Crystal Black Shrimp

You will receive Crystal Black Shrimp, also known as CBS. The pet shrimp you will receive will be sub-adults, having a size of around half of an inch (.5 inches). The shrimp generally range from S to SS grade in pattern.

Crystal black aquarium shrimp are stunning in color and pattern. They are the black mutation of the wild bee shrimp. Most hobbyists refer to crystal black shrimp as CBS. The CBS is an entry level freshwater shrimp for the Caridina genus. When a hobbyist is making the transition from Neocaridina to Caridina, the crystal black shrimp is a great option to start with. While crystal blacks require a lower PH, they can still live in conditions that are slightly alkaline (PH above 7). 

The grading scale for CBS is somewhat difficult to comprehend at first. Here are the grades in order of highest to lowest: SSS, SS, S, A, B, and C. The higher the grade (SSS), the less black the shrimp will have. So, a C-grade shrimp will be almost all black while an SSS-grade shrimp will be almost completely white. The other way to grade the shrimp is by color and how solid the color is versus being transparent in color. Shrimp with poor color are usually culled (separated) from the colony. 

Here are the tank conditions we keep our CBS at:

Tank Parameters

• PH: 6.6 to 6.9
• GH: 5 to 7
• KH:  0 to 2
• TDS: 130 to 160
• Temp: 68 to 74

Tank Equipment

• Filter: Matten Filter
• Substrate: Brightwell Rio Escuro or Cafe Soil, Fluval Shrimp Stratum
• Water: RO/DI Water remineralized with Shrimple GH
• Decor: Malaysian Driftwood, Java Moss, and Indian Almond Leaves