Pinto Shrimp are a type of Taitibee, which is a  “mischling” or crossbreed. Tibee shrimp were created by crossing either a Tiger Shrimp with a Taiwan Bee Shrimp, or a Tiger Shrimp and a Crystal Red or Black Shrimp. Taitibee and Pinto Shrimp are the result of crossing a Tibee Shrimp back to a Taiwan Bee. Pinto Shrimp display three different color variations: zebra, spotted head, and “fancy”—cloud or skunk pattern. These shrimp can exhibit these patterns in black and white or red and white. Sexing Pinto Shrimp can be somewhat difficult until the shrimp begin to mature. Female shrimp have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. The saddle can be nearly impossible to identify on this shrimp due to its dark coloration. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once the shrimp are fully-grown the males will be smaller than the females.

Galaxy Pinto Grading:

• 0 Spots on the head – Zebra Pinto
• 1 – 2 Spots on the head – Medium Grade and now Galaxy Pinto
• 3 – 5 Spots on the head – High Grade Galaxy PInto
• 6 Or more spots on the head – Highest Grade Galaxy Pinto
• Line connecting rostrum to zebra stripes – Galaxy Fishbone

Pinto Shrimp are very sensitive to water conditions, as with many shrimp that are the result of inbreeding for desirable characteristics. It is recommended to use a larger tank for these shrimp, at least 25 gallons. This is in part because it is easier to maintain consistent parameters in a larger tank. Having completely clean, almost drinkable, water is necessary to keep Pinto Shrimp healthy. There is conflicting information on the best water parameters for these shrimp. They may prefer warmer conditions and neutral pH, but these conditions are not ideal because they can breed nasty pathogens that threaten the shrimp. There is evidence that low temperature and pH helps protect the shrimp from disease, rather than being their preferential environment.

Pinto Shrimp make an impressive addition to an experienced shrimp hobbyist’s aquarium. If you are looking for the challenge of keeping a very rare and coveted shrimp, Pinto Shrimp may be for you. Although these shrimp require more care and attention, keeping these stunning and active shrimp can be extremely rewarding.

Our water parameters:

• pH – 5.8
• GH – 5
• KH – 0
• TDS – 140

Ideal water parameters:

• pH (5,5 – 6,8)
• GH (4 – 6)
• KH (0 – 1)
• TDS (100 – 190)

What to feed your shrimp?

• Shrimp King range offers the best results in our experience
• GlasGarten foods are great value for money
• OG shrimp food is a great local brand, good food
• We feed our shrimp a variety of different foods, a different type for each day
• A well balanced diet is essential to a healthy shrimp

Our mineralization process:

1. Age your reverse osmosis (RO) water for 2 – 3 days with an air stone
   • This will remove any additional evaporative odors
   • Add a de-chlorinator for safety
   • Aging the water will drop the pH of the RO water
2. Add GH+ minerals to the RO water 24 hours prior to a water change
   • Add minerals to achieve desired TDS (total dissolved solids)
   • TDS will differ slightly in different areas
   • Our measurements with Shrimp King GH+ are
     • TDS 100 – GH of 4
     • TDS 120 – GH of 5
     • TDS 140 – GH of 6
   • Our water is prepped between 100 – 120 to make sure the GH in the tank does not rise above 6.
3. Remove 10 – 15% of your water from your aquarium
4. Add newly prepped water as slow as possible back to the tank
   • The biggest shrimp killers are adjustments in water quality
   • Acclimate slowly, add water slowly
   • This will avoid quick changes in GH and pH

Our shrimp are sold at 1cm – 1,5cm in size. Age of the shrimp at this size is 3 – 4 months. We sell shrimp at this size for 2 reasons:

1. The younger shrimps acclimate better to new environments and also travel better over long distances.
2. They will live longer for you and grow up with your maintenance habits and aquarium keeping traits. Everyone does this a little different.