Spotted shrimp
Caridina cantonensis (C. serrata)
The spotted shrimp is a pretty, color-variable wild shrimp species.
- pretty wild form
- variable coloring
- dark dot and stripe pattern
Out of stock
Receive in-stock notifications for this.
Important data
Product description & details
The spotted shrimp, Caridina cantonensis (syn. Caridina serrata), originally comes from small streams in southern China. This wild form is very variable in color, as its color ranges from yellowish, bluish, greenish, reddish to transparent. Characteristically, the body of the shrimp is decorated with dark speckled dots and delicate stripes.
Care in the aquarium
The spotted shrimp is not a particularly demanding speciesas long as it has the right water parameters. Keeping this beautiful shrimp is possible in aquariums with a capacity of 10 liters or more, but since the water values fluctuate significantly less with more volume, we recommend an aquarium that holds 20 liters or more. The spotted shrimp requires clean, oxygen-rich, soft and lime-free water, which is why it is best kept on salted osmosis water, but is also potentially suitable for soft tap water (CH below 3). The Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+ is suitable as a mineral salt. We recommend active soil as a substrate, which sets and maintains the correct water parameters. It is also important that the temperature of the water does not exceed 26°C for long periods of time, even in summer. In order for this sociable dwarf shrimp to feel safe, it should be kept in a group of at least 10 animals and in a well-planted aquarium. The plants, but also roots, stone structures or shrimp tubes offer it protection and places of retreat. Since it reproduces very slowly, the spotted shrimp is ideally kept in a pure shrimp aquarium, possibly with snails.
Feeding
As a classic leftover recycler, the spotted shrimp feeds on biofilm and algae growth as well as detritus (dead plant material, carrion, leftover food). In the aquarium it can be fed with special types of shrimp food, leaves, algae powder and occasionally frozen food. Ideally, there are always brown autumn leaves in the aquarium, which represent optimal permanent food for the animals.
Sexual characteristics and breeding
Sex determination is usually not possible in young animals, but only in sexually mature animals. Juveniles and males have a narrower underside of the abdomen, while sexually mature females have a wider underside that covers the swimming legs like a “skirt”. This widening of the abdomen serves to protect the eggs, which the female carries and cares between her swimming legs until they hatch. As with most dwarf shrimp, female spotted shrimp adults are slightly larger than males. Caridina cantonensis reproduces in fresh water and can be bred in an aquarium without any problems as long as the water parameters are right. However, this shrimp is significantly less productive than most other Caridina species. After a gestation period of around 4 to 6 weeks, the female releases around 10-20 fully developed shrimplets, which initially feed on microorganisms present in the aquarium and can be fed with dust food.