Fish are fascinating creatures, and so is the hobby of fish keeping.
In the olden times, people considered fish keeping a soothing hobby because of their clean, closed, and tranquil aquatic ecosystem.
Keeping exotic fish is a popular activity today, even though the reasons might differ from those of olden times.
People nowadays mostly keep fish because they are colorful, clean, and easily maintainable than most furry animals kept as pets; not to forget, aquariums provide an excellent décor to the rooms.
Regardless of why people keep fish, it is a great hobby that people can adopt from all social classes.
Moreover, it is the one pet-keeping hobby that does not impose restrictions upon the fish-keeping enthusiasts, as do most settlements regarding keeping pets at home.
So, in this article, I will be providing you with a complete guide regarding one of the most widely popular incredible species for your fish tank, the Tibee Shrimp.
What is a Tibee Shrimp?
Many of you may be aware that mixed breeds exist amongst all sorts of animals. Ranging from mixed breed cats to mixed breed dogs, and even horses, mixed breeds are found and admired in almost every part of the world. But did you know that mixed breeds exist in the fish species, too? That’s right!
The star of our informative story today, the Tibee Shrimp, is a cross-breed aquatic vertebrate. This magnificent shrimp species is a cross between the Taiwan Bee Shrimp and the Tiger Shrimp or the Tiger Shrimp and the Crystal Shrimp.
About the Tibee Shrimp
If this is your first time hearing (or reading) about the Tibee Shrimp, then read the points below to know all the amazing facts about this phenomenal fish species, from its appearance to lifespan, diet, and much more.
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Physical Appearance
A Tiger Shrimp bred with a Taiwan Bee Shrimp results in a more robust species of Taiwan Bee Shrimps than the purebred ones.
The resulting Tibee Shrimp species are blue and flanked with dark black stripes, inherited from its Tiger Shrimp parent.
While the baby Tibee Shrimp is easily misunderstood as a Tiger Shrimp due to the enormous margin of resemblance, they become more distinguished due to the dark blue color that appears as they grow.
However, a Tiger Shrimp bred with a Crystal Shrimp are pretty ‘fancy’ and have an opaque coloration of the Crystal Red or the Crystal Black Shrimp species, again, with black stripes like the Tiger Shrimp.
Both the Tiger & Taiwan Bee Shrimp and the Tiger & Crystal Shrimps have orange-colored eyes.
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Size
The male Tibee Shrimp differs from its female counterparts on various forums, like its size and shape.
The male Tibee generally ranges from 0.8 to 1 inch (or 2 to 2.5 cm) in length, while the female Tibee is considerably bigger, from 1 to 1.2 inches (2.5 to 3 cm).
The underbelly shape of a male Tibee also differs from that of the female’s, which is more curved than the former gender of tibee shrimps.
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Lifespan
Fish generally have a smaller life span than most animals kept as pets, which is the primary reason people hesitate to keep them.
However, those of you who will adopt and keep a Tibee Shrimp will have ample time to emotionally attach to it until it eventually dies after completing its 1 to 2 years lifespan.
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Diet
The tibee shrimps are scavengers and omnivores, just like most of the freshwater shrimps.
They willingly eat anything they manage to find, so if you keep your tibees in a well-established aquarium, they will get more than enough supply of food.
Their favorite diet, however, includes algae and biofilm.
Pros And Cons Of Tibee Shrimp
The tibee shrimp comes with its own set of pros and cons, just like any other pet animal.
Even though the cons of these shrimps are significantly lesser in number than other hairy animals, these can be enough for someone to turn their Yes into a No for keeping them in their fish tank.
In order to help you in deciding whether to keep a Tibee Shrimp as your pet or not, we have compiled a list of all the pros and cons a Tibee comes with:
Pros
- They are easy to keep.
- Tibee Shrimps require less maintenance than furry animals.
- They are less expensive to feed and care for.
- These shrimps make no mess.
- They transmit fewer infections due to minimal physical interaction with humans.
- They look aesthetic.
- They don’t require attention and thus, don’t develop anxiety disorders when left alone.
- They are clean pets that neither require grooming nor teeth brushing.
Cons
- Time-consuming and regular aquarium cleaning.
- Even though Tibee Shrimps are less expensive to maintain, their tank setup may be costly.
- The tibee shrimp neither hugs nor licks its owners when they come home.
- There is always a risk of damage through broken parts of the fish tank
- No mental connection, which can be enjoyed with other furry, legged pets.
- Despite their lifespan, some fish may die sooner due to the mixed genetics of different Shrimp species.
FAQs Related To The Tibee Shrimp
Now that you are likely to rank amongst the very few people who keep a Tibee Shrimp as a pet, you must have some questions regarding the animal.
And the worrisome part is that not much information is available on Google related to Tibee Shrimps, mainly because of their rare existence.
But fret not! Because when we promise a complete guide, we mean it! Get the answers to all your queries in the FAQs listed below:
Q: What are the tank requirements of Tibee Shrimps?
A: Any standard aquarium which offers the Tibee plenty of gliding space and a couple of hiding spots is the best habitat for a Tibee Shrimp. Make sure that the tank contains driftwood and other aquatic plants like Java Moss; these increase the surface area of the tank and give the Tibees quick munching, which helps them adjust to their new habitat.
Q: Are there any water parameters for keeping Tibee Shrimps?
A: Since the Tibee Shrimps are freshwater, marine animals, providing them with a tank that can hold from 5 to 10 gallons (40 liters) of water is recommended. The optimal temperature for these shrimps is from 19°C to 24°C.
Q: What can we feed our Tibee Shrimps?
A: While Tibee Shrimps almost always feast their ways through algae and other aquatic plants, it is okay to treat them with blanched zucchini, spinach, fenugreek leaves, lettuce, and cucumbers now and again. Besides that, fish supplements and commonly found store-bought shrimp foods are also a nutritious diet for Tibees.
Q: How often should we feed a Tibee Shrimp?
A: I always have one thing to say when it comes to feeding fish, and the same implies to tibee shrimps: ‘Overfeeding a fish is the guaranteed way to kill them!’ And for those new to the hobby of fish keeping, it is most easy to feed their fish over their requirements.
Feeding these shrimps once a day or once every two days should suffice, depending upon how mature your Tibees are.
Q: Are Tibee Shrimps high maintenance?
A: While the fish tank where you keep your Tibees is relatively high maintenance, the actual animal is not. They neither need to be taken out for walks nor do they require a litter box. Plus, they don’t make a mess out of the lounge and are tranquil creatures, ensuring that you don’t receive a single complaint from the neighbors.
Q: Do Tibee Shrimps cause health disorders?
A: The shortest answer is, No, they do not! The reason behind this is twofold; firstly, Tibee Shrimps are indoor pets. They neither go on walks nor ever leave their tank (the tank cleaning phase is an exception), so there is no possible way in which they can catch an infection. Secondly, Tibee Shrimps have little to no physical contact with human beings, so even if they do carry a parasitic infection, you will probably never encounter them.
Final Verdict
My verdict on whether you should keep a Tibee Shrimp or not is that if you have never owned a fish before, you might as well do a little more research on fish keeping before taking the plunge.
Also, I would recommend that you start off with a small fishbowl accommodating one pair at a time rather than an entire aquarium of exotic fish species.
The final call is yours, so think it through and make the right decision as to whether you should keep a Tibee Shrimp or not.
