Shrimp Mandarin

Mandarin shrimp (Caridina cf. Propinqua), belongs to the large Atyidae family. Originally from the reservoirs of Southeast Asia, in particular from the Indonesian archipelago. It has an attractive light orange color of the chitinous cover, it is able to decorate with itself almost any common freshwater aquarium.

Maintenance and care

Compatible with many peaceful small fish, you should not hook up with aggressive carnivorous or large species, since such a miniature shrimp (adult size is about 3 cm) will quickly become an object of hunting. Prefers soft, slightly acidic water, the design should include areas with dense vegetation and places for shelters, for example, snags, intertwined tree roots, etc. It will hide in them during molting. In general, the Mandarin Shrimp is unpretentious, although it is supplied for sale from natural reservoirs, since it is not bred in the artificial environment of the aquarium.

It feeds on all types of food supplied to aquarium fish; when they are kept together, separate feeding is not required. Shrimps will pick up food leftovers, as well as consume various organic matter (fallen parts of plants), algae deposits, etc. In order to protect ornamental plants from possible eating, chopped pieces of home-made vegetables and fruits (potatoes, cucumber, carrots, leaf cabbage, lettuce, spinach, apple, porridge, etc.). Pieces are updated 2 times a week to prevent their decay and, accordingly, water pollution.