Kingdom — Arthropoda.
Subphylum — Crustacea.
Class — Malacostraca.
Order — Decapoda.
Superfamily — Atyoidea
Family — Atyidae.
Genus — Caridina.
— Caridina babaulti [Bouvier, 1918] — Babaulti Shrimp, Indian Shrimp. “Green Midget shrimp”. India, usually found in streams and rivers among vegetation. Maximum size up to 3.5 cm, females are larger. They have a long rostrum curved downwards. The color is usually green, but this is not the dominant color; they can be yellowish, brown, blue, and orange.
This depends on water parameters, stress, and substrate color (under proper conditions, they display a sparkling green color). They come in the following color variations: fully green, green with a light back, and red-brown. Females generally have a more intense green coloration and clearly distinguishable bright green spots on the neck — the so-called “saddle”.
— Caridina babaulti “Brown Shrimp” — Features a very intense brown color and opaque beige lines running along the back. This mutation is not yet very stable and is rarely found in the trade;
— Caridina babaulti “Stripes Shrimp” — Features dark stripes on a brown or orange body. Its size rarely exceeds 1.8 cm;
— Caridina babaulti “Kasat River” — A new brown shrimp from the Kasat River in Thailand;
— Caridina babaulti “Blue” — Completely blue shrimp. Some specimens (especially females) have a white-brown line along the back. Only a few offspring will be blue, while the rest will have a different coloration;
— Caridina babaulti “Rainbow” — Malaysian rainbow shrimp (Spear shrimp). 2-3 cm. Has a transparent body with a reddish or light brown tint and irregular dark spots and stripes across the body. Some specimens have a light beige stripe along the back. Males are less colorful. Their coloration is bright, and their bodies sparkle like a diamond. This coloration helps them hide from predators in their natural environment. Usually, their bodies are colored in subdued tones.
However, when the shrimp moves from a plant to a driftwood, for instance, its color becomes a darker red-brown shade, as if blending with the wood. When the Malaysian rainbow shrimp swims calmly, you can see specks of blue, yellow, and green on its body, which is how this shrimp got its name.
They live in virtually any aquarium with stable water parameters. They are quite hardy, making them suitable even for beginners. They prefer pH 6.2-7.5, temperature 23-25°C. They prefer soft and slightly acidic water. They are very sensitive to elevated ammonia and nitrite levels in the water. Lifespan in the aquarium is 1 year and more.
This is a species that should be kept in groups without aggressive fish due to their peaceful nature. Small-sized fish are preferred. Most of the day they constantly move along the bottom or crawl on leaves in search of food; females are more active. They are very fond of various mosses, where they spend most of their time. They look good among reddish plants, creating a contrast.
The aquarium should have hiding places made of plants and foliage. There should be plenty of Java moss, Riccia, Najas, and almond leaves in the aquarium. It is quite difficult to expect success without an abundance of detritus. The green color of the shrimp looks best on a very dark substrate. They coexist well with a small, constant number of peaceful fish. Very sensitive to copper and other heavy metals.
Frequent water changes (once every 3-4 days) over two weeks stimulate females to molt and subsequently mate. This is a fairly prolific species, with females carrying up to 25 eggs once a month.
Females reach sexual maturity at 4 months of age. For productive breeding, a relatively high temperature is required — from 26 to 30°C. The fry are significantly smaller than those of tiger shrimp or bee shrimp, so appropriate nutrition must be provided (unicellular organisms, microscopic zoo- and phytoplankton).
The fry are very small and grow very slowly. Fish should not be kept in this aquarium. Parents do not eat their larvae and fry. However, you should know that not all offspring will be green. Offspring may have various colors. Therefore, green breeders must be selected to reinforce this color in the offspring. They live for about 2 years. Temperature 22-28°C, pH 6.5-7.5; dH 8-20°.
Identification: Caridina babaulti.
