Raccoon Tiger Shrimp - Caridina sp

Brand new from Vietnam: The Raccoon Tiger (raccoon shrimp) is a still undetermined first import, it probably belongs to the genus Caridina. Only a few of these interesting animals have come to Germany. In its native country this pretty light colored to slightly reddish shrimp with the distinctive dark stripe pattern lives in mountain streams, which are rich in oxygen and very clean. With a body length of about 2.5 cm it remains rather small, even for a dwarf shrimp.

The Raccoon Tiger is used to soft water with a carbonate hardness of 0 to a maximum of 3 °dKH, a pH between 5.5 and 7.5 and a total hardness of up to 8 °dGH. The Raccoon Tiger comes from streams with cool water. The temperature should therefore not exceed 25 °C, and if the temperature is in the upper range of the comfort zone, one must pay attention to a very good oxygen supply with the help of an oxydator, a bubbling stone or similar. These are sensitive wild fish and need appropriate treatment. Tap water is usually not suitable for them. The use of bee salt in combination with osmosis water or demineralized water is strongly recommended here! Ideal is an active Soil as substrate, which stabilizes the water values and keeps them in a favorable range for the Raccoon Tiger Shrimp. The use of humic substances (e.g. in Black Water Fulvo) is advisable to keep the germ count low and the water still more suitable for the shrimp.

The Raccoon Tiger shrimp naturally does not know artificial food yet. For habituation we recommend to feed leaves first. Brown autumn leaves and dried green walnut leaves contain substances that are useful to the shrimp and can help it to get used to the food. It naturally likes to graze biofilms. You can give a little shrimp food after a few days on a trial basis, what is not accepted, please vacuum again! Twice a week the Raccoon Tiger shrimp should be provided with high quality proteins. For this purpose either Artemia, but also a special protein food designed for shrimp is suitable.

After a certain acclimation period the Raccoon Tiger Shrimp should also reproduce in the aquarium. Based on their origin, we assume that they belong to the specialized reproductive type, that is, they release fully developed young that survive in freshwater. Baby shrimp often hide in moss in the beginning. There they eat microorganisms, biofilms and algae growth as well as fine detritus particles. A high quality dust food will keep them well fed and provide them with everything they need to grow up healthy.

There are no objections to socializing them with peaceful snails . Whether the Raccoon Tiger Shrimp can interbreed with other shrimp species is not yet known. We recommend a species tank for these wild caught shrimp in any case.

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