🌋 Blue Leg Poso Shrimp

Caridina caerulea

A specialist Sulawesi shrimp from Lake Poso, known for its delicate body, blue-toned legs and constant biofilm grazing behaviour.

🌏 Origin: Lake Poso, Sulawesi

Caridina caerulea originates from Lake Poso on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Lake Poso species are very different from typical Neocaridina shrimp. They evolved in warm, clear, mineral-rich waters where stability is the norm rather than the exception.

Because of this, Blue Leg Poso Shrimp should not be treated as a general community shrimp. They are best kept in dedicated, mature aquariums designed around Sulawesi-style conditions.

🔵 Appearance

Blue Leg Poso Shrimp have a subtle, elegant appearance rather than the solid colouration seen in many selectively bred Neocaridina.

Their bodies are usually translucent to lightly patterned, while the legs show attractive blue tones that give the species its common name.

This is not a loud, artificial-looking shrimp. Its appeal is in the details:

🔵 Blue-toned legs

✨ Delicate translucent body

🦐 Active grazing behaviour

🌋 Specialist Sulawesi origin

🦠 Why Tank Maturity Matters

For Blue Leg Poso Shrimp, a mature aquarium is not optional.

These shrimp spend much of their time grazing on biofilm, algae films and microbial growth across hard surfaces.

A newly set-up tank may have correct numbers on a test kit but still lack the biological maturity these shrimp need.

💡 For Sulawesi shrimp, stable and mature is usually more important than chasing perfect numbers in a young aquarium.

🌡️ Recommended Aquarium Conditions

Blue Leg Poso Shrimp should be kept in warm, stable, alkaline conditions.

🌡️ Temperature: 26–29°C

💧 pH: 7.5–8.5

🧪 GH: 5–10

🧪 KH: 4–8

☠️ Ammonia: 0

☠️ Nitrite: 0

🌿 Nitrate: As low as possible

🦠 Tank maturity: Mature, biofilm-rich aquariums strongly recommended

They are not suitable for soft, acidic bee shrimp setups or unstable newly cycled tanks.

🍽️ Feeding

A mature tank with natural grazing surfaces is ideal, but Blue Leg Poso Shrimp should still be supported with careful feeding.

Good foods include:

🟢 Spirulina-based powders

🦠 Biofilm-supporting foods

🌿 Fine shrimp foods

🍂 Mature leaf litter in moderation

🪨 Algae and biofilm on hardscape

Feeding should be light and consistent. These shrimp are sensitive to poor water quality, so uneaten food should not be allowed to decay in the aquarium.

🍼 Breeding

Blue Leg Poso Shrimp reproduce in freshwater.

Females carry eggs until fully formed miniature shrimp are released. There is no saltwater larval stage.

Breeding success depends heavily on stable conditions, good biofilm availability and low stress.

Because this is a specialist species, we treat it as a long-term breeding project rather than a fast-turnover livestock item.

⚠️ Important Notes

Avoid keeping Blue Leg Poso Shrimp in:

❌ Immature aquariums

❌ Soft acidic water

❌ Cool tanks

❌ Tanks with ammonia or nitrite instability

❌ High-nitrate systems

❌ Community tanks with boisterous fish

❌ Aquariums that undergo frequent parameter swings

These shrimp reward patience. A mature, stable tank will always outperform a rushed setup.

🇮🇪 Our Approach

Our Blue Leg Poso Shrimp are being established in Cork, Ireland as part of our Sulawesi breeding projects.

We are currently focusing on settlement, feeding response, stability and future breeding.

Specialist shrimp like this will only be released when we are confident the colony is strong enough and the animals are suitable for long-term success in customer aquariums.

📊 Quick Summary

🧬 Scientific name: Caridina caerulea

🌏 Origin: Lake Poso, Sulawesi, Indonesia

🔵 Type: Blue-legged Sulawesi shrimp

🌡️ Temperature: 26–29°C

💧 Water: Warm, alkaline, stable

🦠 Tank maturity: Essential

🍼 Reproduction: Freshwater breeding

🦐 Best kept: Species-only or with compatible Sulawesi invertebrates

🌡️ Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

🇮🇪 Maintained by: Just Keep Shrimping, Cork, Ireland