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Species profile

Black Fancy Tiger Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Common names: Black Fancy Tiger Caridina Shrimp, Black Fancy Tiger Shrimp, Black Fancy Tiger

Breeding lineCaridina Shrimp
Black Fancy Tiger Caridina Shrimp (Caridina spp.)

Adult size

Up to 3 cm

Typical adult length 2–3 cm.

Up to 3 cm

Good fit for your tank?

Good fit for

  • An established soft-water Caridina aquarium using remineralized RO water, active soil, and dependable summer cooling.
  • A keeper who enjoys selecting breeders for stronger black coverage, cleaner white markings, and a more defined tiger or fishbone pattern.
  • A dedicated display colony where high-contrast black patterning can be viewed closely without fish disturbing the shrimp.

Think carefully if

  • This would be your first shrimp aquarium. Fancy Tigers are costly selective-bred shrimp and react poorly to unstable water or rushed setup work.
  • You plan to mix them with other bee, tiger, Pinto, or Taiwan-bee strains. They can interbreed and the original Black Fancy Tiger line may be lost.
  • Your aquarium regularly becomes warmer than about 25 °C. Warm water holds less oxygen and increases the risk of losses in sensitive high-grade Caridina.

A black-and-white hybrid Caridina line selected for Fancy Tiger striping and high-contrast patterns.

Appearance and Identification

Black body markings with opaque white coverage, tiger-like stripes, spots, and irregular patterned zones.

Black Fancy Tiger is a hybrid aquarium breeding line associated with Bee Shrimp and Tiger Shrimp ancestry. A single species label would overstate certainty.

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
20–24 °C
pH
5.8–6.8
GH
4–7
KH
0–2
TDS
100–160
Stability importance
Very important

Fancy Tiger lines generally do best in soft, mildly acidic water. Use stable remineralized water and avoid sudden changes in GH, KH, or TDS.

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
Natural habitat
Freshwater Stream
Aquarium contexts
Breeding Aquarium, Planted Tank, Shrimp Tank
Audience level
Advanced, Intermediate

Classification

Profile type
Breeding line
Genus
Caridina
Family
Atyidae
Species group
Caridina Shrimp

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Black Galaxy Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

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

Black King Kong Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

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

Black Panda Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

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

Black Pinto Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

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

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