Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp (Caridina sp.)

Choose the Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp for a soft-water shrimp tank

The Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp is a line-bred dwarf Caridina shrimp with a deep red body dusted all over with tiny white speckles. The speckling runs from the head to the tail like a scatter of stars, which gives the line its “stardust” name, and faint paler bands at the joints of the body segments supply the “zebra”. The legs and antennae are banded red and white, the tail fan is edged in white, and the eyes are dark. Up close it is one of the most intricate patterns in freshwater shrimp.

It belongs to the family Atyidae and to the soft-water group of Caridina that includes the crystal red, Taiwan bee and tiger shrimp. Speckled lines like this one are bred from crosses within that group, and the exact parentage of the Red Zebra Stardust has not been published, so we sell it as Caridina sp. What matters for care is the group it comes from: these shrimp need soft, acidic, very stable water, and they are not a first shrimp for a new keeper.

Check the fit before you order

Browse our wider range of shrimps and crustaceans, the freshwater shrimp category or the Caridina shrimp range to compare lines.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase quantity supplies one live Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp. The only option is “Standard”: the line is not graded into sizes, so shrimp are sent at the size available on the day, usually young adults. Sex is not specified. The photographs show the colour line, not the individual shrimp; the density of the speckles and the depth of the red vary from shrimp to shrimp, and young shrimp usually colour up as they mature.

Order for the colony you plan

• One shrimp: only as an addition to an existing group of the same line.
• Five shrimp: the smallest group OATA recommends; single shrimp or very small groups often become stressed.
• Ten or more: a better chance of both sexes and a fuller display, provided the tank is mature and large enough.

Please read our delivery and live arrival information before ordering, and have the tank cycled, tested and stable before the shrimp arrive.

Understand the line: bee, tiger and speckled shrimp

Bee and tiger shrimp were long treated in the hobby as forms of one species. A 2014 revision by Klotz and von Rintelen, summarised by Seriously Fish, found that ornamental bee strains such as crystal red, King Kong and blue bolt all group genetically with Caridina cantonensis, and described the tiger shrimp as a separate species, Caridina mariae. The authors added that hybridisation between captive lines cannot be ruled out.

Many of the most patterned modern lines come from Taiwan. Writing in Practical Fishkeeping, Chris Lukhaup traced the Taiwan colour forms to a spontaneous mutation in a Taiwanese breeder’s tanks. The Shrimp Farm describes “galaxy” shrimp, the best-documented speckled lines, as the result of selective breeding of Taiwan bee and tiger shrimp, with white mottling on a coloured body and star-like spots on the cheeks. “Stardust” and “zebra” are trade names rather than formal standards, so expect some variation in how breeders apply them.

Read the pattern names

Set up a mature, soil-based shrimp tank

OATA gives 10 litres as the minimum for a small group of shrimp, but soft-water lines need more stability than that. Gensou’s Taiwan bee guide sets 20 litres as the minimum and notes that 40–60 litres holds its chemistry more steadily, and Practical Fishkeeping reports that the Taiwanese breeding tanks Lukhaup visited were none smaller than 80 litres. A filter is essential, and a lid stops shrimp jumping out.

Use an active, buffering aquarium soil 3–5 cm deep, as Gensou recommends: it pulls the pH down and keeps the water soft, which plain gravel cannot do. Cycle the tank fully before any shrimp go in. Gensou advises at least six weeks, ideally eight, and adding shrimp only after ammonia and nitrite have read zero for two weeks in a row. Our guide to the aquarium nitrogen cycle explains what is happening during that time.

Lay out the tank in zones

The red and white of the Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp shows best over dark soil with bright green moss behind it.

Prepare soft water and keep it steady

Sources agree that this group needs soft, acidic water, although their exact numbers differ. The Shrimp Farm gives pH 5.5–6.8, 20–24°C, GH 3–6, KH 0–1 and TDS 80–150 for galaxy shrimp. Gensou gives 22–25°C, pH 5.4–6.2, GH 4–6, KH 0–1 and TDS 100–150 ppm for Taiwan bees. Practical Fishkeeping reports Taiwanese breeders working at about 200 µS/cm and pH 6.4–6.9, at 22–24°C for breeding. OATA’s much broader planning range for all freshwater shrimp (17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18 dGH) covers hardier species too; for a bee-type line, follow the specialist values.

