Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp
Caridina dennerli
A jewel-like deep-red Sulawesi shrimp dotted with white spots, for warm hard water.
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Min. Tank Size | 40 L |
| Temperature | 27.0–30.0 °C |
| pH Range | 7.8–8.5 |
| Max Size | 2.0 cm |
| Lifespan | 1-2 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
Overview
The Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp (Caridina dennerli) is a jewel-like deep-red Sulawesi shrimp dotted with white spots, for warm hard water. It reaches about 2 cm and can live for roughly 1-2 years with good care.
This guide covers everything in plain language: tank size and setup, water parameters, the best foods (with recommended brands), which shrimp and tank mates it can safely live with, breeding, and the common problems to avoid. It is rated Advanced to keep.
Natural Habitat & Origin
Freshwater shrimp come from streams, pools and lakes across Asia. They are sensitive to copper, ammonia and sudden changes, so a mature, stable, planted tank is the secret to keeping and breeding them.
Tank Size & Setup
Provide at least 40 litres. Even small shrimp do best in a stable, well-established tank, as larger water volumes stay cleaner and swing less.
A mature, planted tank with moss, leaf litter and biofilm is ideal. Use a sponge filter (or a guard over the intake) so babies aren't sucked in, and never add anything containing copper, which is deadly to shrimp.
Always add invertebrates only to a fully cycled, mature tank - they are far more sensitive to ammonia and nitrite than most fish.
Water Parameters
Keep the Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp at 27-30 °C with a pH of 7.8-8.5, in warm, hard, alkaline water (GH/KH 4-6, high KH) - the opposite of bee shrimp.
Stability is everything for invertebrates: test regularly, keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate low, drip-acclimate new arrivals slowly over an hour, and make only small, steady water changes. Remember that copper - found in some fish medicines and plant fertilisers - is lethal, so always check labels.
Diet & Feeding
The Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp is a omnivore. In Australia, good options include Hikari Shrimp Cuisine, Dymax Shrimp Booster and blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), plus the natural biofilm and algae of a mature planted tank.
Feed lightly - invertebrates get much of their food from natural biofilm and algae, and overfeeding quickly fouls the water and triggers losses. A little, a few times a week, is plenty for most shrimp and snails.
Which Shrimp & Tank Mates Can Live Together?
Important: Sulawesi shrimp need warm, hard, alkaline water - completely different from soft-water bee shrimp - so they are best kept in a dedicated species tank and should not be mixed with Caridina bee/tiger or Neocaridina if you want any of them to thrive and breed. They are peaceful but tiny, so keep them only with each other or with very small, gentle snails.
Breeding
It breeds very easily in stable, copper-free water - berried females carry eggs under the tail for 3-4 weeks until tiny, fully-formed shrimp hatch. Warm, hard, alkaline water is essential for Sulawesi shrimp to breed.
Common Problems & Care Tips
The biggest killers of shrimp are copper, ammonia spikes and sudden changes in water - go slowly and keep things stable. Watch moulting closely: shrimp shed their shell to grow, and a failed moult (often from a lack of minerals or a big water change) can be fatal, so keep GH steady.
Quarantine and acclimate all new livestock carefully, and watch daily for sluggishness, failure to eat or trouble moulting.
Is the Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp Right for You?
The Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp suits keepers with some experience and a stable, mature, well-planned tank, as long as you can provide 40+ litres, the right water, copper-free conditions and suitable tank mates.
Get the basics right and these fascinating invertebrates are some of the most rewarding animals in the hobby. Use our aquarium tools to plan your setup and browse our fish and plant guides for safe tank mates.