How To Make Your Crystal Red Shrimp Live in Hard Water

Every aquatic organism has favorable water conditions and making all of these parameters match up when you put together a tank can be incredibly challenging. Whether your plants or other fish prefer hard water, finding a happy balance between everyone’s preferences requires testing and compromise. That’s especially true when keeping crystal red shrimp, which prefer soft water to hard water.

Here’s how to make your crystal red shrimp live in hard water:

Determine the optimal water hardness for your tank.
Slowly acclimate the shrimp to harder water.
Keep the other water parameters ideal for crystal reds.
Don’t expect your shrimp to breed or survive long.

So, let’s look at these steps and go through them together. I’ll give you all the details and teach you what happens when you keep crystal reds at a higher general hardness level. I’ll also let you know how to make hard-water-living more comfortable for your crystal red shrimp, so let’s get into it.

How To Make Your Crystal Red Shrimp Live in Hard Water

1. Determine the Optimal Water Hardness for Your Tank

The general hardness (GH) is vital for crystal red shrimp, and if the water is way too hard, your shrimp will quickly die.

The GH measures the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water, which is essential for the shrimp’s shell health. When shrimp molt and breed, they require slightly softer water than usual, so keeping the GH higher may affect your shrimp’s natural behaviors.

Crystal red shrimps can survive and stay healthy if the water has A GH between four and six. This range will also provide the shrimp with enough hardness to help them molt properly while still protecting their exoskeleton from damage.

While a lower GH is better, the shrimp should be alright if it is anywhere within the ideal range. So, if you want your shrimp to continue molting and breeding, try to keep your water hardness at 6.

However, I will admit that I have successfully kept crystal reds at a GH of 7 for short periods. Still, the weakest and youngest shrimp will die off at this hardness, and it will decrease the shrimps’ lifespans, so be prepared for fatalities and reduced lifespans if you go higher than 6 GH.

2. Slowly Acclimate the Shrimp to Harder Water

If you purchase crystal red shrimp, they will likely be accustomed to softer water. Crystal reds prefer this softer water, and they are generally much healthier in it, so if you want to have a hard tank, you’ll need to acclimate your shrimp the same way you adjust them to a temperature or tank change.

To acclimate your shrimp, put them in a soft water tank after taking them home. Then, every time you add more water to your tank, increase the hard water you add back in. Working slowly and gradually will prevent your shrimp from becoming shocked by the water parameter changes.

In addition, keep monitoring the GH and don’t let it get any higher than you need it to be.

3. Keep the Other Water Parameters Ideal for Crystal Reds

Since crystal red shrimp don’t thrive well in hard water, ensuring that the other tank parameters are perfect will keep your shrimp from dying. After all, you don’t want to overwhelm your shrimp with overly stressful water conditions.

Ideal water conditions for crystal red shrimp include:

A pH between six and seven: The pH levels are crucial for a crystal red shrimp. If the pH is too high, it can cause the shrimp to go into shock and die.
Slightly acidic water: Crystal red shrimp do best in slightly acidic water. That is likely because most shrimps thrive in backwater streams and acidic rivers.
Temperature between 70 °F – 78 °F (21.11 °C – 25.55 °C): Crystal red shrimp are tropical shrimp species and need warm water to survive. Therefore the ideal temperature for a crystal red shrimp is between 70 and 78 °F (21.11 °C – 25.55 °C).
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels at a minimum: The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels must be at 0 ppm. These levels can harm the shrimp and cause death.
A well-oxygenated tank: Crystal red shrimp need a lot of oxygen to survive. Therefore, the tank must be well oxygenated.

The temperature is critical when you have crystal red shrimp. That’s because temperatures outside their ideal range can cause stress and disease.

According to a study, the sweet spot for shrimps is at 28 °C (82.4 °F). According to scientific studies, that’s the temperature at which most shrimps breed faster and are more comfortable.

While these are ideal conditions, crystal red shrimp can live in a wide range of water parameters.

However, it is essential to remember that they will likely not breed as successfully outside of their ideal range. If you are keeping your shrimp at a high GH, they won’t survive long if another water parameter is off. So, keep testing and changing the water to ensure that you don’t kill your shrimp.

4. Don’t Expect Your Shrimp To Breed or Survive Long

Even though crystal red shrimps can survive in hard water, a few problems can still arise:

The biggest problem is that the high levels of calcium and magnesium found in hard water may damage crystal red shrimps’ delicate exoskeletons. This damage can cause the shrimp to become more susceptible to disease and shorten their lifespan.
High hardness levels can also make it difficult for the shrimp to molt properly. Molting is an essential process for shrimp, as it allows them to grow and shed any old, damaged exoskeleton. If the water conditions inhibit the molting process, it can cause long-term problems for the shrimp.
Breeding can also be more difficult in hard water, as the high levels of hardness can impede the development of the shrimp’s eggs.

That is not to say that breeding is impossible in hard water, but it may be more challenging for the shrimp to succeed when the water is not soft enough.

Things To Keep in Mind When Making Crystal Red Shrimp Live In Hard Water

There are a couple of other things that you should consider when you decide to raise the GH in your crystal reds’ tank:

One of the main things to keep in mind is that crystal red shrimp are very sensitive to changes in water quality. If you keep them in hard water, you’ll need to be extra diligent about monitoring parameters and regular water changes.
Another thing to consider is the diet of your crystal red shrimp. As with any shrimp, they need a good mix of vegetables and protein. However, they also benefit from added calcium in their diet, which can help offset some of the adverse effects of hard water.

If you consider adding crystal red shrimp to your aquarium, do your research and provide them with the best possible conditions for a happy and healthy life.

The Bottom Line

While crystal red shrimp can live in hard water, it is essential to remember that they will not thrive as well if the GH is higher than 6. If you take the time to create an ideal environment, crystal red shrimp can still do quite well at slightly higher GH levels.

If you’re interested in keeping crystal red shrimp in your aquarium, talk to your local fish store or a knowledgeable hobbyist for more advice on how to make it work. You can have a beautiful and thriving shrimp tank with just a bit of effort!