Caridina vs. Neocaridina: Cracking the Code on Shrimpkeeping Success

[00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of The Aquarists Edge, a podcast for home aquarists just like you. Learn more about how to keep a thriving aquarium and discover ideas and tips to give your aquarium the edge. And now over to our host, Arthur Preston. Keeping a freshwater shrimp has become one of the fastest growing aspects of the freshwater aquarium hobby.

[00:00:24] And for good reason. These little guys, little scavengers around the tank, they're mesmerizing. They're diverse and they're incredibly rewarding if you understand their needs. But one thing you may have come across is that there are two predominant types of shrimp. The Caridinas and the Neocaridinas. And the question you have to ask is which one should you be keeping? Can you keep both together? Do they have different care needs? And that's what this episode is going to deal with.

[00:00:53] So I've become quite keen on these little guys in the tank and wanted to share with you all today something about knowing the difference between the Caridinas and the Neocaridinas and how you can keep them best in your aquariums. So let's start off with the fundamentals. Caridinas and Neocaridinas are both freshwater dwarf shrimp, but they come from different habitats and they therefore have distinct care needs and characteristics. The Neocaridinas originally come from Eastern Asia

[00:01:22] and they're often considered the go-to shrimp for beginners. The most popular species is the Neocaridina davidii and these are the cherry shrimp and all the different colors that they come in. Caridina on the other hand come from more specialized environments such as softwater mountain streams or blackwater habitats in Southeast Asia. Caridina also have a slightly more arched back and a narrower body when compared side by side with the Neocaridinas.

[00:01:52] Now we've all seen multiple colors of shrimp. So let's talk about this in terms of the Neocaridinas. All of these colorful strains of Neos come from the Neocaridina davidii strain or genus and they can interbreed. You've got your red cherry, secura, fire red, painted fire red. These are increasing grades of red pigmentation. Then you have your yellows or your neon yellows. They are bright and sunny and they absolutely pop against darker substrates.

[00:02:22] You have your orange secura which has a lovely tangerine hue and then you've got a couple of blues. You've got a blue dream, blue velvet, blue jelly. These have different intensities and opacities of blue. The green jades are an increasingly popular green strain and your really shrimp are those that have transparent mid-sections with a colored head and a colored tail. You then have your chocolate and your black rose. These are deep brown to black coloration.

[00:02:50] Now each of these Neocaridina strains are relatively hardy and they are capable of interbreeding. That means that if you mix the strains you'll likely end up with wild type brown or clear offspring over a period of time. In terms of the Karadinas, this gets stunning in terms of color but can also become rather expensive. You've got your classic crystal red shrimp and your crystal black shrimp and then you have your Taiwan bee variants. These include blue bolts, pandas and King Kongs.

[00:03:20] You also have various other types of Karadinas such as the tangerine tigers, the black tigers, the tibby shrimps and so forth. Now Karadina shrimp can be crossbred for hybrid projects but that's usually best left to experienced breeders due to the complexity of managing their genetics and their water parameters. Speaking of water parameters, let's talk a bit about what makes or breaks a shrimp tank. That's water chemistry.

[00:03:48] A Neocaridina needs to live in temperatures between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius. They have been known to survive lower temperatures. In fact, I have some blue jeans in an outdoor pond which survive right through winter. So it is possible and I've seen a couple of YouTube videos of guys living in the States where they've iced over a pond during their winter season and red cherry shrimp have survived. I'm not suggesting you do that. You want to get your shrimp thriving, not just surviving but they are incredibly hardy.

[00:04:18] Neocaridinas will thrive in dechlorinated tap water with a stable environment. There's no need for Oro water or specialized buffering substrates. You can really use anything as a substrate. Just don't use anything that buffers because that will change the pH of your water. It's often said that a darker substrate will enhance the coloration and certainly the bright colors certainly pop against a dark substrate. In terms of Karadinas, here it gets a little more complicated because here you need to have specific parameters for certain shrimp.

[00:04:48] Your temperature needs to be between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. Your pH between 5.5 and 6.5. And then you have your GH, KH and TDS ratings as well. I'm not going to go into those because those require more specialized knowledge and that's not the purpose of this particular episode. But if you do want to know more about that, go and do your own research to figure out what is required for your Karadina shrimp to thrive. What I will tell you is that they do best in reverse osmosis or Oro water that is remineralized.

[00:05:19] They also need an active substrate which helps keep the pH low. In terms of filtration, slow flow is preferred and avoid strong currents. One thing you need to be aware of here is that stability in your tank is far more important than chasing perfect numbers. So choose the parameters that you can maintain consistently. This not only is just general advice, I've heard this from several people I know who are superb Karadina breeders and they will tell you exactly the same thing.

[00:05:48] Don't spend your time chasing the numbers. Get your parameters stable and keep them there. As long as your shrimp are thriving, you're doing fine. In terms of feeding and nutrition, both Karadina and Neocaradina shrimp are omnivores and they're scavengers. But they have different sensitivities. For your Neocaradinas, you can use blanched vegetables, shrimp specific pellets or granules, occasional protein treats such as bloodworms. And algae and biofilm should be their staple. Now, your tank will have that.

