Can Cardinal Shrimp live with Red Devil Vampire Crab?
Caution — with care
Why
- Red Devil Vampire Crab is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Cardinal Shrimp colony. It may well be fine — it simply has not been confirmed by a source, and an unverified guess is not worth the colony.
- Red Devil Vampire Crab hunts shrimp. Cardinal Shrimp is large enough to be awkward prey, but not safe.
- Red Devil Vampire Crab will eat Cardinal Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
Sweet spot: both do well at 79–82°F and pH 7.5–8 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Cardinal Shrimp | Red Devil Vampire Crab | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 79–84°F | 75–82°F |
| pH | 7.5–8.5 | 7.5–8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 8–18 dGH | 8–15 dGH |
| Adult size | 0.8" | 1.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 15 gal | 10 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.
Sort it with: GH remineraliser
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Cardinal Shrimp, Red Devil Vampire Crab →Everything compatible with Cardinal Shrimp · …with Red Devil Vampire Crab