Red Nose Shrimp
Gracidina gracilirostris
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 3–4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 50 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Species profile
Ninja Shrimp
Marosina serratirostris
Common names: Ninja Shrimp, Christmas Shrimp
Recognized speciesOther Shrimp
Adult size
Up to 3.5 cm
Typical adult length 2–3.5 cm.
Up to 3.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- Mature planted aquarium setups
- Advanced shrimp keepers
- Peaceful nano aquariums
Think carefully if
- The aquarium contains shrimp-eating fish
- The tank is newly cycled
- Water conditions change frequently
A small shrimp known for changing colour quickly, from clear to red, brown, or black, which gives it its name. It has a long, toothed rostrum.
Appearance and Identification
A small shrimp known for changing colour quickly, from clear to red, brown, or black, which gives it its name. It has a long, toothed rostrum.
Accepted species; confirm the aquarium-trade common-name association.
Females are usually slightly larger, with a fuller underside, particularly when carrying eggs. Males are slimmer, although the differences can be subtle.
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
- Jumping risk
- Low
Use a mature aquarium of 20 litres or more with plants, wood, and plenty of biofilm. Keep filter intakes guarded, and avoid sudden changes.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful and active, spending most of the day grazing on biofilm.
Maintain with conspecifics or peaceful shrimp-safe tankmates where ecological requirements overlap.
Not normally territorial.
Suits calm, small fish and other peaceful shrimp with similar water needs. Large fish may eat adults, and most fish will eat young shrimp.
Water Parameters
Neutral, moderately hard water suits this shrimp. Keep it clean and well oxygenated.
Parameter caveat
Stable, mature conditions are essential; do not chase exact numbers through abrupt corrections.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Aufwuchs Grazer, Detritivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Mature biofilmCore natural grazing resource.
- Fine complete shrimp foodFeed sparingly and remove excess.
Omnivorous grazer and detritivore. Maintain mature biofilm and provide varied small foods without allowing waste to accumulate.
Monitor body condition and avoid overfeeding or unstable organic waste accumulation.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Larval Development
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Breeding temperature
- 23 °C
- Breeding pH
- 6.75
- Brood or egg count
- Not well documented
- Incubation
- 28 days
- Parental care
- Maternal care
- Baby foods
- Microscopic natural food and mature biofilmExact juvenile or larval requirements depend on the species.
The larvae need brackish or salt water to develop, so this shrimp does not breed in a normal freshwater aquarium. Few reports of captive breeding exist.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Asia, Australia, Fiji, Indo-Pacific, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines
- Natural habitat
- Estuary, Freshwater Stream
- Aquarium contexts
- Shrimp Tank, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Advanced
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Marosina
- Family
- Atyidae
- Species group
- Other Shrimp
- Previous scientific names
- Caridina serratirostris, Former combination retained for aquarium-trade recognition.
Have you kept this species?
You can write a note about what worked for you, or send a photograph. We check everything before it appears here.
Share a note or photo
Rudolph Shrimp
Gracidina gracilirostris
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 3–4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 45 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Taiwanese Bamboo Shrimp
Australatya obscura
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 4–6.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Amazon Zebra Shrimp
Euryrhynchus amazoniensis
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 1.5–3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 30 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C