Black Pinto

Introduction

So your Neocaridina shrimp are thriving, your Crystal Reds and Blacks are breeding like crazy, and keeping your Taiwan Bee shrimp alive is a piece of cake. You're ready for the next step in the shrimp world. Though not the easiest to keep and breed Pinto Shrimp make up for it with their spectacular coloration and pattern.

Pinto shrimps are divided into two main categories namely German Pinto and Taiwan Pintos. German Pintos are in essence considered true pinto shrimp that have only been bred from Caridina mariae and Caridina logemanni. Taiwan pintos are sometimes referred to as skunk shrimp and not pinto shrimp, this is more prevalent in Europe and especially in Germany.

Taiwan Pinto shrimp are further divided into various categories of which the most well-known are the normal Taiwan pintos and the Galaxy Pintos. Galaxy pintos were bred from a mix between White Bee, Tangerine Tiger, and Crystal Red/Black shrimps. 

Keep reading for everything you need to know about blue bolt shrimp care and keeping black zebra pinto shrimp in your own aquarium!

Scientific Name: None - Crossbreed of various species incuding Caridina Logemanni, Caridina Mariae, Caridina Cantonensis, and Caridina serrrata.

Common Names: Pinto Shrimp

Care Level: Medium

Breeding: Medium

Please note: All shrimps are sold as juveniles at 1cm and up.

Requirements

Pinto shrimps aren't the best beginner choice. If you're looking to get into shrimp keeping for the first time, why not look into getting an easier species like red cherry shrimp? They are less expensive and a lot hardier.

If you have some shrimp experience and are ready for the next step, be sure to go for at least a 30L aquarium. After all, the larger the tank, the smaller the chance of any issues caused by bad water quality.

Make sure the filter you use is 100% shrimp safe to prevent any fry from being sucked in. A sponge filter should work well. You can use a heater to keep the aquarium temperature stable, although some shrimp keepers prefer heating their entire room to a suitable temp.

Like all shrimp, pintos like having some decorations and hides in their tank that they can retreat to while molting and eat biofilm off. Try adding some kind of moss and a few shrimp tubes to keep your pinto shrimp happy.

Water Parameters

PH Range: 5.8 - 6.8

Temperature Range: 18 - 24 Degrees Celsius

GH Range: 4 - 7

KH Range: 0 - 3

TDS: 80 - 150

Please note: TDS should only ever be used as a reference when re-mineralizing RO water.

Tankmates

Diet

As with all dwarf shrimp, a pinto's favorite food is biofilm. This organic substance grows on any surface in the aquarium, which means your pintos will appreciate it if you don't clean your tank too intensely. A few patches of algae are like a shrimp feast!

Supplement their diet using high-quality shrimp food and additions like leaf litter. Be sure to remove any uneaten foods within a few hours; you don't want anything rotting and spoiling the water.

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