Tangerine Tiger Shrimp
Caridina serrata
The Tangerine Tiger Shrimp (Caridina serrata) is a peaceful shrimp that's best left to experienced keepers. Give it a tank of at least 30 litres (8 US gallons), water held at 72-79°F, and a pH of 6-7.2. Always keep a group of at least 6 - they feel safest in numbers.
Captive lifespan reflects typical experience in a home aquarium, not maximum recorded age; genetics, sourcing, and care vary.
Natural distribution
Southeast Asia
- East & Southeast Asia
Regional colours match the stocking calculator's origin map.
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp Tank Setup
A tank of 30 litres (8 US gallons) or more with rock-steady water suits them best - keep it at 72-79°F with a pH around 6-7.2. Stable conditions matter most, as shrimp struggle to moult and breed when parameters bounce around. Always keep a group of at least 6 of their own kind - kept alone or in pairs they tend to turn shy, nippy, or wash out in colour.
What Do Tangerine Tiger Shrimp Eat?
They're grazers, so base their diet on algae, blanched vegetables, and spirulina-based foods rather than high-protein flake. A spotless tank with nothing to graze on leaves them thin and underfed.
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp Tank Mates
Tiger shrimp variant; requires soft slightly acidic water. Keep species-only or with other peaceful shrimp. The Tangerine Tiger Shrimp is peaceful, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. It's a shoaling fish, so settle a group of 6 or more of its own kind before adding anything else - a stressed, lonely fish is far more likely to nip or hide. Before you buy, run your full stocking list through our stocking calculator. It weighs temperament, adult size, and water needs together, which a single species page can't do on its own.
Are Tangerine Tiger Shrimp Good for Beginners?
Not a sensible first purchase. Get the tank cycled, keep easier fish stable for a year, then revisit if you still want the extra work this species demands.
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Tangerine Tiger Shrimp need?
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp need a tank of at least 30 litres (8 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
How many Tangerine Tiger Shrimp should I keep together?
Keep a group of at least 6. Tangerine Tiger Shrimp are a shoaling species and become stressed, lose their colour, or hide when kept singly or in pairs.
What water parameters do Tangerine Tiger Shrimp need?
Keep them at 72-79°F with a pH of 6-7.2, steady rather than chased to an exact figure. In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should both read 0 ppm, with nitrate kept low through regular water changes.
What do Tangerine Tiger Shrimp eat?
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp are grazers. Base their diet on algae, blanched vegetables, and spirulina-based foods rather than high-protein flake. Feed small amounts once or twice a day, and remove anything they don't eat.
Are Tangerine Tiger Shrimp good for beginners?
Tangerine Tiger Shrimp are not a beginner species. They need precise conditions and consistent maintenance, so build experience with hardier fish before keeping them.
Common mistakes with Tangerine Tiger Shrimp
- Buying fewer than 6 - Tangerine Tiger Shrimps need a proper school to feel secure; isolated individuals hide, fail to colour up, or become stressed.
Building a community? Run the full list through the stocking calculator before you add anything else.
Great tank mates
Chosen from temperament, overlapping temperature/pH bands, plausible minimum tank footprints, and size versus yours in App-aquatic data. Hobby nuance always wins - verify stocking and temperament before purchasing.
Fish to avoid mixing with Tangerine Tiger Shrimp
These well-known species are commonly sold alongside this fish but are not recommended tank mates - verify before purchasing.
- OscarPredator - Oscar will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Pea PufferPredator - Pea Puffer will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Betta (Male)Predator - Betta (Male) will eat or injure smaller tank mates
