Super Crystal Red Shrimp (Caridina Cantonensis)

Super Red Crystal Shrimp are an attractive and popular species of small freshwater Shrimp. These Shrimp are scavengers and will eat algae and decayed vegetation. It would be better to keep these Shrimp in groups of at least eight individuals, preferably more.

The species is very peaceful and can be kept with other aquarium inhabitants such as snails, different Shrimp, and fish as long as they do not predate Shrimp. Super Red Crystals will moult quite regularly while developing and breeding; this implies that they are in excellent condition and healthy.

These Shrimp thrive in softer water with an active substrate, lots of plants, and hiding spots. However, these Shrimp need more care and attention than other Shrimp and have specific requirements, unlike their close relative Neocaridinas, so they are more suited to a slightly experienced aquarist rather than a beginner.

The "Super Red Crystal" is a colour variant of the Bee Shrimp. In the Super Reds case, the name "Super" refers to the strongly enunciated and very intensive red colouring. This unique colouring makes the Super Red Crystal Shrimp an extraordinary experience in every aquarium. Compared to the classic Crystal Red Shrimp, the white colouring is only minimally present on the body or tail. In other words, The Super Red Crystal Shrimp needs as few white areas as possible.

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Feeding

Super Red Crystal shrimp will happily graze on biofilm and algae. However, make sure you supplement their diet with high quality dried food such as algae wafers, sinking pellets, and flake food. They will also happily eat small frozen foods such as mini-bloodworm and daphnia. You can also offer some vegetable stuff in their diets, such as broccoli, courgette or blanched spinach.

It is also beneficial if you add some dried Indian Almond leaves, Mulberry leaves, or oak leaves to your aquarium. Biofilm will grow on these as they slowly die, which will accommodate a brilliant food source for the shrimps while maintaining a low pH in the aquarium.

Sexual Dimorphism

Sexing Super Red Crystal Shrimp can be challenging until the Shrimp reach maturity. Females will have slightly larger tails and display a "saddle" formation on the upper body, to the rear of the head, where eggs accumulate before fertilisation. When the Shrimp are fully grown, the males will be smaller, and the females will have a more rounded body.