Red Tiger Shrimp (Caridina sp.)

Choose the Red Tiger Shrimp for a striped soft-water colony

The Red Tiger Shrimp is a selectively bred dwarf shrimp with bold, dark red stripes running across a clear, orange-tinted body. The stripes are broadest over the tail section, the head is freckled with fine red dots, and the long legs and antennae are banded red and clear. The eyes are dark. A group grazing over moss and dark soil shows off the stripes far better than any single shrimp can.

It is a colour line of the tiger shrimp. The Shrimp Farm lists it as Caridina mariae ‘Red Tiger’ and notes that some sellers still use the older name Caridina cantonensis. Because aquarium lines are not always pure, we sell it as Caridina sp. Wild tiger shrimp are translucent to greyish with black stripes; breeders selected the red-striped form from them.

Red Tigers sit between the hardy cherry shrimp and the demanding bee shrimp. They want softer water than cherry shrimp, but they are more forgiving of small changes than crystal red or Taiwan bee lines, which makes them a good next step for keepers moving into Caridina.

Check the fit before you order

See our full range of shrimps and crustaceans, the freshwater shrimp category and the Caridina shrimp range.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase quantity supplies one live Red Tiger Shrimp. The only option is “Standard”: the line is not graded into sizes, so shrimp are sent at the size available on the day, usually young adults. Sex is not specified. The photographs show the colour line rather than the individual shrimp; stripe width and the depth of the red vary, and The Shrimp Farm notes that females are usually larger and more strongly coloured than males.

Order for the group you plan to keep

• One shrimp: only as an addition to an existing Red Tiger group.
• Five shrimp: OATA’s minimum group; single shrimp or very small groups often become stressed.
• Ten or more: a better spread of both sexes for breeding and a stronger display.

Read our delivery and live arrival information before ordering, and have the tank mature and tested before the shrimp arrive.

Understand the tiger shrimp and its red line

For years the hobby treated tiger and bee shrimp as forms of one species. In 2014 Klotz and von Rintelen, in work summarised by Seriously Fish, described the tiger shrimp as a species of its own, Caridina mariae, from two localities in Guangdong province, southern China, one of them a swampy area where they measured pH 7.0. The same study found that ornamental bee strains belong to Caridina cantonensis, and Wikipedia records later work placing the two species as each other’s closest relatives. That close kinship is why tigers and bees can still cross in an aquarium.

Selective breeding has turned the plain wild tiger into many lines. Practical Fishkeeping’s Chris Lukhaup reported that German-bred Black Tiger shrimp were rated very highly by Japanese keepers, and The Shrimp Farm lists red, orange and blue tiger lines, some with orange eyes. The Red Tiger offered here has dark eyes.

Compare the tiger lines

Set up a planted tank with a dark substrate

OATA sets 10 litres as the minimum for a small shrimp group. The Shrimp Farm says Red Tigers can live in about 19 litres (5 US gallons) but recommends about 38 litres (10 gallons) or more, because larger volumes hold their water values more steadily. Use a sponge filter, which gives gentle flow and keeps young shrimp out of the intake, and a heater if your room gets cold. A lid stops shrimp jumping out.

The Shrimp Farm recommends a black substrate, which brings out the red stripes, and plenty of cover: Java moss and other live plants, shrimp tubes, driftwood, rocks and dried botanicals such as Indian almond leaves. A planted tank also keeps up the biofilm the shrimp graze all day.

Lay out the tank in zones

Match the water values and keep them steady

The Shrimp Farm gives 17–24°C (62–75°F), pH 6.0–7.2, KH 2–6, GH 4–10 and TDS 150–250 for Red Tigers, and says they prefer soft, slightly acidic water. OATA’s broader planning values for freshwater shrimp are 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18 dGH and 3–15 dKH. The overlap of the two is a sensible target: 17–24°C, pH 6.5–7.2, GH 4–10 and KH 3–6.

UK tap water ranges from soft to very hard depending on where you live. In a soft-water area your tap water, treated with a conditioner, may already fit. In a hard-water area, The Shrimp Farm suggests reverse osmosis water; many keepers blend it with tap water or remineralise it to reach the target GH. Test before you buy and compare your results with these targets using our water matcher.

Keep these readings in range

Our water chemistry guide explains how to test hardness and pH, and our guide to the aquarium nitrogen cycle explains why the tank must be mature before shrimp arrive.

Feed small, varied meals

Red Tigers graze biofilm, algae and detritus, but The Shrimp Farm says they still need extra food: one or two pieces of a prepared shrimp food a day, without overfeeding, plus blanched vegetables, frozen foods such as mosquito larvae and algae pellets. Indian almond leaves give a long-lasting grazing surface as they break down. OATA suggests a lighter schedule of two or three feeds a week, with food left for at least 30 minutes and leftovers removed. In a well-planted, mature tank with plenty of biofilm, the lighter schedule is enough; in a newer tank, small daily feeds help.

Build one measured shrimp meal

• Start small: a piece of shrimp food the group can finish within a couple of hours, such as our Caridina nano sticks.
• Use one spot: feed on open substrate so you can see who comes to eat.
• Add variety: a slice of blanched vegetable or a piece of algae wafer now and then.
• Clear up: remove anything left before lights out.

Acclimatise new shrimp slowly

Shrimp are stressed by bright light, temperature extremes, noise and movement, OATA notes, so go straight to the tank when the box arrives and use its floating-bag method:

1. Switch off the tank light and keep the room dim.
2. Float the sealed bag in the tank for 10 minutes so the temperatures even out.
3. Open the bag and add small amounts of tank water over at least 30 minutes.
4. Lift the shrimp into the tank, keeping as much bag water out as possible.
5. Pour the bag water away down a household sink, never outdoors.

