Keeping Tiger Shrimp: A Striped Caridina for the Nano Tank
A guide to keeping freshwater tiger shrimp - a small striped Caridina prized by hobbyists, cousin to crystal and bee shrimp, needing cool, soft, acidic, stable water and rewarding careful keepers.
Tiger shrimp are among the most attractive of the Caridina shrimp - small freshwater shrimp banded with dark stripes, close cousins to the popular crystal and bee shrimp. They ask for cool, soft, slightly acidic and very stable water, quite unlike the hard water cherry shrimp enjoy, and in return they breed readily and reward the careful keeper with a self-sustaining, jewel-like colony.
Is it right for you?
Tiger shrimp suit a keeper ready to maintain cool, soft, acidic, stable water for a Caridina species. They are a step up from cherry shrimp but easier than Sulawesi shrimp, and breed well once settled.
System & Space
A small, mature, stable planted nano tank with soft acidic substrate suits them; their water needs differ sharply from cherry shrimp, so keep the groups separate.
Water & Temperature
They prefer cool, soft, slightly acidic water held very stable; sudden swings are harmful. An active soil substrate and mature tank help hold the right chemistry.
Stocking & Feeding
Stock into a mature, biofilm-rich tank and feed fine shrimp foods, algae and biofilm; a well-aged tank does much of the feeding. They breed steadily in stable conditions.
Health & Care
Stable soft, cool, acidic water is the key; instability and wrong parameters are the main killers. Avoid copper, and change conditions slowly.
Harvest & Enjoying Them
Ornamental - the reward is a striped, jewel-like colony that breeds itself and can be traded or sold to other hobbyists.
Getting Started
Mature a dedicated soft-water planted tank, add a small starter colony, and let it establish slowly in cool, stable, acidic conditions.
Common Mistakes
Hard alkaline water (wrong for Caridina), an immature tank, unstable parameters, and mixing them with cherry shrimp's needs are the classic mistakes.
FAQ
Tiger or cherry shrimp? Tigers are Caridina wanting soft acidic water; cherries are Neocaridina wanting harder water.
Do they breed easily? Yes - once the tank is mature and conditions stable.