Babaulti shrimp fan club

[hamfist]

If anyone has any thoughts or experiences with babaulti shrimp please share it here.

I have "Indian greens" and Zebras. From the minimal (believable) info online it would seem that the greens favour a harder, more alkaline, environment. Whereas the zebras seem to be a softwater shrimp. Anyway, that is roughly how I am keeping them. The Greens I have are breeding nicely already in 8dGH, 3dKH water. The zebras I have are very new to me but seem to be really settling in well to an acidic softwater environment.
Has anyone else here kept these ?

 

[Maf 2500]

zebras seem to be a softwater shrimp

No personal experience with babaulti but would love to hear how you get on with these in soft water. I like the greens also and have heard conflicting reports about the hardness of water that is acceptable to them.

 

[hamfist]

No personal experience with babaulti but would love to hear how you get on with these in soft water. I like the greens also and have heard conflicting reports about the hardness of water that is acceptable to them.

I agree that there is no real definitive info on it online. I have been hedging my bets and providing somewhat medium hardness and pH water for the greens. At least it seems to be suiting them so far. Once my Green colony is big enough I shall try some in a different acidic softwater tank to the zebras (as I don't want to risk crossing the greens and the zebras at the moment - although thats also an interesting thing to try at somepoint in the future. It really wouldn't surprise me at all if they could not crossbreed (or hybridise ?). Their behaviour is so different that it would not surprise me at all if they were actually different species. I know the taxonomy of this whole group is in its infancy so, as yet, we really don't know exactly what's what.

 

[NathanB]

You've only just introduced me to these guys and I'm already desperate to find some Indian Greens available!

 

[MichaelJ]

I have "Indian greens" and Zebras. From the minimal (believable) info online it would seem that the greens favour a harder, more alkaline, environment. Whereas the zebras seem to be a softwater shrimp.

Those caridina's are awesome - quite rare in the trade. They have the same water preferences - the coloration is merely a function of selective breeding - which is no different from say the water preferences of Red vs Blue Neocaridina.

Only caveat is if you got them from two different sources where one was bred over generations in relatively soft water (say 4 dGH) and the other bred in relatively harder water (say 12 dGH) that could potentially be an issue, but they are otherwise fairly adaptable. As long as you keep the shrimp in moderately soft water to moderately hard water (3-8 dGH - with a Calcium to Magnesium content between 3:1 - 5:1) and keep the TDS/EC at moderate levels (100-150 ppm / 200 - 300 uS/cm) and introduce them gently, especially with regards to TDS/EC, you can keep and breed pretty much all species of shrimps we find in the trade (except for Amanos). Don't forget to feed them well - and include protein in the diet, which is often overlooked.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hamfist]

You've only just introduced me to these guys and I'm already desperate to find some Indian Greens available!

Shrimp Corner have zebras available, but no greens. I am fairly sure that I got my greens from them earlier this year, so they may become available again. It might be worth contecting them and "expressing an interest".

 

[hamfist]

They have the same water preferences - the coloration is merely a function of selective breeding - which is no different from say the water preferences of Red vs Blue Neocaridina.

May I ask the source of this info. I am just in the process of learning more about them.

I am no expert at all but I thought their taxonomy was pretty undescribed really. Are there actual reports of folks trying to "cross" breed the different types of what we think of as C. cf babaulti and finding the F1's reverting to one particular wild type ?

A quote from aquariumbreeder.com .......... "
......... this species has not been formally classified or studied with scientists to give it its actual name. That is why, because of the significant resemblance between a newly observed specimen and a known species now we call it Caridina cf. babaulti.
As already stated that the taxonomy of this genus is very difficult, and with a large number of described species, elucidating the identities of the present specimens are not possible, as such the identity Caridina cf. babaulti must be regarded as tentative, to keep certain reservation on its denomination."

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

From the minimal (believable) info online it would seem that the greens favour a harder, more alkaline, environment.

I kept them for a while in soft water, I wouldn't <"describe it as successful">, but they definitely can survive in softer water in the long term & <"What unusual shrimp are you keeping?">

cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

May I ask the source of this info. I am just in the process of learning more about them.

I am no expert at all but I thought their taxonomy was pretty undescribed really. Are there actual reports of folks trying to "cross" breed the different types of what we think of as C. cf babaulti and finding the F1's reverting to one particular wild type ?

A quote from aquariumbreeder.com .......... "
......... this species has not been formally classified or studied with scientists to give it its actual name. That is why, because of the significant resemblance between a newly observed specimen and a known species now we call it Caridina cf. babaulti.
As already stated that the taxonomy of this genus is very difficult, and with a large number of described species, elucidating the identities of the present specimens are not possible, as such the identity Caridina cf. babaulti must be regarded as tentative, to keep certain reservation on its denomination."

I have no personal experience with C. Babaulti. You may want to take a look at this: Green Babaulti Shrimp - Care Guide
and this: Zebra Babaulti Shrimp (Caridina cf. babaulti), BREDBY: Aquatic Arts

These guys are top notch US commercial shrimp breeders and offer Babaulti from time to time - both green and zebras - bred under the same conditions.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hamfist]

I have no personal experience with C. Babaulti. You may want to take a look at this: Green Babaulti Shrimp - Care Guide
and this: Zebra Babaulti Shrimp (Caridina cf. babaulti), BREDBY: Aquatic Arts

These guys are top notch US commercial shrimp breeders and offer Babaulti from time to time - both green and zebras - bred under the same conditions.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Michael

I was trying to ask mainly about your source of info for the claim that zebra and green C.cf babaulti shrimp are definitely just colour variants of shrimp of the same species. As my experience is that they actually behave very differently too and my impression was that the taxonomy was extremely poorly described thus far. Hence my suspicion that they may in fact be different species.

