Tangerine Tiger Shrimp

Common Name: Tangerine Tiger Shrimp
Scientific Name: Caridina Serrata
Genus: Caridina
Wild Origin: Taiwan
Adult Size: 1.2 in

**Note: All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No additional insulation is needed for your livestock.

The Tangerine Tiger Shrimp is a freshwater shrimp variant prized for its vibrant, translucent orange-to-yellow coloration and brown spotting and striping on its body. Unlike many other Caridina varieties that require very specific, soft-water setups, Tangerine Tigers are adaptable. They are tolerant of a wider range of water parameters, making them a user-friendly entry point into the hobby. Their bright, consistent color provides a warm contrast against green aquatic mosses and dark substrates.

As aquatic pets, Tangerine Tigers are resilient and active. They are excellent candidates for community shrimp aquariums because they can thrive in parameters that overlap with those of other species. As long as they are properly acclimated and protected from sudden swings in temperature or pH, they are a hardy and long-lived addition to your shrimp tank.

Check out our guide on the different substrates that can help achieve ideal water parameters for these shrimp: Best Substrate for Shrimp

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank-raised specimen
  
• Bright, bold color and pattern
• Shrimp are excellent scavengers and will happily feed on biofilm, decaying plant matter, and algae
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after placing an order to properly prepare live animal shipments

Recommended Water Parameters
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. We encourage you to do thorough research before committing to keeping any livestock.

• Temperature Range: 64-76°F
• pH: 6.6-6.9
• TDS: 100-250 ppm
• GH: 5-9 dGH
• KH: 0-5 dKH

Consult our care guide for beginner shrimp hobbyists.

Recommended Tank Size
5+ gallons, minimum. Tank size is relative, and various factors should be considered when determining tank size. Factors include maintenance schedules, tank mates, desired colony size, and more.

Diet
Algae, biofilm, diatoms, decaying plant matter, spirulina powder, bee pollen, plant-based shrimp pellets/wafers, blanched vegetables

Breeding
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp are known as "aggressive" breeders, meaning they reproduce frequently and easily under the right conditions. A unique advantage for hobbyists is that they will not breed with Neocaridina varieties; however, they will cross-breed with other Caridina species (like Crystal Reds or Bees).

Sexing becomes clear as they mature; females are larger with a broader underbelly and a visible "saddle" behind the head. Once fertilized, the female will carry the eggs (become "berried") for approximately 2–4 weeks. To ensure high fry survival, provide plenty of hiding spots like dense moss or Cholla wood. Always leave molted shells in the tank so the shrimp can recycle the calcium.

Once the shrimp are fully-grown, the males will be smaller than the females. Once the shrimp reach maturity and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding. When female shrimp have eggs available for fertilization, they will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy.

Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as their parents. Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide, they may not breed.

Check out our blog article to learn how to breed freshwater shrimp.