Black Fancy Tiger - Caridina sp.

The Black Fancy Tiger is obtained by crossing bee shrimp (Caridina logemanni) with tiger shrimp (Caridina mariae) and is therefore called Caridina sp. This shrimp is a cultured form that does not occur in nature, it has been purposefully bred. Bee Shrimp and Tiger Shrimp are found in the wild in southern China, where they are found in cool, clean streams with oxygen-rich soft water. Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp have been bred in aquaristics for several years. Here you are buying a Grade A single animal, which means that the animal may have transparent spots. Even from Grade A shrimp you can breed out higher grades again by careful breeding selection.

This dwarf shrimp grows to 2-3 cm in size. The Black Fancy Tiger Grade A has a white base color interrupted by a few transparent spots, which originates from the bee shrimp, and an individually pronounced black pattern with tiger stripes, where one can recognize both the heritage of the bee shrimp and the tiger shrimp. Here are parts of typical patterns that occur in classic Black Bees, combined with the thinner tiger stripes of Caridina mariae. Adult females of Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp Grade A can be distinguished from males by their beefier shape and longer body length. In some Fancy Tiger females you can also see the so-called tiger scoop, the shovel-shaped second abdominal segment widened downward. An egg spot, which would be helpful for a clear identification, is often not well visible due to the opaque coloration.

Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp like oxygen-rich, low-germ, soft water and a slightly acidic pH, in keeping with the preferences of the source species in the aquarium. Black Fancy Tiger dwarf shrimp need an aquarium with the minimum size of 20 liters. The water should contain humic substances. Usually tap water is not optimal for keeping high breeding Caridina shrimp. It is better to resort to osmosis water or demineralized water from a demineralizer and a hardening salt designed accordingly for bee shrimp.

In our Garnelio facility, we keep Black Fancy Tiger Grade A dwarf shrimp in treated water with a conductance of 250 microsiemens and a pH slightly below seven. For bee shrimp and other soft water shrimp ideally suited hardening salts you can buy directly at Garnelio in the online store. The best substrate for high breeding Caridina is a active Soil, because it keeps the water hardness low and brings the pH value into a slightly acidic range. Here you should make sure that the soil is not fertilized, so do not choose a plant soil if you want to stock the aquarium soon. Fertilized Soil releases a lot of nutrients at the beginning, which the shrimps resent. You should therefore wait a longer time until the nutrient release has settled down.

The best aquarium temperature for Black Fancy Tiger is 20 degrees to 25 degrees. If the temperatures climb higher in summer, the tank is cooled with an aquarium cooler.

The breeding tank for Black Fancy Tigers is planted very little, so that the Caridina sp. dwarf shrimp can be seen well and a breeding selection can be made. They also do not tolerate nitrates well, so there should be no demanding plants in the aquarium. Optimal are perching plants like Bucephalandra or aquarium mosses for greening. They are attached to smaller rocks or root pieces and can be removed from the aquarium when the shrimp need to be sorted by color, color coverage or pattern. The plants provide hiding places and grazing grounds for the shrimp , so you should not completely do without them even in a high-breeding aquarium.

It is best to keep your Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp in a species tank. Together with fish, predatory snails or with crabs and shrimps there are quickly losses, especially since the water values often do not match. However, you may be able to socialize your Caridina sp. in a sufficiently large aquarium with growth grazing catfish such as Otocinclus. Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp will interbreed with all species and varieties of Caridina cantonensis, Caridina serrata, tiger shrimp and bee shrimp, which may result in color loss or pattern changes. From experience, snails have a hard time in high breeding shrimp aquariums because they do not tolerate the soft water well. A good alternative as a clean-up troop are shiner worms or tubifex. They keep the substrate clean and loose and serve as a permanent source of protein-rich, healthy live food for the shrimp.

The females of the Black Fancy Tiger Dwarf Shrimp lay 15-30 eggs after mating with the males, which they carry under their pleon (the abdomen). After 3-5 weeks, the young shrimp hatch and are fully developed and survive in freshwater. Breeding is not difficult ifconditions are suitable.

Black Fancy Tiger shrimp like to eat growth, i.e. bacterial plaque and algae films, like their natural ancestors. They are omnivorous shrimp, preferring mostly plant foods, but also need protein, which is best supplied by an appropriate protein food or also live foods such as artemiauplii or frozen foods. Green dried walnut leaves are very well accepted, also scalded nettle leaves find the shrimps tasty. As a permanent food, a sea almond leaf or brown autumn leaves provide humic substances , tannins and important fiber.

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.