Black Boa - various breeding groups

The Skyfish Black Boa is another color variation of the popular Boa dwarf shrimp from the breeding aquariums of Skyfish from Taiwan. The snake-like pattern gave this evolution of the Galaxy Fishbone its name. The shrimp have a very broad almost pure white dorsal stripe that runs the length of their body and reaches halfway down their abdomen. At the head, the dorsal stripe resolves into a finer pattern. In the Black Boa, the base color is a pure deep black.

The Black Boa is a hybrid of several species of dwarf shrimp. Referred to as Caridina sp. this high breeding dwarf shrimp grows to 2-3 inches in size. Their great patterning and tremendous color density make these dwarf shrimp so special. Here you buy different breeding groups. The Grade A has a slightly lower color density. The Grade S has a good expression of color coverage, and the Grade SS is the highest quality grade with an enormous color quality.

The sexes in the Skyfish Black Boa are quite difficult to distinguish because the color coverage is so high that you cannot see the egg spot in the females. Of course, if the female shrimp are carrying eggs, it is clear - but you can also tell adult females by their physique. They are clearly larger and also beefier than males of the same age. Furthermore the females have the so called tiger scoop. The name refers to the downward strikingly widened second segment of the abdomen.

Skyfish Black Boa shrimp prefer their aquarium water in the soft, slightly acidic range. In the Garnelio system, Skyfish Caridina sp. sit in salted osmosis water on active Soil at a conductance of 250 microsiemens and a pH slightly below seven. High oxygen levels and few bacteria in the water are also important. A good filter will prevent a high organic load in the aquarium. Since Black Boa shrimp do not tolerate elevated nitrate levels well, they are not a suitable stock for heavily fertilized planted aquariums. The suitable aquarium volume for Skyfish Black Boa Shrimp starts at 20 liters, there is no upper limit. As a substrate, many successful breeders have found an active Soil that lowers the pH and adjusts the water hardness in a soft, slightly acidic range.

Very often tap water is not suitable for keeping Skyfish Black Boa shrimp because it is too hard. Better for keeping and breeding of high breeding Caridina is osmosis water or demineralized water from a demineralizer in combination with a mineral salt, which only raises the total hardness - recognizable by the name addition GH+. Such mineral salts are available in our store. A water temperature of 20 to 25 degrees is ideal for this high breeding Caridina. If the water gets too warm in summer, the aquarium should be cooled with a cooler.

Aquariums for high-breeding shrimp are usually planted only with attached perching plants. Mosses or bucephalandra are a perfect choice here. This makes it easy to remove the plants from the breeding tank if they get in the way because you want to sort the shrimp by color and pattern. The plants provide the shrimp with growth to graze on and places to hide, so be sure to give them a few plants in the aquarium.

Skyfish Black Boa Shrimp should ideally be kept in a species tank with no fish company, or at most with small catfish that eat fouling growth (provided the aquarium is large enough). Caridina cantonensis and related species such as the bee shrimp, tiger shrimp or Caridina serrata may interbreed with the Skyfish Black Boa dwarf shrimp, which can have negative effects on color coverage or pattern. Snails often do not age in soft water, so they are not always a good choice for an aquarium with Black Boa shrimp either. Some successful breeders therefore take shiner worms or even Tubifex as an alternative as a cleaner and bottom loosener. These worms also serve as a live food source for the shrimp.

Breeding Skyfish Black Boa shrimp is not particularly difficult, provided all their requirements are met in the aquarium. The females nurse 15-30 rather large eggs on their swimming legs between 4 and 6 weeks. Here hatch fully developed miniature editions of the parents, not larvae. They grow up easily in freshwater if conditions areright.

Skyfish Black Boa Shrimp eat growth and like plant based foods. Brown autumn leaves or sea almond leaves are suitable as a permanent food and tannin source. They can assist the shrimp in molting. Green dried walnut leaves or even nettle leaves are also good shrimp foods. Caridina are omnivores, so Black Boa should be fed protein rich food once or twice a week. Perfect for this is the Skyfish shrimp food. Live food such as artemiauplia also serves to provide protein.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic's soft Mainfeed Softpads are designed for daily feeding. They contain all the nutrients shrimp need for shell development, egg formation and growth. During the production we pay attention to a gentle and environmentally friendly production, in which the vitamins and other valuable ingredients are preserved as far as possible.

Our plant recommendation: Use for the planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.

Contents: 3 animals