🖤 OBSIDIAN BLACK ORANGE EYES – MORE INFORMATION PAGE

🧬 The Story Behind Obsidian Black Orange Eyes

A closer look at the history, genetics and husbandry behind one of our signature black breeding projects.

🌏 The Evolutionary Roots of Neocaridina

Neocaridina davidi originates from freshwater streams, ponds and slow-moving rivers throughout East Asia.

Over thousands of years, these shrimp adapted to moderately hard, mineral-rich waters and developed remarkable resilience to environmental fluctuations.

💡 This natural adaptability is one of the reasons Neocaridina thrive so well in established tap water aquariums.

🖤 What Makes Obsidian Different?

Obsidian Black Orange Eyes is not simply a standard black shrimp.

This line was developed through selective breeding with the goal of producing an exceptionally dark phenotype while eliminating unwanted brown and chocolate undertones.

The objective was to create a shrimp that resembles polished volcanic obsidian: deep black at first glance, yet surprisingly complex under closer inspection.

✨ The Hidden Iridescence

Although these shrimp appear pitch black under normal room lighting, stronger aquarium lighting often reveals subtle metallic undertones.

Depending on the individual, hints of blue, emerald and dark sapphire iridescence may become visible.

This effect gives the shrimp a living gemstone appearance that constantly changes depending on viewing angle and lighting intensity.

🟠 The Orange Eye Trait

Orange eyes are an uncommon recessive mutation that creates a beautiful contrast against the dark body colour.

The bright eyes serve as a striking focal point and have become highly sought after among selective breeders.

Maintaining both deep black pigmentation and strong orange eye expression requires ongoing selective breeding.

🧪 Our Breeding Philosophy

At Just Keep Shrimping, we selectively breed for four priorities:

✅ Deep black pigmentation

✅ Strong orange eye expression

✅ Robust health

✅ Long-term genetic stability

We prioritise healthy, sustainable lines over extreme appearance.

Any individuals that lose colour intensity, develop unwanted brown tones or show weaker expression are removed from the breeding programme.

🏡 Aquarium Recommendations

Obsidian Black Orange Eyes thrive in:

🌱 Mature planted aquariums

🪨 Dark substrates

💧 Stable tap water parameters

🦠 Established biological filtration

💡 Dark substrates help maximise colour expression and make the orange eyes truly stand out.

📊 Quick Summary

🧬 Scientific name: Neocaridina davidi

💧 Water type: Tap water compatible

🌡️ Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate

🇮🇪 Bred by: Just Keep Shrimping, Cork, Ireland

💎 Classification: Signature Line