Water Parameters for Keeping Dwarf Shrimp
Neocaridina want neutral-to-hard water while Caridina need soft and acidic. Learn the target GH, KH, pH and temperature for each, why stability matters most, and why copper is fatal.
Dwarf shrimp split into two broad groups with very different water needs. Neocaridina shrimp, such as the popular cherry shrimp, are hardy and tolerate a wide range of conditions. Caridina shrimp, such as crystal and bee shrimp, are more demanding and require soft, acidic water. Matching your water to the right group and then keeping it stable is the single most important thing you can do for shrimp.
Neocaridina (cherry) shrimp
Neocaridina are forgiving. A widely published care range is a pH of 6.5-8.5, a general hardness (GH) of at least 6 degrees (about 110 ppm) and a carbonate hardness (KH) of at least 2 degrees (about 40 ppm). They live across a broad temperature band of roughly 60-82°F (16-28°C), with an optimal window around 72-76°F (22-24°C). Because they accept neutral-to-hard water, many keepers run them on plain dechlorinated tap water that already has enough minerals.
Caridina (crystal / bee) shrimp
Caridina want the opposite: soft, acidic water. Sources put their preferred pH in the lower band of about 6.0-6.7, sometimes up to 7.0, with a very low carbonate hardness around 0-3 dKH (roughly 0-50 ppm) so the water stays acidic. To hit these values reliably, most keepers start with reverse-osmosis (RO) water, which has essentially zero dissolved minerals, and rebuild it with a shrimp-specific GH remineraliser, usually paired with an active, buffering soil substrate.
What GH and KH actually measure
- GH (general hardness) measures calcium and magnesium ions; these minerals are what shrimp use to build a new exoskeleton, so too little GH causes molting trouble.
- KH (carbonate hardness) measures carbonates and bicarbonates, which buffer the water and hold the pH steady; Caridina need low KH for acidity, while Neocaridina benefit from a little KH for stability.
- TDS (total dissolved solids) is a quick proxy for overall mineral content and is most useful for tracking consistency over time.