Description
The red nose shrimp is a Caridina of about 4 cm, translucent with a long, reddish rostrum that gives it its name. It is a sociable, active shrimp that spends the day grazing on plants, stones and wood, and is valued above all for its appetite for fine algae.
It is nothing like the soft-water Caridina of the bee group: it comes from rivers and estuaries, tolerates harder, more mineralised water and does not need RO. Its demand is different: stable water changes and an already mature tank with biofilm to scrape.
It does well in a group, with small fish that will not see it as food. The larvae need brackish water to develop, so a colony does not grow by itself in a freshwater tank.
Habitat
It is an Indo-Pacific shrimp, with records from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Taiwan, Australia and Fiji, living in the lower stretches of rivers and streams and in estuary areas. Adults cope with fresh water, but the larvae develop in brackish water.
At home a planted tank, moss and stones with an algal film, medium-hard alkaline water and a warm temperature without swings are enough.
🌊 Water parameters
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.2 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 26–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
Sources
- GBIFGBIF Secretariat (2026). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei. Consultado vía GBIF.org, 2026-08. Caridina gracilirostris.
Taxonomy verified as ACCEPTED unless stated otherwise.
The care values (pH, temperature and hardness) have no citable source: none of the accepted sources publishes invertebrate profiles. Seriously Fish has none and PlanetCatfish does not respond. A source for invertebrates is still to be agreed.