— Caridina babaulti “Dark Green Shrimp” — Dark Green Babaulti Shrimp. 3-3.5 cm. Inhabits Asia, India. Difference from Caridina babaulti Green: While the young are growing and acquiring the coloration inherent to adults, there are ways to distinguish the Dark Green Shrimp from the Green Babaulti. The Dark Green Shrimp lacks stripes on its back, its color is more intense and remains the same throughout its life.
In turn, the Green Babaulti can change color depending on the aquarium environment and keeping conditions. The coloration of Green Babaulti is not as dark as that of the Dark Green Shrimp, and its offspring grow much slower. Newborn shrimp are very small and colored dark red, sometimes red-green (an interesting feature specifically of the Dark Green Shrimp). Meanwhile, young Green Shrimps are always green. With age, Dark green shrimps turn green.
The second feature is the very fast growth of babies into juveniles. The offspring of these shrimp are extremely small. The brood of this species develops at a staggering speed, doubling in size within about a week after birth. In terms of ease and speed of reproduction, it can be compared to Cherry Shrimp. Distinguishing a male from a female is quite easy. The female is larger and plumper than the male. In addition, females are much darker than males. The eggs of females are a beautiful bright green color, which contrasts sharply with the dark green color of her body and visually enhances the green coloration. Therefore, it is quite easy to determine that a female Dark Green Shrimp is pregnant.
Feeding should be reduced to once a day. The amount of food should be such that the shrimp can eat it within 2-3 hours. They should not be overfed or allowed to leave leftover food on the bottom. Overfeeding can cause water pollution and the death of tank inhabitants. It can graze on hair algae from aquarium walls and leaves of various plants. If you do not feed them for 2-3 days, nothing bad will happen; this will help the shrimp cleanse their digestive system and reduce water changes. Such fasting days can safely be arranged for your pets from time to time.
The Dark Green Shrimp prefers medium acidity water with a pH of 6.8-7.5. A higher pH level is also acceptable for keeping them. Do not forget to keep the water clean with water changes and maintain the temperature in the range of 20-27°C. Prefers medium acidity water with pH 7.0. A higher pH level is also acceptable. If you provide these conditions, and most importantly, clean water, you will very soon have your first, and far from last, offspring.
— Caridina babaulti “Green Shrimp” — Green Babaulti Shrimp, Grass Shrimp, Green Neon Shrimp. Inhabits Asia, from Myanmar through India to Iraq. 3.5 cm, males are smaller. Bright light-green coloration with a white stripe running from top to bottom. Acquires a greener color under good living conditions and begins to lose its color under poor ones. Often these shrimp have a more or less wide light stripe along the back.
It has several color variations, and more and more variously colored hybrids can be found. At one time, there was great confusion with the names “Green shrimp”, “Dark Green shrimp”, and “Green Neon shrimp”. These are just a few names given to this shrimp species.
The coloration of the Green Babaulti is not as dark as that of the Dark Green Shrimp, and its offspring grow much slower. They are not always green; their coloration can change from green to greenish-brown. Brown individuals are also not uncommon. Depending on mood, diet, and water parameters, it quickly changes color — from greenish to dark green, from brownish to orange. Females are much larger and more intensely colored; eggs are lemon-green. When young are born, colors are not well expressed, but over time they will become greener.
Peaceful species. Not very active and often shy, which is why an aquarium with hiding places is necessary. The aquarium should have hiding places made of plants; they often hang on aquatic plants, hiding so that they are hard to spot. The green color of the shrimp looks best on a very dark substrate.
Do not keep them with aggressive fish, or they will hide in the plants. They eat decaying plants, food leftovers, algae remnants, silt, leaves, etc. As supplementary food, specialized shrimp foods and spirulina algae are particularly good. Riccia (Riccia fluitans) is an ideal “pasture” for juveniles.
Prefers medium acidity water with pH 7.0. A higher pH level is also acceptable for keeping them. dH greater than 10°. Regular water changes are necessary. Temperature in the range of 22-27°C. High oxygen content favors reproduction. If you create these conditions, and most importantly, clean water, you will very soon have your first, and far from last, offspring. Young specimens become sexually mature at 3 months. During pregnancy, the female carries about 60 eggs for 15 days. Lifespan is about 2 years.
