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SnailsSunkist shrimp | Caridina thambipillai care & info
Looking for an orange dwarf shrimp to add to your aquarium but don't want to go for your typical Neocaridina? Good news: you've got options! Today's subject is Caridina thambipillai, an unusual species also known as the sunkist shrimp.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about the sunkist shrimp and how to care for it in the aquarium!
| Scientific name | Caridina thambipillai |
| Common names | Sunkist shrimp, occasionally mandarin shrimp, Malaysian multicolored shrimp or tangerine shrimp |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
| Origin | Malaysia & Myanmar |
Table of Contents
Sunkist shrimp natural habitat & appearance
Natural habitat
The sunkist shrimp is naturally found in Malaysia (including Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo) and Myanmar in Southeast Asia. Here, it inhabits wetlands and inland streams, where it safely dwells in mats of a carnivorous genus of plants called bladderworts or Utricularia.
According to a 1982 book on the freshwater swamps of Tasek Bera lake in Malaysia, the shrimp migrate to the lower layers of the Utricularia mat during daytime. During the night, they move back up. In the dry season, they're limited to stream channels, later dispersing when the wet season rolls around. They prefer running water.
Although Caridina thambipillai shrimp are regularly collected from the wild for the aquarium trade, they're still listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Did you know? Orange Neocaridina shrimp are also sometimes referred to as sunkist shrimp. For clarity, we only use this name to refer to Caridina thambipillai. We hope other stores and sites will do the same to help avoid confusing new shrimpers!
Appearance
This species is referred to as the Malaysian multicolored shrimp. It's not difficult to see why, because it can range from a speckled transparent brown to bright orange! In fact, it was previously thought that orange specimens of Caridina thambipillai belonged to a different species called Caridina propinqua. The matter was clarified in 2011 thanks to shrimp expert Werner Klotz.
The sunkist shrimp's orange coloration makes it easy to confuse this species with a few other similar species, like orange Neos and especially the aforementioned Caridina propinqua (the orange bee shrimp). But take a close look: Neocaridinas have solid orange carapaces and C. propinqua sports a fine dotting of tiny white specks on the side of its head.
C. thambipillai has neither of these things. It has orange flesh and some dark reddish dots and dashes on its body. Still difficult to recognize, but it can be done if you've got some experience!
This is a relatively large dwarf shrimp, with females growing to up to 1.5".
Setting up sunkist shrimp aquarium
Requirements
If you'd like to keep a colony of sunkist shrimp, an aquarium of at least 5 gallons should do the trick. This being said, larger tanks are more easier to keep stable, so we'd personally opt for something like 10 gallons instead.
These shrimp don't have any special requirements, so if you've got some experience with dwarf shrimp, you should be able to keep Caridina thambipillai alive just fine. Include plenty of décor, caves and live plants to provide them with places to hide and forage for biofilm. A dark substrate is probably a good idea to help make their orange colors pop.
Water requirements
As always, your Caridina thambipillai aquarium should be fully cycled with no traces of ammonia or nitrite. Nitrates should be kept under 10 by doing regular small water changes. Remember that stability is key. Although they're fine for first-time shrimp keepers, it's still important to remember that dwarf shrimp like these are pretty fragile and don't respond very well to sudden changes!
It's been noted that this species is naturally found in very acidic waters. They can apparently have a pH as low as 4! Although sunkists are quite adaptable, it's probably best not to keep them in higher-pH water.
pH: 5-7
Temperature: 68-77 °F
GH: 3-30
KH: 3-30
Tankmates
In terms of tankmates for your sunkist shrimp, options are obviously going to be a bit limited due to their size and peaceful disposition. Dwarf shrimp make an ideal snack for many larger fish! Because these shrimp don't usually breed in the aquarium, though, you don't have to worry about losing any of the fry to hungry mouths.
You can keep your sunkists with small schooling fish, peaceful catfish and other species that will leave them alone. If you prefer an invertebrate-only set-up, they should do well with dwarf shrimp that they can't interbreed with. Neocaridinas like cherry shrimp are a popular option!
You can also consider dwarf crayfish or snails.
Sunkist shrimp diet
These shrimp are omnivores that naturally feed on detritus, algae and biofilm. In the aquarium, you'll see them spend much of their days plucking small bits off every possible surface using their tiny pincers!
Because our tanks are naturally a little too clean to sustain a dwarf shrimp population in the long run, it's a good idea to supplement with a high-quality shrimp food. You can also feed blanched veggies or (thawed) frozen fish foods. Indian almond leaves and cholla wood make good semi-permanent foraging grounds.
Remove any uneaten foods after a few hours to prevent them from fouling the water!
Breeding sunkist shrimp
As briefly mentioned earlier, unfortunately, sunkist shrimp don't breed as readily in the aquarium as something like a Neocaridina would. The reason is that they're lower-order shrimp. If you've ever had Amano shrimp or ghost shrimp, you'll know what this means: instead of hatching fully-developed copies of the adult shrimp, they pass through a larval stage.
Caridina thambipillai larvae are naturally washed into brackish waters after hatching. Once they're fully developed, they make their way back into freshwater streams.
In the aquarium, this is obviously a little difficult to simulate. It has apparently been done, but it's an exercise for the patient among us!
Frequently asked questions
With some luck, a sunkist shrimp can live for up to 2 years.
Buying sunkist shrimp
Probably due to the fact that they're so difficult to breed in captivity, sunkist shrimp are not all too common in the aquarium hobby. Still, it's possible to find them! Ask if your local aquarium store can order a few in for you or try online.
Can't find sunkists? Worry not: have a look at our list of orange dwarf shrimp to find an alternative you like.