 

[MichaelJ]

I was trying to ask mainly about your source of info for the claim that zebra and green C.cf babaulti shrimp are definitely just colour variants of shrimp of the same species.

Well, did you read the links I posted ? and the preamble to the first link? Of course there is a chance that Guy René Babault, the naturalist who
First described said shrimps, messed up the taxonomy and Zebras and Greens are indeed different species. Regardless, Aquatic Arts keep and breed both variants (or species if so) under the same water conditions. I hope this helps!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hamfist]

Well, did you read the links I posted ? and the preamble to the first link? Of course there is a chance that Guy René Babault, the naturalist who
First described said shrimps, messed up the taxonomy and Zebras and Greens are indeed different species. Regardless, Aquatic Arts keep and breed both variants (or species if so) under the same water conditions. I hope this helps!

Cheers,
Michael

I have just read it thoroughly again (I admit to only scanning it initially - the preamble in the first link I missed). However, I think my question still stands. As far as I understand it, these are not actual proper Caridina babaulti (which as I understand it are fairly rare in the trade), but all are just species that closely resemble C.babaulti but have not been described accurately yet. Hence the more correct term of "Caridina cf. babaulti".

On another note entirely, a couple of online reports of keeping these shrimp describe them as a bit nervous and with a tendency to hide a lot. My experience has been completely different and I find my colonies of both zebras and greens to be as confident as any other shrimp.

 

[NathanB]

What kind of size are the Green Babaultis @hamfist? They look larger than most neos or caridina. Since they're okay in warmer waters im interested to try some. Would you say they have a similar boisterous temperament as amanos?

 

[hamfist]

What kind of size are the Green Babaultis @hamfist? They look larger than most neos or caridina. Since they're okay in warmer waters im interested to try some. Would you say they have a similar boisterous temperament as amanos?

I haven't really had them long enough to answer your questions accurately. As for maximum size, mine have not got that far, but from all reports its around the same as Neos. As for temperament, they are certainly more active than the Neos in the same tank, but not greedy for food like amanos are. They seem to be attracted to more vegatable-oriented foods, whereas Neos while eat virtually anything. A lot of them seem to like gently cruising around the tank, stopping for a bit, moving on etc. My gut feeling is that they love biofilm and similar types of food. Lumps of animal-based protein do not seem to attract them much. They are certainly not shy though.

 

[NathanB]

Are the greens breeding well for you @hamfist?

 

[hamfist]

Are the greens breeding well for you @hamfist?

They are yes. The greens are doing very nicely. I already have sellable sized young (available on Ebay if you are interested). The zebras I have in a slightly acidic softwater tank are another story though and are still stubborning refusing to breed. I am tweaking the KH up (and slowly upping the temperature too) hoping to trigger some breeding.

 

[Little]

I’m very tempted to sell my Bloody Mary colony and try the Zebras in my new tank.
Watching this thread with keen interest to see how people do with breeding them. I use RO water remineralised with 2h Aquarist APT Sky.

 

[hamfist]

SHowing something of the Indian Green horde. A couple of the original batch present there, but mostly are F1 generation bred in my tank. Also a couple of shots of one of the mature (but currently non-berried) females.

 

[hamfist]

I’m very tempted to sell my Bloody Mary colony and try the Zebras in my new tank.
Watching this thread with keen interest to see how people do with breeding them. I use RO water remineralised with 2h Aquarist APT Sky.

Thats an interesting remineraliser. Basically, Salty SHrimp GH+ plus extra trace elements. Not too much more £ than SS either. Like SS, its ridiculously expensive for someone with multiple tanks unless you buy the 800g size.
My shrimp seem to get plenty of trace minerals via my plant trace element fertilisation currently. I might be tempted to buy some of the APT Sky when my current SS runs out.

As for my Zebras, I know I have at least 5 left, all fully adult. 2 x females and 3 x males. Possibly more. They seem happy and healthy enough but simply are not getting berried. All this time they have been in 0 dKH 6-7 dGH, 22-23 C water. I have been persevering as I have read one online account of someone breeding and selling zebras in a zero KH, softwater system. However, there are so many conflicting rumours and accounts around, I'll just need to find out what my colony prefers.
Anyway, in an attempt to spur on reproduction I've recently tweaked the temp up to 24 C and the hardness up to 1-2 dKH and 7 dGH. I think I'll eventually get the dKH up to around 2-3, as I do want to keep tangerine tigers and Taitibees in the same tank. I know my TTs breed very little if the dKH gets over 3 so I'm trying to find a perfect middle ground for the TT's, the zebras and the bloody marys, all in the same tank. I do have CRS in there as well, but I am expecting them to eventually die out as they probably won't reproduce at these KH's.
I do so hope I can get the Zebras to breed as I think they are absolutely gorgeous. A couple of pics, a male, a female and a lovely fron-on pic emphasizing the glowing orange eyes.

 

[NathanB]

Do the Greens change colour? From what I’ve read online they seem to arrive Green for most people then those individuals turn to a brown colour, or is it a selective breeding thing? I really love the greens but if they all end up going a brown colour then i’d much prefer the zebras with those orange eyes, beautiful shrimp.