Breeding Black Tiger Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis)
Breeding the striped Black Tiger, a Caridina cantonensis bee-shrimp morph that is less demanding than CRS but still soft-water: sexing, conditioning, setup, berried females and shrimplet care.
Overview
The Black Tiger is a tiger-patterned bee shrimp, Caridina cantonensis, with deep black stripes on a translucent body, originating from the Guangdong region of China. It develops directly with no larval stage. It is somewhat less demanding than the Crystal lines but still wants soft water and the stable conditions all bee shrimp need.
Sexing
In keeping with the bee-shrimp pattern, females are larger with a deeper abdomen for carrying eggs, while males are smaller and slimmer. A mature female rounds out under the tail and may show developing eggs through the translucent body.
Conditioning
Keep a mixed-sex colony on stable soft water and feed sparingly with biofilm, algae and shrimp foods. The 24-25 C (75-77 F) range that Wikipedia ties to strongest bee-shrimp colour suits breeding too; steady parameters are the main spawn trigger.
Breeding Setup
- Minimum tank volume: 30 L for a stable colony
- Temperature: 22-26 C (72-79 F)
- pH: 6.0-7.2 (soft); GH 4-8 dGH; KH 0-4 dKH
- Low to moderate TDS with stable chemistry
- Sponge filter and dense moss for shrimplets
- Stable parameters; avoid swings
Spawning & Berried Females
On suitable water the female carries the eggs beneath her abdomen and they hatch into miniature adults. Wikipedia gives an expected hatch of about 28 days at 22 C (72 F) for bee shrimp. Keep conditions stable while she is berried so she does not drop the clutch.
Shrimplet Care
Shrimplets graze biofilm from the first day, so a mature, biofilm-rich tank with dense moss provides first food and shelter. Exclude predatory fish. The tiger striping firms up as the juveniles grow, so select for crisp, dark stripes.
Common Challenges
Although hardier than CRS, the Black Tiger is still a bee shrimp and reacts badly to unstable water. It interbreeds with other Caridina cantonensis morphs, including the Crystal lines, so isolate it to keep the tiger pattern. Caridina cantonensis does not interbreed with the separate genus Neocaridina.