Red Line

A single red line running down the spine of a translucent body — simple, and remarkable in a large group. Endemic to Lake Towuti and the easiest Sulawesi species to start with.

Lake Towuti endemicRed dorsal lineGreat in big groups

A great strain isn't one beautiful shrimp — it's the whole colony looking the same.

— Jack Shrimp Farm

ORIGIN

An ancient cradle

DISTRIBUTION MAP

An ancient cradle

Sulawesi shrimp are endemic to a handful of ancient tectonic lakes — 1–4 million years old, among the oldest freshwater lakes on earth.

Lake MatanoHome of Cardinal & White Sock (C. dennerli)

Lake PosoHome of White Orchid, Blue Legs (C. “Poso”)

Towuti · MahalonaThe Malili lake system, linked by rivers

IDENTIFICATION

How to identify a Red Line

🔴Red dorsal lineOne unbroken red stripe from head to tail — the deeper and more continuous, the better the specimen.

💧Translucent bodyThe clear body makes the red line look suspended in the water. Unmistakable.

👥Group effectKeep 30+ and you get red streaks moving constantly across the rockwork.

🌱Your first SulawesiHardy and a steady breeder — the best species to learn the Sulawesi setup with.

WATER

Ideal keeping conditions

27–30°

Temp C

7.8–8.5

150–250

TDS ppm

6–8

3–6

The golden rule: stability beats perfect numbers. A swinging parameter does more damage than one that sits slightly off but never moves. Use a Sula Sand substrate and a dedicated bacteria culture to keep the buffer rock-solid.

STRAIN DATA

Red Line profile

Strain data

Strain code: RL-01
Category: Standard / Breeder
Home lake: Towuti
Scientific name: Caridina striata
Adult size: 1.8–2.2cm

Wild species — natural profile

Red Line is a true wild endemic of Lake Towuti — not a hybrid or a farm mutation.

Home lake: Towuti — the largest lake in the Malili system, clear alkaline water that stays stable year round.

Natural habitat: Submerged rocky shoreline, among crevices and sunken roots where biofilm grows thick.

Behaviour: Grazes constantly across rock faces, lives in large groups and is not especially shy.

Conservation: An extremely narrow natural range under pressure from mining and invasive species. Captive-bred stock takes pressure off the wild population.

Keeping note: Wants multi-level rockwork and Sula Sand; the bigger the group, the bolder and better coloured.

FOOD & SET-UP

The matching set-up

FEEDING

Omnivorous, but mostly grazing on biofilm and algae growing on rock. Add the White Powder + Yellow Powder pair for colour and steady breeding, and set the tank on Sula Sand to hold an alkaline pH long-term.