Black Galaxy Pinto Shrimp

There is very little information out there about these beautiful shrimp called the Galaxy Pinto. My understanding is that the name originated from the breeder when he or she observed that the shrimp was showing white speckles on the body which looked like a galaxy with many stars.

The Galaxy pinto is a rather expensive shrimp in the hobby with a range of prices between $50 and $200 each on average. Price is determined by color, size, and sex. Since the galaxy pinto is a cross between tiger shrimp and Taiwan bee shrimp, it is not an easy pattern to replicate or reproduce. Therefore, many hobbyists are willing to pay the money to skip years of hard work that went into creating this amazing shrimp.

The Galaxy Pinto comes in two colors: red and black. The red variation sells for a higher price as red is more desirable to most hobbyists. This can also be observed with crystal red shrimp and red cherry shrimp. While color has a lot to do with the price, pattern is also very important. The lowest grade of Galaxy pintos is one that has very little white. As the white coloration increases, the higher the value goes. With very little black or red coloration, these shrimp can demand prices of $300 to $400 each.

Tank Parameters

• pH: 5.5 to 6.7
• GH: 3 to 6
• KH:  0 to 1
• TDS: 90 to 120
• Temp: 68 to 72

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