The Super Tiger Shrimp is a wild species located in China as well as possibly other Asian countries. I was one of the first to bring these shrimp into the country (Alpha Pro Breeders) and was the first to get them to successfully breed. Once a very high priced shrimp because of their rarity, the price has dropped substantially because of they are fairly easy to breed.
Details
| Type | Shrimp |
| Family | Atyidae |
| Species | Caridina cantonensis |
| Synonyms | |
| Origins | Asia |
| Sexual Dimorphism | The female Super Tiger Shrimp are almost identical to the male Super Tiger Shrimp except for the round "undercarriage" below the females' body. The overall width of the body is also distinctly larger in the female Super Tiger Shrimp. |
| Length | 4.0 cm |
| Shoaling | No |
| Temperature | 23 - 26 deg C |
| Water parameters | pH 6.5 - 7.5, dH 3 - 10 |
Care
The Tiger Shrimp is a wonderful species to have in your shrimp collection. Its yellow head and yellow tail really offset the black stripes along the body. The Tiger Shrimp is in fact a species from the wild that is able to be bred in freshwater. As the Tiger Shrimp becomes more widespread throughout the hobby it has become a popular species for the "novice" shrimp hobbyist. The Tiger Shrimp is a great "second step" due to the fact that it is slightly more difficult to breed than the Red Cherry Shrimp, can be housed with the Red Cherry Shrimp and is cheaper than most other shrimp in the hobby.Feeding
Feeding the Super Tiger Shrimp is easy. They eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, and the many shrimp food made espicially for them. shrimp Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.Breeding
Like all other species, the Tiger Shrimp will breed extremely well and reproduce around the clock as long as it is healthy and happy. The tank water must be very clean and free of contaminants to make sure that the Tiger Shrimp is indeed happy. Each female Tiger Shrimp produces roughly 20-25 hatchlings and will do so constantly if the shrimp is healthy. Once hatching a batch of eggs it should take no more than a week for the same female Tiger Shrimp to once again possess eggs. Breeding the this species is not difficult whatsoever and I believe it is not more difficult than breeding Red Cherry Shrimp. The photo show the deep black stripes of the Super Tiger shrimp.
