Caridina dennerli - Sulawesi Cardinal

Caridina spinata

A specialist Sulawesi shrimp known for its dark body, yellow facial markings and dependence on warm, mature, stable aquariums.

🌏 Origin: Sulawesi, Indonesia

Caridina spinata originates from the ancient lake systems of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Sulawesi shrimp are very different from typical aquarium shrimp such as Neocaridina davidi. They evolved in warm, mineral-rich, highly stable environments where sudden changes are rare.

Because of this, Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp should not be treated as a general community shrimp. They are best kept in dedicated Sulawesi aquariums designed around warmth, stability and mature grazing surfaces.

🟡 Appearance

Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp are subtle but striking.

Their appearance is built around contrast:

🖤 Dark body colouration

🟡 Yellow cheek / facial markings

✨ High-contrast patterning

🦐 Active grazing behaviour

🌋 Specialist Sulawesi origin

Unlike bright selectively bred Neocaridina, this species has a more natural, wild-type elegance. Its appeal comes from the contrast between dark body tones and yellow markings.

🦠 Why Tank Maturity Matters

For Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp, tank maturity is essential.

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

A newly set-up tank may show correct ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings, but still lack the biological maturity required to support them long term.

💡 For Sulawesi shrimp, a mature, biofilm-rich aquarium is often more important than simply chasing perfect test-kit numbers.

🌡️ Recommended Aquarium Conditions

Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp require warm, stable and alkaline conditions.

🌡️ Temperature: 27–30°C

💧 pH: 7.8–8.5

🧪 GH: 5–8

🧪 KH: 3–6

☠️ Ammonia: 0

☠️ Nitrite: 0

🌿 Nitrate: As low as possible

🦠 Tank maturity: Mature, biofilm-rich aquariums essential

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

🍽️ Feeding

A mature tank with natural grazing surfaces is the foundation, but Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp should still be supported with careful feeding.

Good foods include:

🟢 Spirulina-based powders

🦠 Biofilm-supporting foods

🌿 Fine shrimp foods

🪨 Algae and biofilm on hardscape

🍂 Botanicals in moderation

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

Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp reproduce fully 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, mature biofilm, low stress and careful feeding.

Because this species develops slowly and does not produce huge numbers of offspring, we treat it as a long-term breeding project rather than a fast-turnover livestock item.

⚠️ Important Notes

Avoid keeping Yellow Cheek Sulawesi 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 and preparation. A mature, stable Sulawesi tank will always outperform a rushed setup.

🇮🇪 Our Approach

Our Yellow Cheek Sulawesi Shrimp are being established in Cork, Ireland as part of our dedicated 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.

For us, Caridina spinata represents exactly what makes Sulawesi shrimp fascinating: specialised, beautiful, demanding and deeply rewarding when kept properly.

📊 Quick Summary

🧬 Scientific name: Caridina spinata

🌏 Origin: Sulawesi, Indonesia

🟡 Type: Yellow Cheek / Yellow Ring Sulawesi shrimp

🌡️ Temperature: 27–30°C

💧 Water: Warm, alkaline, stable

🦠 Tank maturity: Essential

🍼 Reproduction: Freshwater breeding

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

🌡️ Difficulty: Advanced

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