Caridina profile
Tiger shrimp
Caridina mariae
Tiger shrimp are classic Caridina shrimp with transparent bodies and dark vertical stripes. They are a good step up from Neocaridina for keepers who can keep soft to medium-soft water stable.
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Quick verdict
Suitable for: Keepers ready for a Caridina shrimp that is more forgiving than Taiwan Bees but not as easy as Neocaridina. Watch especially: adjust KH, GH and TDS slowly.
Quick care card
Use this card as a starting point. Always check whether your aquarium is stable enough for sensitive species.
Temperature
19 - 24 °C
pH
6.2 - 7.4
GH
4 - 10 °dH
KH
1 - 5 °dH
TDS
140 - 240 ppm
Aquarium
From 40 liters
Difficulty
Intermediate
Behavior
Peaceful Caridina group shrimp with active grazing behavior
Feeding
Biofilm, leaf litter, quality shrimp food and small controlled portions
Breeding
Breeds in freshwater with direct development
Best match
Keepers ready for a Caridina shrimp that is more forgiving than Taiwan Bees but not as easy as Neocaridina
Important
Do not treat Tiger shrimp as Neocaridina. They need a mature tank, stable minerals, clean water and protection from summer heat. Mixing Caridina lines can also ruin line purity.
Care in practice
These are the points that most often make the difference between survival and a stable colony.
Use stable soft to medium-soft water. A practical range is 19-24 degrees Celsius, pH 6.2-7.4, GH 4-10, KH 1-5 and TDS around 140-240 ppm. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and avoid large swings in temperature, pH or minerals.
Use a mature shrimp aquarium with protected filtration, moss, wood, leaves and open grazing surfaces. A dedicated tank is best if you want stable breeding and line purity. Avoid very young tanks and unstable hard tap water.
Let biofilm do most of the work. Add small portions of shrimp food, leaves, mineral food and occasional vegetable or protein-rich food. Use powdered food carefully for shrimplets and keep leftovers out of the tank.
Tiger shrimp are peaceful and do best in a group. They may hide after molting, so provide dense moss, leaves and other cover. A group of at least 10 animals gives better natural behavior and breeding chances.
They can live with small peaceful tank mates if water values match, but a shrimp-only tank gives better survival for young. Avoid predators and avoid mixing Caridina lines unless you want crossbreeding.
Tiger shrimp breed fully in freshwater. Females carry eggs for roughly three to four weeks and the young hatch as tiny shrimp. Stable biofilm, fine food, clean water and a protected filter intake are essential for shrimplet survival.
Common mistakes are treating Tiger shrimp like Neocaridina, using unstable tap water, ignoring heat above 25 degrees Celsius, overfeeding, placing them in a young tank, mixing Caridina lines without a goal and losing young to an unsafe filter intake.
Background and identification
Extra context helps you identify, compare and keep the species safely.
Caridina mariae is associated with South China and Hong Kong in the hobby literature. The wild-type appearance is transparent to grey-brown with dark tiger striping; many aquarium lines are selected forms.
The classic Tiger shrimp has a transparent to light brown body with dark vertical stripes across the abdomen and often darker markings on the head. Blue Tiger, Red Tiger and Black Tiger are selected color forms.
Tiger shrimp are not Neocaridina and not Taiwan Bee shrimp. Compared with Taiwan Bees they often tolerate slightly less acidic, less extreme water. Compared with Neocaridina they remain more sensitive to instability.
Full species profile
The Tiger shrimp, Caridina mariae, is a classic Caridina shrimp with a transparent to brownish body and dark vertical tiger stripes. It is hardier than many Taiwan Bee lines, but still needs a mature aquarium, clean water and stable minerals.
Who is the Tiger shrimp for?
Tiger shrimp suit keepers who want a Caridina shrimp that is a little more forgiving than high-grade Bee or Taiwan Bee shrimp. They are not as easy as most Neocaridina, so they are best kept in a stable, mature shrimp tank.
Water parameters
A practical range is 19-24 degrees Celsius, pH 6.2-7.4, GH 4-10, KH 1-5 and TDS around 140-240 ppm. Stability matters more than chasing exact numbers. Avoid ammonia, nitrite, copper medication and sudden temperature swings.
Aquarium setup
Use a mature aquarium with sponge or protected filtration, moss, wood, leaf litter and plenty of biofilm. Soft to medium-soft water is usually safest. Very hard or strongly fluctuating tap water is a common cause of molting and breeding problems.
Feeding
Biofilm is the base diet. Add small portions of quality shrimp food, leaf litter, occasional vegetable or mineral food and very fine food for shrimplets. Feed lightly and remove leftovers.
Behavior and breeding
Tiger shrimp are peaceful group shrimp. They breed in freshwater with direct development, so the young hatch as miniature shrimp and do not need brackish water. For line purity, avoid mixing different Caridina lines unless you are deliberately breeding crosses.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about Tiger shrimp.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: June 15, 2026. Different values are used in the hobby; choose stability over chasing numbers.
Sources for accepted names, classification and synonyms.
Sources for water values, temperature and stable care.
Practical sources for setup, feeding, behavior and breeding.