Tap water across the UK ranges from soft to very hard, and most of it is harder than these shrimp want. Test yours, and compare it with the targets using our water matcher. If GH or KH is above range, do what most keepers do: use reverse osmosis water and remineralise it with a shrimp mineral that raises GH without adding KH. Top up evaporation with plain reverse osmosis water, because evaporation leaves the minerals behind and pushes TDS up.

Read the values side by side

Wikipedia notes that Caridina cantonensis shows its strongest colours at 24–25°C and that high temperatures increase the death rate of young and adults and reduce egg survival, so avoid letting the tank overheat in summer. Our water chemistry guide explains GH, KH and TDS testing.

Feed sparingly and remove leftovers

These shrimp graze biofilm, algae and decaying plant matter all day; Wikipedia describes the bee shrimp species as a scavenger of small pieces of decayed vegetation and algae. Extra food is a supplement, not the main source. Feeding advice varies: OATA suggests two or three feeds a week, left for at least 30 minutes, Gensou also suggests two or three times a week, and The Shrimp Farm suggests one or two pieces of shrimp food a day with leftovers removed within a few hours. In a soil tank, overfeeding fouls the water quickly, so start at the lower end.

Build one measured shrimp meal

• Use a fine shrimp food: small sinking sticks such as our Caridina nano sticks spread well among a group.
• Feed one spot: drop it on open soil so you can see who comes to eat.
• Check after 30 minutes: most of the group should have found it.
• Lift out leftovers: remove anything still there after a few hours.
• Vary the menu: Gensou suggests blanched mulberry leaves or spinach and dried almond leaves alongside prepared food.

Acclimatise new shrimp slowly

Soft-water shrimp react badly to sudden changes in mineral content. OATA’s floating-bag method sets the minimum: switch off the light, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then add small amounts of tank water over at least 30 minutes before releasing the shrimp with as little bag water as possible. Gensou goes further for Taiwan bees and recommends a drip acclimatisation of at least two hours, until the TDS in the container is within 10 ppm of the tank.

1. Turn off the tank light and keep the room dim.
2. Float the sealed bag for 10 minutes to match temperature.
3. Move the shrimp and their water into a clean container and start a slow drip of tank water.
4. Check TDS every half hour and keep dripping until it is close to the tank reading.
5. Net the shrimp into the tank and pour the container water away down a household sink.

Use a first-week checklist

Maintain the tank without upsetting the water

OATA recommends weekly testing and a 25% water change at least once a week, using conditioned water and rinsing filter media in removed tank water rather than under the tap. For a soft-water line the replacement water must match the tank’s temperature, GH and TDS before it goes in; Gensou notes that sudden losses of several shrimp at once usually point to a shift in water parameters.

Follow a weekly routine

1. Test TDS, pH and temperature before you change any water.
2. Prepare replacement water in advance, remineralised to the tank’s TDS and warmed to its temperature.
3. Siphon gently over open soil, checking the bucket for shrimp.
4. Refill slowly, ideally a drip at a time.
5. Note the readings, so you can spot a drift before it becomes a problem.

Watch moulting and act on warning signs

Shrimp grow by moulting, and a shed skin that looks like a dead shrimp is normal, OATA notes. Gensou describes a “white ring” across the back as a sign of a moult going wrong, often from low GH or a mineral imbalance. OATA lists the other changes that point to a problem.

Pair each observation with an action

Breed Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp

Like all bee and tiger shrimp, the Red Zebra Stardust breeds in fresh water with no larval stage. Females carry their eggs under the abdomen and fan them with their swimming legs, and the young hatch as tiny copies of the adults. Wikipedia gives 28 days to hatching at 22°C for Caridina cantonensis; Gensou gives 15–30 eggs carried for about 28–30 days, with young around 2 mm long that feed on biofilm straight away. The Shrimp Farm notes that galaxy-type shrimp breed more slowly than cherry shrimp and that berried females are hard to spot.

