The SZ Grading Standard
Many shrimp listings in the hobby carry a grade. Grading means sorting shrimp by how they look, mainly how much of their colour pattern they show and how cleanly. This page explains what our grade names mean, what they don't mean, and how to pick one.
Our four grades
Our ladder runs Collector · High · Mid · Entry, with Collector the highest.
- Collector — our highest selection.
- High — the next step down.
- Mid — the middle of the ladder.
- Entry — our most accessible grade.
The ladder is absolute. That means one grade word means one selection standard across our whole catalogue: a High shrimp meets the same bar whichever line it comes from. What we look at does differ from line to line, because the lines differ in what actually varies. Each product page's Grading panel gives the detail for that line.
Grade names are not standardised anywhere in this hobby, and one seller's top grade may not match another's. Ours describe our own stock only.
Grading is about looks, not health
A grade describes appearance only. It is not a health rating. An Entry shrimp is the same lineage and the same hardiness as a Collector one. It simply shows less of the pattern that is hard to breed for.
A grade does not predict how long a shrimp will live, how well it will moult (shed its old shell to grow), or how well it will breed. Your water and care decide those.
Not every line carries every grade
Not every line has every tier, and not all shrimp will have Collector grades. A product page only offers the grades that line actually carries.
Many of our listings offer no grade choice at all. That is deliberate. Splitting a colony into tiers means heavy culling, which is repeatedly pulling out every shrimp that doesn't meet a visual bar. That pushes the price up with no gain in health. Every shrimp in a single-grade listing meets one standard.
The photo versus what arrives
We ship unsexed juveniles at 0.6–1.2 cm. "Unsexed" means too young to tell male from female. At that size colour and pattern are still developing, so a grade describes where a shrimp is heading, not exactly how it looks the day it arrives.
Listing photos and videos show representative animals from that line and grade, not the specific shrimp bagged for you. No two shrimp carry exactly the same pattern. Every shrimp also arrives pale from the trip and colours back up within days.
Auction lots are the exception. They are marked WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get): the photos and video are the actual animals you will receive. See our Auction Terms.
None of this limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
How to choose a grade
- New to shrimp? Start at the accessible end: Entry where a line carries it, otherwise Mid. It is the same lineage and hardiness at a lower price while you settle your water and routine.
- Breeding for looks? Step up to High or Collector when you want the strongest traits in your parent stock.
- Keep your water steady. Poor water costs colour and shell, whatever the grade.
Browse all our shrimp, or start with Neocaridina, Crystal shrimp or Taiwan Bee. Questions about a particular line? The FAQ covers the common ones, or email support@shrimpzone.com.au.
