Family: Atyidae
Black Crystal Shrimp — a selective-bred morph of Caridina cantonensis with a black and white banded pattern. Needs soft acidic water at 20-26 °C (pH 5.8-6.8, 3-8 dGH), stable nitrate near zero; breeds in freshwater but slowly, best for dedicated shrimp keepers.
Black Crystal Shrimp is a high-grade selective-bred morph of Caridina cantonensis, the Hong Kong hill-stream atyid whose famous red-and-white 'Crystal Red' form revolutionized the shrimp hobby after Japanese breeder Hisaaki Suzuki stabilized it in 1996 from bee shrimp × tiger shrimp hybrids. The Black Crystal Shrimp wears a black and white banded pattern — a white body with three bold black saddles and black tail accents, the photographic negative of the famous Crystal Red. Like every cantonensis-line shrimp it demands soft, acidic, ultra-stable water: 20-26 °C, pH 5.8-6.8 and 3-8 dGH, ideally over active soil that buffers the chemistry, with nitrate kept near zero through gentle filtration and small, regular water changes. It grows to 2-2.5 cm, grazes biofilm and specialized bee-shrimp foods, and breeds in freshwater — but slowly and sensitively: the female carries only 20-30 eggs, larvae are smaller and slower than neocaridinas, and swings in parameters trigger molting failures. This is a connoisseur's shrimp — dazzling in a dark, mossy tank, but happiest with a keeper who measures rather than guesses.
For experienced keepers. Very peaceful; groups of 10 or more.
Set the heater to 20–26 °C and avoid swings. pH 5.8–6.8, GH 3–8 dGH suit it.
Adults reach 2–2.5 cm; it is bottom — grazing moss and leaf litter. Plan for at least 30 litres.
Biofilm grazer; specialized bee-shrimp foods. It forages naturally over active soil that buffers soft acidic water, so let some food reach the bottom.
Very peaceful. Recommended tankmates: Other soft-water Caridina morphs — Same chemistry; interbreed — keep lines separate, Otocinclus catfish — Safe, gentle, same soft water, Taiwan bee / shadow bee lines — Close relatives with identical needs. Avoid Neocaridina (cherry-type) shrimp — Different water chemistry; one side will suffer, Copper-based medications — Lethal to all invertebrates, Large or boisterous fish — Stress and predation; shrimp need calm.
Comes from Selective-bred form of the Hong Kong hill-stream Caridina: soft, acidic, ultra-stable aquariums. Expect gentle current and moderate oxygen.
In the aquarium: breeds in freshwater but slowly and sensitively. After mating the female carries 20-30 eggs for about four weeks; hatchlings are tiny and appreciate powdered food and mature biofilm. Stable parameters matter more than any single number — swings cause failed molts.. Females are deeper-bodied with a curved, rounded underbelly and a visible saddle; males are slim, smaller and less intensely colored..