Caridina mariae 'Blue Tiger', also known as the blue tiger shrimp, is one of the most striking dwarf shrimp available in the aquarium hobby. It's not just its deep blue coloration that makes it spectacular, but also its bright orange eyes! But... why aren't all blue tigers priced the same? And why do some look different from others?

It all comes down to the shrimp's grade. Let's have a look at everything you need to know about orange eye blue tiger shrimp grading, to help you figure out things like how much to pay for your shrimp and how to price them.

Note: This article is about determining the grade or quality level of your orange-eyed blue tiger shrimp. If you're looking for information on how to care for these shrimp, head over to the full blue tiger shrimp care guide instead.

Orange eye blue tiger shrimp grading: What is it?

If you look at the blue tiger shrimp offered for sale online and in-store by different sellers, you'll notice differences. Some are nearly translucent with just a hint of blue, while others are so opaque in color that they almost appear black. What's that all about?

The blue tiger shrimp's ancestor, Caridina mariae, is not naturally blue in color. It's translucent with an orange and blue sheen on the face and tail, plus the dark brown to black tiger stripes that gave it its name. The dark blue color on the 'Blue Tiger' variety is the result of extensive selective breeding.

Basically, breeders selected the tiger shrimp from their colonies with the highest amounts of blue and bred them together. Then they took the offspring with the highest amount of blue, etcetera... until a line was established that consistently produced opaque blue shrimp. The solid coloration is considered desirable and will therefore fetch higher prices than a more translucent shrimp. It's a higher 'grade'.

Note that lower grade blue tiger shrimp aren't "worse" or less healthy than high-grade specimens. They're just less pretty. But even they can be used to create a solidly colored line through selective breeding by you, although it will take some time and effort to achieve.

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Infographic chart showing different grades of orange eyed blue tiger dwarf shrimp (Caridina mariae)

Orange eye blue tiger shrimp grading: Determining grade

Figuring out the grade for your blue tiger shrimp can be helpful in situations where you want to sell them. After all, the "quality" of a shrimp will determine the price it can fetch to a large degree.

First off, keep in mind that grading for shrimp is subjective. Some people like a blue tiger shrimp so dark you almost can't see the stripes, while others think the stripes are what gives them their charm. However, generally speaking, a darker and more opaque shrimp is considered higher grade.

Roughly, we could say the following:

  • A fully opaque (including the legs!) blue tiger shrimp is considered high grade.
  • A solidly colored blue tiger shrimp with transparent legs and possibly underbelly is considered medium grade.
  • A tiger shrimp with splotchy, translucent blue coloration is considered low grade.

Aside from this, there are also royal blue tiger shrimp, which are extremely dark and lack the stripes. We'd consider these high grade as well.

Other things to keep in mind are:

  • Eye color can be golden or silver.
  • Rusty coloration can occur at any grade. Some shrimp enthusiasts like it, others don't.
  • Female shrimp will always be more deeply colored than males.

Conclusion

With the help of the information in this post and chart, you should hopefully be able to figure out the grades for your blue tiger shrimp. And remember: by selecting the best-colored shrimp in your colony and separating the "duds", you can gradually raise their overall coloration and quality.

Haven't started your blue tiger shrimp colony yet? These dwarf shrimp have become quite popular in the aquarium hobby, so you should be able to find them for sale in some specialized aquarium stores. Alternatively, you can buy online: The Shrimp Farm carries orange eyed blue tiger shrimp and ships them directly to your doorstep with live arrival guarantee.