Green Babaulti Shrimp - Care Guide
Members of this highly unique variant of Caridina Babaulti dwarf shrimp feature startling neon green or sun-kissed orange coloration. These shrimp look great, help clean your tank, and are absolutely fascinating to observe.
Overview
Babaulti shrimp are name for Guy Babault, a French collector of fish, reptiles, and birds. In 1914, he discovered this species of dwarf shrimp in the freshwater waterways of India. Green Babaulti shrimp are just one color variant of the Caridina babaulti species - a group which also includes Indian Zebra shrimp, Malaya shrimp, Rainbow shrimp, and more. Green Babaulti Shrimp are a fairly rare specimen within the aquarium hobby. Dwarf shrimp are hard enough to find at pet stores, and you'd be especially hard-pressed to find these in any pet store in the United States. They can be difficult to come by even online, which is surprising given their unique and striking colors.
Though these are called Green Babaulti shrimp, almost half of our stock is born with a sun-kissed orange coloration. Each order of these shrimp will likely come with a mix of the neon green and orange colored shrimp. The colors on these shrimp make a great, eye-catching contrast against dark substrate and against other colors of shrimp when placed in an aquarium with them.
These are freshwater shrimp and can live in almost any freshwater aquarium due to their extremely adaptable nature. Dwarf shrimp like these are very popular for planted tanks and community tanks, and many people use them in large aquariums for waste management and algae control. They breed very quickly, forming a colony that works as a very effective cleaning crew and enhances any aquarium with their beautiful colors.
Species
Caridina cf. Babaulti
Size
These shrimp grow to a maximum size of about 1.4 inches in length. The most common maximum length is about 1 inch.
Recommended Tank Parameters
- pH level range: 6.8 to 7.8
- Temperature range: 75° to 82° F
- Water type: kH 0-10; gH 4-14; TDS 80-200
- Notes from the owner:
- All dwarf shrimp prefer to live in tanks with live aquatic plants (such as willow moss, baby tears, green cabomba, etc). There are a few reasons for this:
- 1. Dwarf shrimp love the cover that plants provide them
- 2. They love to graze on the plants for algae
- 3. Plants help keep the water clean for the shrimp
- All dwarf shrimp prefer to live in tanks with live aquatic plants (such as willow moss, baby tears, green cabomba, etc). There are a few reasons for this:
Compatibility
Safe: Small, peaceful fish and invertebrates. Good choices are:
- Other dwarf shrimp
- Small, peaceful fish
- Asian Stone Catfish
- Bushynose Plecos
- Corydora Catfish
- Danios
- Guppies
- Hillstream Loaches
- Otocinclus (safe to keep with breeding shrimp as well)
- Ram Cichlids
- Tetras (small tetras only)
- Filter Shrimp
- Vampire Shrimp
- Singapore Flower Shrimp
- Snails (all types)
- Ramshorn Snails
- Mystery Snails
- Nerite Snails
- Sulawesi Snails (aka Rabbit Snails)
Unsafe: Any fish or invertebrate large and/or aggressive enough to eat a dwarf shrimp. Examples:
- Angelfish
- Barbs (the aggressive kinds)
- Bettas
- Glo Tetras
- Catfish (large)
- Cichlids
- Crayfish (most types)
- Discus
- Pacu
- Plecos (large)
- Goldfish
- Gourami
Feeding
Babaulti shrimp require very little food. When we say very little, we mean that one fish flake the size of a dime every day is enough for 10 or more shrimp. Overfeeding is a common cause of death, so do not feed them more than they can eat in two hours. In established tanks where there is plenty of algae and biofilm, dwarf shrimp may not need extra food at all.
In addition to fish or shrimp flake foods and pellets, dwarf shrimp will also eat blanched vegetables (such as zucchini, carrots, and spinach), as well as algae wafers or pellets.
Warning! Avoid any food product, medication, or plant fertilizer that contains Copper of any form. Copper is toxic to invertebrates. Many commercial fish foods, medications, and plant fertilizers contain copper or more commonly copper sulfate. Always look at the ingredient list for any product going into the aquarium to ensure they are copper free.
Breeding
With ideal water conditions, Green Babaulti shrimp are fairly easy to breed. Make sure to follow the recommended pH, kH, gH, TDS levels, as well as the recommended temperature range. We have found that the most ideal pH level for breeding these shrimp is at the higher end - around 7.6 to 7.8. Also, you should cover your filter intake with a pre-filter (such as a sponge), and keep them in a tank without any fish (with the exception of Otocinclus catfish - they are fine to keep with breeding shrimp).
Females will carry between 30 and 50 eggs at a time in a cluster beneath their tails, though these eggs tend to be smaller in size than most other types of dwarf shrimp eggs. The newborn shrimp hatch (after about 30 days) as miniature versions of the adults that are immediately able to fend for themselves. Just like the eggs, Green Babaulti fry are smaller than other dwarf shrimp fry, mature at a much slower rate, and are thus more difficult to keep alive until they grow into adulthood.
There must be adequate algae and/or biofilm in the tank for the fry to feed on. In tanks lacking algae or biofilm (usually newer tanks), shrimp can be fed by crushing algae flakes before dropping them in. After several months, the newborn shrimp will be sexually mature and able to breed.
WARNING: Nearly every species of fish will eat dwarf shrimp fry, so breeding is best accomplished in species-only tanks.
What to Expect from Us
We generally ship young adult shrimp that are already of breeding age. Our Green Babaulti shrimp come in neon green and orange colors, but some may exhibit lighter or darker shades of green and orange than others.
All Aquatic Arts brand plants and animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus free email support directly from the owners! All that we require is that you send us a clear, digital picture of the unopened bag of DOAs, and we will replace them free of charge.