Babaulti Shrimp – Habitat, Care, Feeding, Tank Size, Breeding
You, like most people, might only focus on brightly-colored fish species when thinking of stocking your aquarium with freshwater fish. Other aquarium owners opt for species that will keep the algae and snail levels in their tanks at a minimum.
If you want a species that works in both instances, your best choice will be freshwater shrimp. These are not only brightly colored but also scavengers that will clean your tank and maintain optimal water quality.
Babaulti shrimp is one of the popular options among the caridina Babaulti species. This group also includes the rainbow, Malaya, and Indian zebra shrimp.
Babaulti shrimp are quite adaptable and among the easiest freshwater species to keep in your aquarium.
The following are a few guidelines that will ease your keeping of Babaulti shrimp in an aquarium.
Babaulti Shrimp Appearance
The Babaulti shrimp has a serrated and extremely long rostrum. The top of its nose has evident toothy appendages that look like small dragons.
The typical length of the Babaulti shrimp is 1-1.5 inches. Female shrimps are larger and rounder than their male counterparts because of the saddles that carry their ovaries.
Though this shrimp species has a wide color variation, it has some chromatic adaptation like the chameleon. This means that it will change its color to suit your aquarium’s environment when startled or agitated.
Most Babaulti shrimp varieties are green but have a sun-kissed orange coloring when young. This color makes them the ideal substitute for green Neocaridina shrimp.
Babaulti Shrimp Tank Requirements
The Babaulti shrimp is not as demanding as other freshwater species as concerns its aquarium.
In most instances, a five-gallon tank will suffice for a colony though it might be best to get a larger tank if you are a beginner. Add a heater to keep the water in your tank stable and at the right temperatures.
Invest in a shrimp-safe filter that allows the cycling of water in your fish tank. Anything that has a sponge might shred and suck in your small shrimp and should thus be avoided.
Your tank should also have plenty of hiding spaces from driftwood, rocks, and plants since the Babaulti shrimp are reclusive.
Live plants with a lot of texture like shrimp tubes, baby tears, willow moss, green Cabomba, and java moss are your best choices.
Babaulti Shrimp Water Conditions
Caridina Babaulti is quite versatile as concerns water quality, but your water should be adequately filtered.
Nitrites and ammonia are deadly to the fish and should thus be maintained at levels of not more than 10. Though less damaging than nitrites and ammonia, nitrates should also not surpass a reading of 10.
The ideal PH levels for healthy Babaulti shrimp are 6.8-7.8. Aim for water temperatures of 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit for your fish to be comfortable with hardness ratings of 2-20 dGH.
Experts recommend keeping the amount of total dissolved solids at 100-200.
Babaulti Shrimp Diet and Feeding
Healthy Babaulti shrimp will skitter in your fish tank looking for food. When you drop your food, they will sense it then scurry to the head of the tank to feed.
These fish need very little food meaning you can aim for about a dime’s size for a colony of ten or more shrimp.
The shrimp are primarily omnivores. Their natural diet comprises decaying matter, algae, and biofilm. Most experts advocate for alder cones, Indian almond leaves, oak leaves, lettuce cucumber, carrots, and zucchini along with flake food or pellets in aquariums for Babaulti shrimp.
The leaves should be well soaked before their addition to your fish tank. This guarantees that their tannins have been leached so that the leaves decay slowly.
In established fish tanks with a lot of biofilm and algae, dwarf shrimp might not need extra food. A common cause of shrimp death in aquariums is overfeeding. As such, you should not give Babaulti shrimp more than they want every one to two hours.
Babaulti Shrimp Tank Mates
In most cases, keeping your Babaulti shrimp in an aquarium with only dwarf shrimps is the best choice.
This is because aggressive or large fish species might injure or eat them since they are small and calm. Even so, some fish species can be kept in the same tank as shrimp without any trouble.
Small and peaceful fish species like the Asian stone fish, danios, hillstream loaches, and ram cichlids will make ideal tank mates for your shrimp.
Fast swimming or boisterous fish are also best avoided because Babaulti shrimp are slow swimmers. Gentle tank mates like rasboras, tetras, and livebearers are thus good tank mate alternatives.
Babaulti Shrimp Breeding
Babaulti shrimp are somewhat easy to breed in an aquarium, provided the water conditions are ideal for the same. Even so, aim for a higher water PH level of 7.6-7.8 when breeding for optimal results.
Females will carry about 30-50 eggs in clusters under their tails at a time. The eggs, in this case, are smaller compared to those of other shrimp species.
Newborn shrimp will hatch after thirty days on average and look like mini forms of the adults.
The fry of Babaulti shrimp is nonetheless smaller than those of other shrimp species, matures slowly, and needs vigilance to keep it alive to adulthood.
There should be adequate biofilm or algae in your aquarium for the fry to thrive in it. You can also consider adding crushed algae flakes in new tanks that do not have enough algae or biofilm.
Your newborn Babaulti shrimp will be ready to breed in a few months.
Wrapping Up
Even with the above guidelines, be careful about what you put into your Babaluati shrimp aquarium. You should avoid all products that have copper since this will be toxic to your invertebrates.
Some medication, pet food, and plant fertilizer brands contain copper sulfate and are best avoided in your tank.
Keeping the Babaulti shrimp is not new among aquarists. As such, it might not be so hard to get them at your local pet store. Even so, if they are not available, consider getting them from reputable online pet stores.
