challenging to keep and should not be tried by beginner shrimp keepers or breeders.
The Red Nose shrimp has a slender semi-transparent body that sometimes has hints of green or yellow. Their body displays a yellow stripe on the back, and red line along the sides and they have a very long red beak called a rostrum that is slightly angled upwards. These Shrimp also has a distinctive hump in their body, which differentiates them from most other dwarf shrimp species.
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| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caridina gracilirostris |
| Other Names | Pinocchio shrimp, Rhino Shrimp, Rudolph Shrimp, Mosquito Shrimp, Redfronted Shrimp, Rocket Shrimp, Needlenose Caridina, Red-Stripe Shrimp |
| Classification | Malacostraca |
| Order | Decapoda |
| Family | Atyidae |
| Genus | Caridina |
| Origins | Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Palau Island, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | All Levels |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 10+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 1.5 - 2 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 7.0 - 8.0 |
| GH | 4 - 15 |
| KH | 1 - 10 |
| TDS | 100 - 200 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 75 - 82℉ 23.9 - 27.8℃ | |
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Red Nose Shrimp will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.
Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.
It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.
This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.
Sexual Dimorphism
It is somewhat straightforward to determine male from female Red Nose Shrimp. The females are usually larger, their abdomen is more expansive, and they display longer pleopods. In contrast, males are smaller and slimmer, and sometimes their stripes are slightly brighter than the females.