[00:06:17] Your tank will have algae, you'll have biofilm. If you want to know what biofilm is and you're watching this and listening to this on YouTube, I will place a link to the biofilm episode in the top right of the screen. You'll be able to click on that and listen to that episode. For those listening on the podcast app, I will put a link to that episode in the episode notes. In terms of Karadinas, they love high protein baby shrimp food during the breeding cycle. They would use things that are soy based or long lasting, what they call snowflake food.

[00:06:47] They love mineral rich leaves such as Indian almond or mulberry leaves. And you can also use specialized powdered foods to support the biofilm growth. Feed your shrimp sparingly, two to three times a week and only what they can consume in about two hours. Overfeeding is the number one cause of shrimp tank crashes. Also a good idea to rotate foods to ensure balanced diets. Breeding near Karadinas is fairly simple. It's fairly easy and there are prolific breeders.

[00:07:15] Eggs will hatch after 25 to 30 days and the babies are tiny versions of the adults and you don't need to intervene in any way particular. You want to keep your temperature at around 24 degrees for consistent breeding and provide moss or fine leaf plants to shelter the little ones. Breeding Karadinas is a bit trickier because they are a lot more sensitive to autochemistry swings. The buried females, that means that they're carrying their eggs under their bodies. They may drop eggs under stress.

[00:07:41] And Karadina babies are very sensitive to ammonia and need biofilm rich environments. Keep your nitrates below 10 parts per million and use powdered food and leaf litter to support microthona. Don't vacuum your substrate aggressively because you may well pick up little babies in the process. When it comes to shrimp, tank mates can either be peaceful cohabitants or they can be silent predators. Neokaradina shrimp are a bit more forgiving and can co-exist with a wider range of community fish.

[00:08:12] I think I've said before on this podcast, I have a tank currently of Platinum Koi guppies with a thriving colony of Blue Dream shrimp with no issues whatsoever. Lots of hiding spaces, plants, a lot of subwasatang which the shrimp used to breed in. So as long as you provide them with space and hiding spaces, they will be fine.

[00:08:32] Compatible tank mates include otto-sinklis, koridoras, kuli loachers, s'mores borers, ember tetras, and then snails such as neorites, mystery snails or rabbit snails. Generally the rule of thumb is that any fish with a mouth that's large enough to eat a shrimp is to be avoided. But as I say, there are exceptions here. I've even known people to keep a better with shrimp. Not something I would recommend, but I have seen it done.

[00:08:58] Always provide hiding spots such as dense moss, caves or leaf litter to give your shrimp a sense of security. Karadina shrimp on the other hand are much more sensitive and they do best in species only tanks or with very selective tank mates. Tank mates such as your snails, that's rams, neorites, and so forth. You could have Thai micro crabs if you wanted to, and some hobbyists experiment with small rasboras or otto's but it's probably safer to avoid fish entirely.

[00:09:27] Due to their specific water needs and their shy nature, Karadina tanks should be kept as stress free as possible. Any aggressive or even curious tank mate can disrupt the breeding and cause deaths. Now for both neos and Karadinas, heavily planted tanks with mosses such as Java mosses or Wausatung provide great refuge, especially during molting or for little baby shrimp, which are also known as shrimplets.

[00:09:57] So, if you're trying to decide now, should I keep neocardinas or should I keep karadinas? Let's have a look at that. If you are a first time shim keeper, if you're looking to provide colour contrast in your aquascape, if you don't have access to RO water, then neocardinas are probably best. These are ideal for beginners and casual hobbyists. They're great in planted community tanks. They make an excellent cleanup crew with a lot of colour pop in your tank. And of course, they are less sensitive to water parameter swings.

[00:10:28] However, if you are an experienced aquarist, if you have tanks that can be dedicated to shrimp keeping, you have access to RO water and you want to try and do something a little bit different, then go for the Karadinas. Try and produce high value offspring. And if you have dedicated shrimp tanks, you can do that. Give it a go. Try it out and see what you can do. Shrimp keeping is both an art and a science.

[00:10:54] And choosing between Karadina and neocardina depends on your experience, your water and your goals. If you want a splash of colour with minimal fuss, go for the neocardinas. Want a project with stunning results and a bit of niche prestige? Then Karadina might be for you. Whatever you choose, be patient, observe, learn and adjust. Feel free to leave your shrimp keeping stories in the YouTube comments if you're listening to this on YouTube.

[00:11:24] Add comments onto the podcast app, leave a review. Please don't forget to like and subscribe if you're listening on YouTube. Follow us on your favourite podcast app. And thanks again for making time to listen to the Aquarist Edge. I value your support. The podcast continues to grow, so please share, continue to share with others. Let's grow this hobby together. And as always, keep learning, keep discovering and keep enjoying this amazing hobby. Cheers for now.

[00:11:53] That's it for this episode of the Aquarist Edge. Please consider subscribing to this podcast so that you don't miss further episodes. We would love it if you would also rate and review the podcast as this helps make it visible to others. Until next time, keep learning and discovering and keep finding your Aquarist Edge in this captivating and fascinating hobby.