If you just decided to keep Caridina shrimp you need to understand the ideal water parameters for these shrimp. Because keeping caridina is all about keeping your water right for them. But if you are completely new to the aquarium hobby I would strongly suggest you start with Neocaridina - these shrimp are much easier to keep and breed and it will forgive you some of your mistakes. 

Can I use my tap water for Caridina shrimp?

My first very important advise is - never use tap water for your Caridina shrimp if you want them to thrive in our tank. Caridina shrimp prefer clean and very soft water with 0 KH (carbonate hardenes) Its extremely rare that your tap water will be good for caridina and if you going to see tap water I can guarantee that you will never have success with caridina shrimp. Don't even try you just waste a lot of time and more likely kill your shrimp.

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How to Prepare Water for Caridina Shrimp

The first thing you need to do is invest in an RO unit to start making pure RO water. An RO unit will strip your tap water of any dissolved solids, making it completely free of salts. It's essentially the same as distilled water, if that’s easier for you to understand.

Once you’ve purchased and installed your RO unit, you can begin making your own RO water and fill your storage reservoir. Once it's full, you can remineralize this pure RO water to make it ideal for Caridina shrimp.

Next, buy some GH conditioner (also known as remineralizer for Caridina shrimp) and add it to your water until the General Hardness (GH) reaches 4-5 degrees. Most breeders, including myself, use a TDS pen to check the water's TDS after adding the GH remineralizer. The TDS should be between 100 and 150 ppm, which will give you a GH reading between 3 and 5. You don't need to be exact—just pick a number you like and stick with it. Personally, I prefer to set my TDS between 110-120 ppm, which results in a GH of around 4.

Congratulations, you've now successfully created the ideal water for Caridina shrimp! But we're not finished yet. Another important water parameter for happy Caridina shrimp is pH.

What is the Ideal pH for Caridina Shrimp?

Caridina shrimp prefer slightly acidic water and thrive in a lower pH range. The ideal pH for Caridina shrimp is between 5.5 and 6.

Another crucial point to understand is that your pH should remain stable. If the pH fluctuates too much, your Caridina shrimp won’t be happy. Essentially, to keep your shrimp healthy, you must maintain stable water parameters at all times! Caridina shrimp do not tolerate fluctuations in temperature, pH, or TDS. Such changes can cause stress, force them to molt, and could potentially result in death.

How to Keep Your pH Low and Stable?

The answer is simple—active soil! Active soil will buffer your water, lower your pH, and maintain it at that level as long as you don’t make major changes to your setup, such as performing large water changes. The next step is to buy a bag of active soil, which will help bring your pH to the desired level and maintain it for a long time.

What’s the Ideal Temperature for Caridina Shrimp?

Caridina shrimp prefer slightly cooler water, thriving in a temperature range between 20°C and 24°C (68-75.2°F). Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s better to keep them in cooler water rather than warmer water. Caridina shrimp will start to die if the temperature rises above 25°C (77°F), but they won’t die if the temperature is too low. They can survive in temperatures as low as 15°C (59°F). In lower temperatures, they become very slow and passive. They may stop breeding or breed very slowly, and growth will also be slower, but they won’t die.

Make sure your water temperature doesn’t rise above 25°C (77°F), and as always, keep it stable. It should be consistent at all times. If it’s 21°C (69.8°F), keep it at 21°C day and night. A difference of ±1°C to 2°C (±1.8°F to 3.6°F) between day and night is acceptable, but no more than that.

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