Gold Spotted Shrimp Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Feeding & Breeding

The Gold Spotted Shrimp is a relatively uncommon freshwater palaemonid recognised for its translucent body, slender build and attractive golden markings or spots. Its delicate appearance is enhanced by long antennae and fine walking legs, giving it a more elegant profile than many compact aquarium shrimp.

This shrimp is generally peaceful and spends much of its time picking over hard surfaces, plants and decor for edible particles. It may become more active at dusk or when food is added, and individuals often gather in areas rich in biofilm and other natural food sources.

In the wild, it inhabits clear tropical freshwater around Sulawesi’s ancient lakes. These environments are typically warm, well oxygenated and mineral-rich, with rocky margins, submerged surfaces and abundant microscopic growth for grazing.

Gold Spotted Shrimp remain far less familiar in the aquarium trade than cherry shrimp or Amano shrimp. Their specialised island-lake origins make them particularly interesting to keep, while also making responsible sourcing and careful attention to stable water quality important.

Gold Spotted Shrimp are native to Lake Poso and connected inland waters on Sulawesi, Indonesia, in Southeast Asia. They are associated with the distinctive freshwater habitats of the Sulawesi lake region.

Allow at least 60 litres for a small group, with a footprint of roughly 60 × 30 cm or larger. Use a mature, well-filtered aquarium with strong oxygenation, gentle water movement and a secure lid. Fine inert sand or smooth gravel is suitable, while rounded stones, wood, mosses, hardy plants and shrimp shelters provide grazing surfaces and protection during moulting. Avoid copper-based treatments and sudden changes in temperature, pH or hardness.

Females can reach approximately 5 cm (2 in), while males are usually smaller at around 3.5–4 cm (1.4–1.6 in).

These omnivorous grazers feed on biofilm, algae, microorganisms, decaying plant matter and fine organic particles. Offer a varied diet of quality shrimp pellets or wafers, blanched vegetables and occasional small portions of foods such as spirulina or other protein-rich invertebrate foods. Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food promptly, particularly in a mature planted aquarium where natural grazing is available.

Gold Spotted Shrimp are best kept with their own kind, peaceful small rasboras, tiny danios, small non-predatory livebearers and peaceful freshwater snails. Fish may eat newly hatched or juvenile shrimp, so a species-only aquarium offers the best breeding results. Avoid large fish, cichlids, aggressive gouramis, bettas, loaches and other shrimp-eating species, as well as highly aggressive or predatory Macrobrachium prawns.

Gold Spotted Shrimp are egg-carrying freshwater shrimp. After mating, the female holds the eggs beneath her abdomen until they hatch, and the young should be able to develop in freshwater without a marine larval stage. A mature, stable aquarium with biofilm, fine foods and plenty of cover gives the young the best chance of survival. Breeding is not yet as well documented in aquaria as it is for many Caridina species.

Females are generally larger and deeper-bodied than males, especially when carrying eggs. Mature females may also show a broader abdomen and a more pronounced abdominal skirt, while males tend to be slimmer and more lightly built.