Can Cardinal Shrimp live with Thai Micro Crab?
Caution — with care
Why
- Almost no shared temperature: Cardinal Shrimp wants 79–84°F and Thai Micro Crab wants 72–79°F, so only 79°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 7.5–7.5.
Sweet spot: both do well at 79–79°F and pH 7.5–7.5 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Cardinal Shrimp | Thai Micro Crab | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 79–84°F | 72–79°F |
| pH | 7.5–8.5 | 6.5–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 8–18 dGH | 4–12 dGH |
| Adult size | 0.8" | 0.4" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 15 gal | 5 gal |
Together, plan on at least 15 gallons.
How to make it work
- Keep a large, established shrimp colony in a heavily planted tank with moss and cover so enough survive to breed.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: An adjustable heater
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Cardinal Shrimp, Thai Micro Crab →Everything compatible with Cardinal Shrimp · …with Thai Micro Crab