Are Crystal Red Shrimp Hard To Keep?

Figuring out which fish to keep as a beginner aquarist can be a challenge. One of the recommendations is that shrimp require less maintenance to keep than fish—but does that apply to all shrimp? Crystal red shrimp is a gorgeous shrimp species, but are they easy or hard to keep?

Crystal red shrimp are moderately hard to keep. They require a higher water purity than many other aquarium species and require controlled pH, temperature, and water hardness. If your aquarium has plants, your shrimp may be susceptible to CO2 levels. If it is too high, they will develop CO2 poisoning.

If you want to learn more about keeping crystal red shrimp, you’re in the right place. While these shrimp are hard to maintain, especially for beginners, it is not impossible to have a tank fill of thriving crystal red shrimp – and this article will explain how.

Challenges Involved in Keeping Crystal Red Shrimp

Contrary to what many believe, these shrimp are not the most low-maintenance animals to keep. There are some reasons for this, including the following.

Shrimp Sensitivity to Water Conditions

Crystal red shrimp needs water that meets specific parameters to remain healthy.

Your Nitrate/Ammonia Levels

The most critical part of setting up your aquarium is ensuring it is free of nitrates and ammonia. You can get away with the smallest amount of these compounds in the aquarium water, but for the best results, they should be completely free of both.

Because of this requirement, you will need to constantly monitor the water quality in your aquarium while you keep crystal red shrimp. If left unchecked, ammonia and nitrate can increase rapidly in your aquarium water.

Water Changes

The easiest solution to water purity issues is regularly changing your aquarium water. Specifically, you should change about 30% of the water every week.

This water change is almost double what you would change in a regular aquarium. However, a crystal red shrimp’s sensitivity to water conditions necessitates ensuring the conditions are just right, which means more frequent water changes.

Other Water Parameter Requirements.

However, the ammonia and nitrate levels are only part of providing your aquarium water suitable for your shrimp. It would be best to consider the following:

Correct water pH. For pH levels, crystal red shrimp prefer slightly acidic waters. The pH should be between 5.8-7.4.
Correct water temperature. You need to ensure the water is somewhat heated—while these shrimp can tolerate water temperatures between 62-78°F (16.67-25.56°C), they prefer temperatures above 70°F or 21.22°C(though you should always ensure the temperature does not rise above the recommended 78°F or 25.56°C).
Water hardness. It would be best if you maintain the levels at between 0 to 4 Carbonate Hardness (dKH).
Be aware of water currents. The water current and the filter are also things to keep in mind when setting up your aquarium. Crystal red shrimp can easily get caught up in strong water currents, so it’s essential to keep the water current in your aquarium to a minimum and allow the water to flow naturally instead of accelerating it.
Water filtration. You’ll need to have a filter in your tank. However, because your shrimp are small, some filters can be dangerous, and your shrimp may get caught up in them. The best solution is to use a sponge filter.

Shrimp Sensitivity to CO2 Levels

Your crystal red shrimp tank should include aquatic plants—as the plants will give them places to hide. However, the flip side is that the shrimp are very sensitive to CO2 levels in the water.

Specifically, this is because of how CO2 levels affect the water pH. In the evening, the plants cease photosynthesis and no longer actively absorb CO2. However, the plant continues to respire, decreasing the pH levels and increasing the water acidity. This acidity can, in turn, cause CO2 poisoning and even death to your shrimp.

If you need to inject CO2 into your tank (as you will in most planted aquariums), you should ideally only do so during daylight hours. Additionally, you should continually monitor CO2 levels in your tank and ensure they don’t get higher than 30 mg/l (30 ppm).

Crystal Red Shrimp Price Considerations

While price does not necessarily make crystal red shrimp harder to keep, it is one reason that beginner aquarists often stay away from them.

These shrimp are a product of selective breeding and an aquarium-only species—you will not find them in the wild. Combined with the difficulty in keeping them, the fact that their lifespan is only 18 months, and heavy demand from aquarists, these shrimp can get expensive—especially higher-grade specimens.

This high price means beginner aquarists who aren’t sure they’re ready to invest a large amount of money in their tanks often stay away. Additionally, people unsure of their skills tend to avoid these shrimp because the last thing they want is to spend a large amount of money buying them, only to have them all die out due to a mistake while keeping them.

Final Thoughts

Crystal red shrimp are hard to keep, especially if you’re a beginner aquarist. If you’re planning to keep these shrimp, remember to keep them in a separate tank earmarked only for them. Communal tanks can result in the shrimp—and their young and eggs—being eaten by other fish and can make it challenging to ensure the ideal water conditions for your shrimp.