Identification: Caridina babaulti Green Shrimp.
— Caridina babaulti sp. “Malaya” — Malaya Shrimp. Malaysia. Female 3 cm, male 2 cm. The coloration of Malaya shrimp is bright, and their bodies sparkle like diamonds. Malaya shrimp can come in several different colors: gold, green, blue, red, and brown. Females are larger than males, have a much darker coloration, and have a curved abdomen.
The main interesting feature is the coloration. It depends on the sex of the shrimp: females are dark, ranging from reddish and green to bluish and brown with large transverse bars on the back that appear once the shrimp reach sexual maturity, becoming clearer during pregnancy; males are light pink with brown speckles.
Depending on mood and situation, it can change color within a short time. Swimming among plants, it acquires a bluish or greenish tint; sitting on driftwood, a reddish-brownish tint; rummaging in the substrate, from golden to brown. Usually, their bodies are colored in subdued tones.
When the shrimp swims calmly, you can see specks of blue, yellow, and green on its body. This coloration helps them hide from predators in their natural environment. Thanks to their interesting and sparkling coloration, they will become an ornament to your aquarium.
The shrimp is quite hardy, so it can be kept in almost any aquarium, making it suitable even for beginners. A peaceful species, they love living in aquariums planted with vegetation, constantly swimming among them, and do not hide in shelters. In the aquarium, the shrimp will filter food from the substrate and among plants. They also love to feast on various types of algae if present in the aquarium.
Like other shrimp species, if you feed them special food, Malaya shrimp will quickly lose interest in algae. Keep at a rate of 1-2 individuals per 4 liters of water. Small tetras and other peaceful medium-sized fish are excellent tankmates.
They are very negative toward elevated ammonia and nitrite levels in the water. Ideal water parameters for this shrimp are pH 7.0-8.0, temperature 23-25°C. They prefer soft and slightly acidic water, but they can adapt to other aquarium water parameters if nitrite and ammonia levels remain consistently low.
A very interesting aspect of this shrimp is its reproduction cycle. Unlike most, it produces tiny larvae rather than miniature shrimp. The larval stage takes place in fresh water and lasts a few days, after which the larvae molt and turn into miniature (about 2 mm) copies of their parents.
No special food is produced for the larvae of this shrimp species. The fact is that the transition from larva to shrimp takes very little time, so special food is not needed. An even more interesting fact about this species is that it does not require brackish water for successful growth during the larval stage. Other shrimp species that produce larvae instead of fry require brackish water, including Amano and filter-feeding shrimp. During pregnancy, the female carries about 50 eggs for 15 days. They live up to 2 years.
Identification: Caridina babaulti sp. “Malaya”.
— Caridina babaulti “Indian Stripes” — Indian Zebra Shrimp. “Indian Zebra Shrimp”, “Zebra shrimp”, “Red Stripes Shrimp”, “Striped shrimp”, “Ceylanica”, “Ceylon Garnele”. India. 2.5-3 cm. Similar to Caridina fernandoi, but with a much longer rostrum. A characteristic feature of this species is its very long rostrum. Depending on mood, substrate color, and water conditions, coloration can be brownish, blue, light blue, red, or orange.
Translucent, with 5-7 transverse dark stripes of varying intensity. The stripes are straight and neat, though less bright. In females, the stripes are beige and light brown. The arrangement of stripes on the body is highly variable. Males tend to have somewhat paler stripes, while females often have a green or brown tint, with black stripes being much more intense in most cases.
Peaceful. During pregnancy, the female carries about 25-35 eggs. Young look like miniature adult shrimp, growing slowly. The brood contains both striped and non-striped specimens. Temperature 22-26°C with higher pH 7.3-8; dH 8-20°. Can tolerate lower temperatures, but are more active when temperatures are high. Lifespan up to 2 years.
Identification: Caridina babaulti “Indian Stripes”.
Caridina cantonensis “Bee Shrimp”, “Blue Bee”, “Orange Bee”.
Caridina multidentata, Caridina japonica, Amano Shrimp. 
