Red Nose Shrimp

Common Name: Red Nose Shrimp, Pinocchio Shrimp, Rudolph Shrimp, Rhino Shrimp
Scientific Name: Caridina gracilirostris
Genus: Caridina
Wild Origin: Asia
Adult Size: 1.25in

**Note: All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No additional insulation is needed for your livestock.

The Red Nose Shrimp is one of the most peculiar and charming "oddball" freshwater shrimp. Named for their incredibly long, needle-like red rostrum, these shrimp resemble the literary character Pinocchio. Their bodies are primarily translucent, often accented with a subtle yellow or red stripe running the full length of the back. While their appearance is whimsical, their work ethic is serious, as Red Nose Shrimp are widely considered to be on par with Amano Shrimp for their ability to consume hair algae and various other nuisance algae types.

Red Nose Shrimp are unique not just in looks, but in behavior. Unlike many dwarf shrimp that stay glued to the substrate, Red Nose Shrimp are active swimmers and can often be seen hovering in the water column like tiny helicopters. They are peaceful and social, making them a fantastic addition to a community shrimp aquarium. Important Care Tip: It is important to have a lower water level or aquarium lid with this variety, as they are also known to be jumpers!

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank raised specimen
• Unsexed juveniles
• More buoyant and mobile in the water column than standard Neocaridina.
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after an order is placed to properly prepare live animal shipments. 
  

Recommended Water Parameters:

• Temperature Range: 68–76°F
• pH: 6.6-7.6
• TDS: 100-300 ppm
• GH: 4-8 dGH
• KH: 0-4 dKH

Recommended Tank Size
10+ gallons, minimum. Their active swimming nature and size make them better suited for 10-gallon setups or larger where they have room to hover and forage.

Diet
Omnivorous. Red Nose Shrimp are voracious algae eaters. Their diet consists primarily of naturally occurring algae and biofilm. In cleaner tanks, supplement their diet with plant-based pellets, spirulina wafers, and blanched vegetables.

Breeding
Breeding Red Nose Shrimp is considered a challenge for advanced hobbyists. Similar to Amano Shrimp, they follow a "low-order" reproductive cycle where the larvae require a transition into brackish water to survive their early development stages. While adults are fully freshwater, successfully raising shrimplets to maturity requires specialized setups and precise salinity management. For most hobbyists, they are kept as a functional and fascinating addition to the clean-up crew rather than for breeding.

Check out our blog article to learn how to breed freshwater shrimp.