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Species profile

Black Pinto Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Common names: Black Pinto Caridina Shrimp, Black Pinto Shrimp, Black Pinto Caridina

Pattern varietyCaridina Shrimp

Adult size

Up to 3 cm

Typical adult length 2–3 cm.

Up to 3 cm

Countries of origin

  • See all stock from Germany
  • See all stock from Taiwan

Good fit for your tank?

Good fit for

  • A breeder who prefers bold, irregular black-and-white patches and enjoys the surprise of several Pinto patterns appearing in one colony.
  • A mature soft-water aquarium with active soil, low KH, clean water, and enough biofilm for small shrimplets.
  • A dedicated line-breeding project where skunk, zebra, spotted, or mixed Pinto expressions can be selected separately.

Think carefully if

  • You want a perfectly uniform display colony. Pinto genetics can produce noticeably different patterns even from carefully selected parents.
  • You are not prepared to track parentage or separate breeding groups. Random mixing can quickly blur the pattern you originally purchased.
  • You are choosing them only as an algae cleaner. Their value and care needs make them better suited to a protected breeding or display tank.

A black-and-white hybrid Caridina line selected for bold Pinto spotting, striping, or zebra-style patterns.

Appearance and Identification

Dark black base colour with strong white head, stripe, spot, zebra, or skunk-style pattern elements.

Black Pinto is a hybrid aquarium pattern line rather than a biological species. Different breeder lines may contain different Taiwan Bee, Crystal, and Tiger ancestry.

Adult females are generally larger and deeper-bodied than males. Colour and pattern intensity are not reliable sex indicators.

Tank Requirements

Suggested filter
About 80–100 litres an hour
Suggested heater
About 25–50 W for this tank
Minimum tank volume
20 litres
Minimum tank length
30 cm
Minimum group size
6
Recommended group size
10
Activity level
Moderate
Flow preference
Low to moderate
Planting preference
Heavily planted
Hiding places
Yes
Lid recommended
Yes
Jumping risk
Low

Use a mature, cycled aquarium with active substrate or another stable soft-water setup, gentle filtration, abundant biofilm, mosses, leaf litter, and protected filter intakes.

Behaviour and Tankmates

Peaceful dwarf shrimp that graze biofilm, algae, detritus, leaf litter, and prepared foods.

Best maintained in a group with other compatible Caridina lines sharing the same water requirements.

Not normally territorial.

Peaceful community fish may still eat shrimplets. Keep breeding colonies in shrimp-focused aquariums. Different compatible Caridina lines may interbreed and alter colour or pattern outcomes.

Check tankmates for this species

Water Parameters

Temperature
20–23 °C
pH
5.5–6.5
GH
4–6
KH
0–1
TDS
90–140
Stability importance
Very important

Use remineralized reverse-osmosis water and an active substrate. Keep hardness and dissolved solids stable, and avoid abrupt water changes.

Parameter caveat
Stability matters more than chasing a single number. Avoid abrupt changes in temperature, pH, GH, KH, or total dissolved solids.

Feeding

Diet types
Aufwuchs Grazer, Detritivore, Omnivore
Feeding frequency
Daily
Preferred foods
  • Mature biofilmPrimary natural grazing resource.
  • Complete dwarf-shrimp foodFeed sparingly and remove uneaten food.
  • Leaf litterProvides grazing area and slowly decomposing natural food.

Omnivorous biofilm grazer. Provide mature natural grazing surfaces and small portions of complete shrimp food, leaf litter, algae-based food, and occasional protein-rich food.

Avoid overfeeding. A mature aquarium with continuous biofilm is more important than heavy supplemental feeding.

Breeding

Breeding type
Direct Developer
Breeding difficulty
Moderate
Breeding temperature
22 °C
Breeding pH
6.2
Brood or egg count
Approximately 15–30 eggs, varying with female size and line
Incubation
28 days
Parental care
Maternal care
Baby foods
  • Mature biofilm and fine powdered shrimp foodShrimplets need constant access to microscopic food on established surfaces.

Direct-developing freshwater shrimp. Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen and release miniature shrimplets. Line purity and pattern consistency depend on selecting breeders and preventing unwanted crosses.

Habitat and Origin

Geographic origin
Captive Bred, Germany, Taiwan
Natural habitat
Freshwater Stream
Aquarium contexts
Breeding Aquarium, Planted Tank, Shrimp Tank
Audience level
Advanced, Intermediate

Classification

Profile type
Pattern variety
Genus
Caridina
Family
Atyidae
Species group
Caridina Shrimp

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Blue Bolt Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
19–24 °C

Blue Dragon Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
20–23 °C

Cardinal Sulawesi Shrimp

Caridina dennerli

Care level
Advanced
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
30 litres
Temperature
27–30 °C

Crystal Black Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
19–24 °C

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