Keep the pattern in the line

• Expect variety: Gensou notes that crosses between lines produce mixed young with unpredictable patterns, and a speckled line comes from such crosses.
• Select after a few weeks: The Shrimp Farm suggests choosing by pattern once the young are a few weeks old; move the plainer ones to another tank.
• Keep other bee and tiger shrimp out: they interbreed and dilute the speckling.
• Keep fish out: Gensou advises removing even tiny fish from a breeding tank because they eat newborn shrimp.

Expect a life of around a year and a half to two years: Wikipedia gives about 18 months for the bee shrimp species, and OATA says shrimp live a couple of years in a well-matured tank.

Choose tank mates that cannot harm shrimp

OATA’s rule is not to keep shrimp with fish that can fit them in their mouth or with predatory species. The Shrimp Farm goes further and advises against fish altogether for galaxy shrimp, and warns that ramshorn snails may struggle in soft, acidic water. It also notes that Neocaridina can share the tank, because they belong to a different genus and do not interbreed with Caridina.

Screen every companion

Compare related Caridina lines

If you like patterned soft-water shrimp, compare the Fancy Tiger Pinto Shrimp, another bee × tiger line, with the Red Pinto Taiwan Bee Shrimp, the deep red Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp and the classic Crystal Red Bee Shrimp. Each needs the same soft water, but keep each line in its own tank if you want it to breed true. Our shrimp-keeping guide and freshwater shrimp UK guide cover the wider choice.

Never release shrimp, plants or tank water

OATA reminds keepers that releasing aquarium animals or plants into the wild harms both the animals and native habitats. Dispose of old soil, plants and water through household waste or the drain, never into ponds, streams or gardens.

Answer Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp buying questions

What is a Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp?

A line-bred dwarf Caridina shrimp with a deep red body covered in fine white speckles, the “stardust”, plus faint banding. It belongs to the soft-water bee and tiger shrimp group; its exact parentage is not published, so it is sold as Caridina sp.

How many shrimp does one purchase supply?

One live shrimp of the Standard option, sex not specified. Order at least five to start a group, as OATA recommends for freshwater shrimp.

Is it suitable for a beginner?

Not as a first shrimp. It needs soft, acidic water held steady, which usually means reverse osmosis water and a buffering soil. Start with cherry shrimp if you are new to shrimp keeping.

What water does the Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp need?

Soft, acidic water: GH 4–6, KH 0–1, TDS 100–150 ppm and pH below 7, at 22–24°C. Specialist sources give pH figures between 5.4 and 6.9, so keep your tank steady wherever it settles in that band.

Can I use UK tap water?

Only if your tap water tests within the values above, which is uncommon. Most keepers use reverse osmosis water remineralised with a shrimp mineral that raises GH but not KH.

What should I feed it?

Biofilm and algae in a mature tank, plus a small amount of shrimp food. Sources range from two or three feeds a week to a small feed daily; give only what the group clears within a few hours and lift out the rest.

Can I keep it with crystal red or tiger shrimp?

It will interbreed with other bee and tiger shrimp, and the young will be a mix of patterns. Keep it on its own, or with Neocaridina shrimp, which belong to a different genus and do not cross with it.

Will Red Zebra Stardust Shrimp breed?

Yes, in a mature, stable tank. Females carry their eggs for about four weeks and the young hatch as tiny, fully formed shrimp. Patterns vary among the young, so select the best for the next generation.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — UK trade body care sheet: broad water values, tank size, group size, feeding, acclimatisation, maintenance and health signs.
• Wikipedia: Caridina cantonensis — natural range, temperature, lifespan, egg incubation time and colour development of the bee shrimp species.
• Seriously Fish: New shrimp from Hong Kong and southern China (Klotz and von Rintelen 2014) — which aquarium bee strains belong to Caridina cantonensis, the description of the tiger shrimp Caridina mariae and the risk of hybrids.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Freshwater shrimps, the next generation (Chris Lukhaup) — origin of the Taiwan colour lines, how breeders stabilise them and the water used to breed them.
• The Shrimp Farm: Galaxy shrimp care — speckled bee × tiger lines: water values, difficulty, feeding, breeding and tank mates.
• Gensou: Taiwan bee shrimp care guide — Taiwan bee water preparation, soil, cycling, acclimatisation, breeding figures and moulting problems.
• Tropical Fish Co shrimp-keeping guide and delivery terms — our own set-up and live arrival guidance.