Red Fire Shrimp

Species Profile

• Scientific Name: Lysmata debelius
• Common Name: Red Fire Shrimp
  (also known as Blood Red Shrimp, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp)
• Adult Size: Up to 2 inches (5 cm)
• Life Expectancy: 2–3 years, sometimes up to 5 years in well-maintained tanks
• Habitat:
  • Native to Indo-Pacific coral reefs
  • Commonly found in caves or overhangs, where they set up cleaning stations

  • Lives in pairs or small groups in the wild, but may be territorial in small tanks

Tank Requirements

• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons (larger if housing multiple)
• Ideal Temperature: 72–78°F (22–26°C)
• pH Range: 8.1–8.4
• Water Hardness: 8–12 dKH
• Temperament:
  • Peaceful
  • Can be shy and often hides during the day
  • May become territorial with other cleaner shrimps if space is limited

  • Reef-safe and suitable for peaceful community tanks

Diet & Nutrition

• Omnivore / Scavenger
• Eats detritus, leftover fish food, and algae
• Will actively clean external parasites and dead skin off fish
• Supplement diet with:
  • Sinking pellets
  • Frozen meaty foods (e.g., mysis, brine shrimp)
  • Algae wafers

  • High-quality flake food

Breeding & Spawning

• Hermaphroditic: All individuals can produce eggs and sperm
• Capable of pair spawning
• Will regularly produce larvae in captivity, but:
  • Larvae are planktonic and very difficult to raise
  • Require special planktonic food and separate rearing tanks

• Not commonly bred successfully by hobbyists

Appearance

• Deep, blood-red body color
• Long white antennae
• White spots on carapace and legs
• Legs may appear semi-transparent near joints
• Moves gracefully and waves antennae constantly

• Glows beautifully under actinic/blue reef lighting

Distinctive Features

• Sets up cleaning stations for fish—will climb onto them to remove parasites
• Highly ornamental, a standout in reef aquariums
• Shy during daytime, more active during evening and night

• Long antennae are used to sense surroundings and attract fish for cleaning