Caring for Your Sulawesi Shrimp

Small, with vibrant color, the Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp (scientific name: Caridina dennerli) are one of the most sought-after invertebrate in the fish trade; and are native to the Sulawesi region in Indonesia.  However, most aquarists have never even heard of them since these dwarf shrimp are very new to the hobby;  they were first discovered in 2007.  Being so, there aren’t as many active breeders as other shrimp species; and Barbara is one of them.

Barbara’s interest in keeping shrimp as a hobby kicked off when she started keeping neocaridina and caridina shrimp 4 years ago.  But it was a different feeling the moment she kept Sulawesi shrimp and immediately fell in love and developed a knack for it.  Inspired by her passion, and her generosity to share her success in breeding Sulawesi shrimp, Barbara founded “Project Sulawesi” with a goal to share her success in propagating them and increasing their chances of survival whether in captivity or in their natural environment.

Luckily for Barbara, with the support of her son, Isaiah, and Dan of Sulawesi Shrimp USA, she can carry out her purpose to help educate, make available a variety of homebred Sulawesi shrimp in the U.S., and increase their chance of survival. 

Caring for Sulawesi Shrimp is not simple .  They require specific water conditions to truly thrive and are quite sensitive to water condition changes.  The most difficult aspect is re-creating their natural environment which can be difficult because their natural habitat has distinct water parameters that you don’t see in other bodies of water around the world.  They don’t do well in your average tropical fish tank; and you need to create an environment specific to their needs.  However, with regular tank maintenance and water testing, these wonderful creatures can make a perfect addition to your tank.

One of the most common issues with Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp is stress. Poor water conditions can cause the shrimp to become stressed, which can lead to bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections.  And the  best way to deal with diseases is to avoid them in the first place by keeping the tank clean and monitoring water conditions.  Performing regular tests to maintain the ideal water parameters in the tank twice a week to check on the water conditions is ideal.  Being passionate about the wellbeing of her Sulawesi shrimp, Barbara makes sure, their habitat is safe at all times.  With SJ Wave Aquarium Test Strips, she is always at peace with the quality of water for her aquarium at all times.