Rudolph shrimps

Common Names: Rudolph Shrimp, Rhino Shrimp, Mosquito Shrimp, Red Nose Shrimp, Rocket Shrimp, Rote Nashorngarnele
Scientific Name: Caridina gracilirostris
Size: 2.5 to 4 cm (1" to 1.5")
PH: 6.5 - 7.5
Temperature: 68 - 82.4°F (20 - 28°C)

The Rudolph snail is a small colorful shrimp, 1 to 1.5 inches/ 2.5-4 cm that originates from India. It is suitable for most planted aquariums with small friendly fish species. They are scavengers and will not harm anything living. They can help you keep your aquarium algae free as they eat algae from the leaf of your plants as well as from rocks and other decorations. They can even weed out some of the dark green brush-like algae that can grow on the edges of plants. Rudolph shrimp can be kept with most other small friendly shrimp species. Many larger shrimp species eat Rudolph shrimp if kept together. This shrimp species swims more than many other shrimp species.

They do best in a well planted aquarium. Most bottom substrates are okay. They like to have hiding spaces that can be created by including caves in the set up or by having densely planted areas in the aquariums. Rudolph shrimps will tolerate a wide temperature range but they prefer a temperature of 68 - 82.4°F (20 - 28°C). They do well in unheated aquariums in most homes. The pH-value should be kept close to neutral and pH 6.5 - 7.5 is ideal even if these shrimps can accept a somewhat wider pH span. Rudolph shrimps will help keep the aquarium clean by tirelessly searching the bottom for detritus and other things they can eat.

Rudolph shrimp eats as earlier mentioned algae, detritus and other things they can found on the bottom. They can be very helpful in keeping an aquarium clean from algae and other debris. Some Rudolph shrimps are fonder of algae than others. Rudolph shrimps can be feed sinking wafers and flake food. If they are given floating flake food they will swim to the surface to collect the food. They love frozen food, fish meat and shrimp. They sometimes eat fine leafed plants if they don't get enough vegetable in their diet. This can easily be prevented by giving them mashed peas.

Breeding Rudolph shrimp is not very hard but you will have to add some salt to the water because brackish water is needed to successfully breed these shrimps. Spawnings can occur in freshwater but the larvae require brackish water to survive. Adult shrimps can be sexed by the fact that males are larger and more colorful. Females are often close to transparent. Sexing Rudolph shrimp is however not always easy and it is often hard to be 100% sure. Even if breeding this species isn't too hard it should be said that there are a lot of other small species that are easier to breed and this is not the ideal choice if you want to breed you first shrimp.