August, 2024 - Fireplace aquarium

Despite all the advice to the contrary, I tried out some Caridina shrimp in the tapwater-based Shrimphaus. This did not go well and after 3 weeks there was only one brave survivor left. The usual way to keep soft water shrimp is to start with reverse-osmosis (RO) water which is selectively remineralised mostly to restore calcium and magnesium (general hardness – GH). Alkalinity (KH) is usually kept pretty low. The problem with this approach is that RO equipment can be expensive, takes up a good amount of space, and wastes a lot of water. There is an interesting RO water supplier, Spotless Water, that has RO water vending stations distributed around England, but there aren’t any in the Cambridgeshire area. Having RO water shipped in directly isn’t very practical.

What do to about that?

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‘Crystal Red’ caridina shrimp: top-down view on the edge of the river

Bloody Mary shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) have been living in the Shrimphaus for a couple years now and are starting to get a little long in the tooth. Their solid dusky red colour also makes them difficult to see against the dark aquasoil and slate hardscape, although the new lighting has helped. I thought I’d pick up some more brightly coloured newcomers.

Caridina shrimp have interesting colours

Neocaridina come in interesting colours but with caridina shrimp there are more varieties and dramatic patterns. I was drawn to Crystal Red shrimp – with their solid white colouration and dramatic red stripe they definitely stand out against a dark background.

Continue reading “Caridina shrimp in the Shrimphaus” →