TankBud

Green babaulti shrimp

Caridina babaulti

Also known as Malaya shrimp

FreshwaterShrimp

Green babaulti shrimp (Caridina babaulti)
Peter Pfeiffer · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg carrier · Easy
Rarity
Common
Family
Atyidae
Origin
South Asia (India, extending across the Indian subcontinent)

Overview

The green babaulti shrimp is a peaceful dwarf shrimp for the bottom of a planted freshwater tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The green babaulti shrimp's color is not fixed. It can shift its shade with what it eats and the tank around it, drifting between green, brown, red and yellow. One that looks deep green one month may turn brownish the next, and a colony often shows a mix of tones at once.

Caring for the green babaulti shrimp

Keep green babaulti shrimp in a colony of at least ten, in a tank of at least 10 gal (38 L). In small numbers they turn shy and reclusive, while a group grows far more confident and visible. Give them a mature planted tank with mosses, driftwood and a fine sand or gravel substrate to sift through.

Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. They handle a wide hardness range but dislike sudden swings, so go slow on water changes. They are sensitive to copper, so avoid copper-based medications and fertilizers.

Green babaultis graze algae, biofilm and leftover food along the bottom all day. A well-established tank with plenty of biofilm and algae suits them best. They are peaceful, so keep them with small, peaceful fish or no fish at all, since anything large will eat the shrimplets.

Females carry 30 to 50 eggs under the tail for around 30 days. The young hatch as tiny copies of the adults, with no larval or brackish stage. Breeding is easy and works much like cherry shrimp, though the very small fry mature slowly and are harder to raise. A biofilm-rich tank and a sponge over the filter intake help the young survive.

Good to know

Caridina babaulti is a dwarf shrimp in the family Atyidae, also sold as the Malaya shrimp. Adults usually live one to two years.

In the wild

Green babaulti shrimp come from streams across the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. There they pick over leaf litter, plants and submerged wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The green babaulti shrimp is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a green babaulti shrimp need?

A green babaulti shrimp needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a green babaulti shrimp need?

A green babaulti shrimp is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a green babaulti shrimp eat?

A green babaulti shrimp grazes on algae, biofilm and leftover food. It does best in a well-established tank with plenty of biofilm and algae to pick at.

How big does a green babaulti shrimp get?

An adult green babaulti shrimp reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

How does a green babaulti shrimp breed?

A female green babaulti shrimp carries 30 to 50 eggs under her tail for around 30 days. The young hatch as tiny copies of the adults, and breeding is easy, though the fry are slow to mature.

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