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Species profile

Blue Dragon Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Common names: Blue Dragon Caridina Shrimp, Blue Dragon Shrimp, Blue Dragon Caridina

Breeding lineCaridina Shrimp
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Adult size

Up to 3 cm

Typical adult length 2–3 cm.

Up to 3 cm

Good fit for your tank?

Good fit for

  • A seasoned Caridina keeper who wants to develop an uncommon blue patterned line rather than keep a predictable mass-market colour strain.
  • A dedicated soft-water aquarium where individual breeders can be selected for stronger blue coverage and clearer contrasting markings.
  • A hobbyist who buys from a breeder able to show the parents and explain what the seller means by the Blue Dragon trade name.

Think carefully if

  • You are buying by name alone. Blue Dragon is a trade name, and colour, pattern, grade, and genetic background may differ between breeders.
  • You want guaranteed identical offspring. Selective-bred blue lines can throw lighter, darker, or differently patterned young.
  • Your water is hard, the tank is new, or you cannot measure GH, KH, pH, and temperature consistently.

A modern blue Caridina breeding line sold under the Dragon name and selected for blue colour and complex patterns.

Appearance and Identification

Blue to dark blue pigmentation with variable white, metallic, spotted, galaxy, or scale-like pattern elements.

Blue Dragon is a non-standardized aquarium-trade line. The name can refer to different hybrid Caridina stocks, so a single species identity should not be assumed.

Adult females are generally larger and deeper-bodied than males. Colour and pattern intensity are not reliable sex indicators.

Tank Requirements

Suggested filter
About 80–100 litres an hour
Suggested heater
About 25–50 W for this tank
Minimum tank volume
20 litres
Minimum tank length
30 cm
Minimum group size
6
Recommended group size
10
Activity level
Moderate
Flow preference
Low to moderate
Planting preference
Heavily planted
Hiding places
Yes
Lid recommended
Yes
Jumping risk
Low

Use a mature, cycled aquarium with active substrate or another stable soft-water setup, gentle filtration, abundant biofilm, mosses, leaf litter, and protected filter intakes.

Behaviour and Tankmates

Peaceful dwarf shrimp that graze biofilm, algae, detritus, leaf litter, and prepared foods.

Best maintained in a group with other compatible Caridina lines sharing the same water requirements.

Not normally territorial.

Peaceful community fish may still eat shrimplets. Keep breeding colonies in shrimp-focused aquariums. Different compatible Caridina lines may interbreed and alter colour or pattern outcomes.

Check tankmates for this species

Water Parameters

Temperature
20–23 °C
pH
5.5–6.5
GH
4–6
KH
0–1
TDS
90–140
Stability importance
Very important

Use remineralized reverse-osmosis water and an active substrate. Keep hardness and dissolved solids stable, and avoid abrupt water changes.

Parameter caveat
Stability matters more than chasing a single number. Avoid abrupt changes in temperature, pH, GH, KH, or total dissolved solids.

Feeding

Diet types
Aufwuchs Grazer, Detritivore, Omnivore
Feeding frequency
Daily
Preferred foods
  • Mature biofilmPrimary natural grazing resource.
  • Complete dwarf-shrimp foodFeed sparingly and remove uneaten food.
  • Leaf litterProvides grazing area and slowly decomposing natural food.

Omnivorous biofilm grazer. Provide mature natural grazing surfaces and small portions of complete shrimp food, leaf litter, algae-based food, and occasional protein-rich food.

Avoid overfeeding. A mature aquarium with continuous biofilm is more important than heavy supplemental feeding.

Breeding

Breeding type
Direct Developer
Breeding difficulty
Moderate
Breeding temperature
22 °C
Breeding pH
6.2
Brood or egg count
Approximately 15–30 eggs, varying with female size and line
Incubation
28 days
Parental care
Maternal care
Baby foods
  • Mature biofilm and fine powdered shrimp foodShrimplets need constant access to microscopic food on established surfaces.

Direct-developing freshwater shrimp. Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen and release miniature shrimplets. Line purity and pattern consistency depend on selecting breeders and preventing unwanted crosses.

Habitat and Origin

Geographic origin
Captive Bred
Natural habitat
Freshwater Stream
Aquarium contexts
Breeding Aquarium, Planted Tank, Shrimp Tank
Audience level
Advanced, Intermediate

Classification

Profile type
Breeding line
Genus
Caridina
Family
Atyidae
Species group
Caridina Shrimp

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Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp

Caridina dennerli

Care level
Advanced
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
30 litres
Temperature
27–30 °C

Crystal Black Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
19–24 °C

Crystal Red Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
19–24 °C

Gold Nebula Shrimp

Caridina villadolidi

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3.5 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
20–26 °C

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