If your tank water is much softer or harder than the water in the bag, take longer over the mixing step. Slow is never harmful; rushing is.

Use a first-week checklist

Maintain the tank with a calm routine

OATA recommends testing weekly and changing 25% of the water at least once a week, using conditioned water and rinsing filter sponges in removed tank water, never under the tap. With Red Tigers, the key is matching the new water to the old: same temperature and similar hardness, added slowly.

Follow a weekly routine

1. Test the water before you change any.
2. Siphon out about a quarter of the water from open areas, checking the bucket for shrimp.
3. Refill slowly with conditioned water at the tank’s temperature and hardness.
4. Trim plants gently and check every clump for shrimp before it leaves the tank.
5. Squeeze the sponge filter in tank water only when the flow drops.

Watch the group and act on changes

Healthy Red Tigers spread out over moss and wood and graze almost constantly, with a few hidden while they moult. OATA lists the changes that point to a problem.

Pair each observation with an action

Breed Red Tiger Shrimp and keep the stripes

The Shrimp Farm describes Red Tigers as easy and prolific breeders. After mating, the female carries her eggs on her swimmerets for around 30 days, and 20 or more young can hatch. There is no larval stage: the babies are tiny, fully formed shrimp that need no special care. For comparison, Wikipedia gives 28 days to hatching at 22°C for the closely related bee shrimp.

Keep the line pure

• Breed true: The Shrimp Farm notes that Red Tigers breed true, so the young resemble their parents.
• Select the best: breed from the most strongly striped shrimp and move plainer young to another tank.
• Keep bee shrimp out: tigers and bees can cross, and the hybrid young lose both patterns.
• Give cover: moss protects the young and gives them biofilm to graze.

Expect a life of a couple of years in a well-matured tank, as OATA says for freshwater shrimp.

Choose tank mates that cannot eat shrimp

OATA’s rule is never to keep shrimp with fish that can fit them in their mouth, or with predatory species. The Shrimp Farm adds that Red Tigers breed faster with no fish at all, although some keepers house them with Pygmy Corydoras or Otocinclus, which rarely eat baby shrimp. It lists cherry shrimp, Babaulti shrimp and Amano shrimp as suitable shrimp companions, with Thai micro crabs and snails. Our tank mates checker can help you screen any fish.

Screen every companion

Compare other tiger shrimp

We also sell the wild-patterned Tiger Shrimp and the boldly marked Raccoon Tiger Shrimp. Keep each line in its own tank if you want the young to keep their look. For background on the whole group, read our shrimp-keeping guide.

Never release shrimp, plants or tank water

OATA reminds keepers never to release aquarium animals or plants into the wild. Dispose of old substrate, plant trimmings and water through household waste or the drain, never into ponds, streams or gardens.

Answer Red Tiger Shrimp buying questions

What is a Red Tiger Shrimp?

A selectively bred line of the tiger shrimp with red stripes instead of the black stripes of wild tigers. The Shrimp Farm lists it as Caridina mariae ‘Red Tiger’; older labels call it Caridina cantonensis, so we sell it as Caridina sp.

How many shrimp does one purchase supply?

One live shrimp of the Standard option, sex not specified. Order at least five to start a group, as OATA recommends.

Is the Red Tiger Shrimp good for beginners?

It is a good second shrimp. The Shrimp Farm rates it intermediate, a step up from cherry shrimp, because it wants softer water and steady conditions, but it is more forgiving than bee shrimp.

What water does a Red Tiger Shrimp need?

Soft to moderately soft, slightly acidic to neutral water: 17–24°C, pH 6.5–7.2, GH 4–10 and KH 3–6 satisfy both The Shrimp Farm and OATA. The Shrimp Farm adds TDS 150–250.

How big do Red Tiger Shrimp get?

Around 3 cm. OATA gives about 3 cm for this group of dwarf shrimp and The Shrimp Farm gives a maximum of 1.5 in, about 3.8 cm. Females grow larger and chunkier than males.

Do Red Tiger Shrimp need a heater?

Only if the room falls below about 17°C. Their range is 17–24°C, so a small heater keeps a tank steady through a cold UK winter; avoid letting it overheat in summer.

Can I keep Red Tiger Shrimp with cherry shrimp?

Yes. The Shrimp Farm lists Neocaridina such as cherry shrimp as suitable tank mates, as they do not interbreed. Keep them away from bee shrimp, which can cross with tigers.

Will Red Tiger Shrimp breed in my tank?

Usually, yes. Females carry their eggs for about 30 days and 20 or more young can hatch as tiny shrimp. The line breeds true, so the young look like their parents.

Consult the care references

• The Shrimp Farm: Red tiger shrimp care — the red tiger line: name, size, difficulty, water values, tank, feeding, breeding and tank mates.
• Seriously Fish: New shrimp from Hong Kong and southern China (Klotz and von Rintelen 2014) — the 2014 description of the tiger shrimp as Caridina mariae, its wild habitat and its relationship to bee shrimp.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — UK trade body care sheet: broad water values, tank size, group size, feeding, acclimatisation, maintenance and health signs.
• Wikipedia: Caridina cantonensis — the bee shrimp species, its close relationship to Caridina mariae and egg incubation time.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Freshwater shrimps, the next generation (Chris Lukhaup) — the history of selectively bred tiger and bee shrimp lines in Germany, Japan and Taiwan.
• Tropical Fish Co shrimp-keeping guide and delivery terms — our own set-up and live arrival guidance.