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Goldie

Shrimp, snails, and crayfish

Cleaner shrimp, algae-eating snails, and peaceful dwarf crayfish — with parameters, compatibility, and real pros and cons.

Shrimp· 10

From the easygoing cherry shrimp to selectively bred crystal lines, shrimp are both useful cleaners and beautiful in their own right.

Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Cherry Shrimp

Beginner

Neocaridina davidi

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
6.5–8
The toughest beginner aquarium shrimp
Breeds without special setup — no brackish water needed for larvae
Color forms interbreed — offspring lose vibrant coloration
Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Amano Shrimp

Beginner

Caridina multidentata

Maximum size:
up to 5 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
6.5–7.5
The best aquarium 'algae buster' — eats hair algae, green spot, leftover food
Larger than cherry shrimp — less likely to be preyed on
Doesn't breed in freshwater (larvae need brackish/saltwater)
Crystal Red Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Crystal Red Shrimp

Expert

Caridina cantonensis

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 30 L
Temperature:
20–24 °C
pH:
6–6.8
High visual impact — white and red are strongly contrasting
Serious collector niche with quality grading (S, SS, SSS, SSS+)
Very demanding: soft (gH 4–6, kH 0–2), acidic (pH 6.0–6.5), stable water
Bamboo Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Bamboo Shrimp

Intermediate

Atyopsis moluccensis

Maximum size:
up to 10 cm
Tank volume:
from 100 L
Temperature:
22–28 °C
pH:
6.5–7.5
Unique filter-feeding behavior — mesmerizing to watch
Non-predatory — safe with any peaceful species
Doesn't feed from the bottom — starves without planktonic food in the current
Blue Velvet Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. 'Blue Velvet') — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Blue Velvet Shrimp

Beginner

Neocaridina davidi var. 'Blue Velvet'

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
6.5–8
Easy breeding
Bright blue — rare in freshwater
Don't mix with cherry (offspring becomes muddy)
Yellow Fire Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. 'Yellow Fire') — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Yellow Fire Shrimp

Beginner

Neocaridina davidi var. 'Yellow Fire'

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
6.5–8
Easy breeding
Vibrant yellow — rare colour
Less prolific than cherry
Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Ghost Shrimp

Beginner

Palaemonetes paludosus

Maximum size:
up to 4 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
18–27 °C
pH:
7–8
Very cheap — great for first experiments
Transparent body looks great on dark substrate
Short lifespan (1 year)
Tiger Shrimp (Caridina mariae) — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Tiger Shrimp

Intermediate

Caridina mariae

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 30 L
Temperature:
18–25 °C
pH:
6.5–7.5
Striking striped pattern
More water-stable than crystals
Not as hardy as cherry
Blue Bolt Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis var. 'Blue Bolt') — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Blue Bolt Shrimp

Expert

Caridina cantonensis var. 'Blue Bolt'

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
20–24 °C
pH:
5.8–6.5
One of the most expensive shrimp morphs
Premium aquascape aesthetic
Requires RO + special remineralization
Rili Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. 'Rili') — aquarium shrimpShrimp

Rili Shrimp

Beginner

Neocaridina davidi var. 'Rili'

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
6.5–8
Unique two-tone colouring
Easy breeding in regular water
Loses pattern with poor selection

Snails· 8

Not the pests beginners fear. The right snails are the best algae cleaners and natural population control.

Tiger Nerite Snail (Neritina natalensis) — aquarium snailSnails

Tiger Nerite Snail

Beginner

Neritina natalensis

Maximum size:
up to 2.5 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
22–28 °C
pH:
7–8.5
The best aquarium algae grazer — even spot algae and diatoms
Doesn't breed in freshwater — won't overrun the tank
Lays white eggs on glass and leaves — ugly, won't dissolve
Horned Nerite Snail (Clithon corona) — aquarium snailSnails

Horned Nerite Snail

Beginner

Clithon corona

Maximum size:
up to 1.5 cm
Tank volume:
from 15 L
Temperature:
22–28 °C
pH:
7–8.5
Unique horned shell silhouette
Small size (1–1.5 cm) — fits nano tanks
Shells are very fragile — easy to damage when moving
Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii) — aquarium snailSnails

Mystery Snail

Beginner

Pomacea bridgesii

Maximum size:
up to 6 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
7–8.5
The most peaceful apple snail — doesn't eat live plants
Eats leftovers and algae well
Egg clutch laid above water — tank lid must be tight
Great Ramshorn (Planorbarius corneus) — aquarium snailSnails

Great Ramshorn

Beginner

Planorbarius corneus

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 10 L
Temperature:
15–28 °C
pH:
6.5–8.5
Extremely undemanding — tolerates almost any parameters
Effective grubber of leftovers and surface film
Can explode in population if overfed — hundreds crawling on the glass
Assassin Snail (Anentome helena) — aquarium snailSnails

Assassin Snail

Beginner

Anentome helena

Maximum size:
up to 2 cm
Tank volume:
from 20 L
Temperature:
20–28 °C
pH:
7–8
Natural control of 'snail outbreaks' — eats ramshorns and trumpet snails
Breeds very slowly — won't replace one problem with another
Needs meaty food (bloodworm) after the prey snails are gone
Malaysian Trumpet Snail (Melanoides tuberculata) — aquarium snailSnails

Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Beginner

Melanoides tuberculata

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 10 L
Temperature:
22–28 °C
pH:
7–8.5
Aerates the substrate — benefits root-feeding plants (Echinodorus, Vallisneria)
Leaves no visible clutches (livebearing)
Population explodes under overfeeding — dozens per square centimeter of substrate
Rabbit Snail (Tylomelania zemis) — aquarium snailSnails

Rabbit Snail

Intermediate

Tylomelania zemis

Maximum size:
up to 8 cm
Tank volume:
from 80 L
Temperature:
25–29 °C
pH:
7.5–8.5
No population explosion like common snails
Decorative — unusual head shape
Expensive ($15–30 each)
Spixi Snail (Asolene spixii) — aquarium snailSnails

Spixi Snail

Intermediate

Asolene spixii

Maximum size:
up to 3 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
20–26 °C
pH:
6.5–8
Controls pest snail populations
Decorative zebra-striped pattern
May attack rabbit and nerite snails

Crayfish· 2

Dwarf species are peaceful enough for community tanks; large ones need dedicated volume and careful tankmate choice.

CPO (Cambarellus patzcuarensis) — aquarium crayfishCrayfish

CPO

Intermediate

Cambarellus patzcuarensis

Maximum size:
up to 5 cm
Tank volume:
from 40 L
Temperature:
18–25 °C
pH:
7–8
The most peaceful aquarium crayfish — doesn't hunt healthy fish
Small size fits a 40 L tank
Eats soft plants (Vallisneria, Ludwigia will suffer)
Blue Crayfish (Procambarus alleni) — aquarium crayfishCrayfish

Blue Crayfish

Intermediate

Procambarus alleni

Maximum size:
up to 13 cm
Tank volume:
from 100 L
Temperature:
18–28 °C
pH:
7–8.5
Unique electric-blue coloration draws attention
Long-lived (up to 6 years)
Very aggressive — eats anything slower (snails, shrimp, sleeping fish)