{"product_id":"orange-based-boa","title":"Orange-Based Black Boa","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"sz-acc\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"sz-acc__title\"\u003eOrange-Based Black Boa Shrimp (Caridina) | Mid, High \u0026amp; Collector\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003clabel class=\"sz-acc__row\"\u003e\u003cinput type=\"radio\" name=\"sz-acc-orange-based-boa\" checked\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt a glance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/label\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"sz-acc__panel\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA black shrimp whose thick white Boa pattern carries an orange tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe orange is already clear on the pattern when they arrive — unusual for a young shrimp. The white thickens and the head coverage spreads as they mature, and a metallic blue tint can come through on the head over the same period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree price levels\u003c\/strong\u003e, set by how deep the orange is on the pattern and how far the white covers the head — both already visible when they arrive. The dearer ones simply have more of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaridina — wants soft, slightly acidic water and a tank that has been running a while. Not a first shrimp. Numbers in the FAQ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003clabel class=\"sz-acc__row\"\u003e\u003cinput type=\"radio\" name=\"sz-acc-orange-based-boa\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDescription\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/label\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"sz-acc__panel\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Orange-Based Black Boa is a Boa — the thick white hood over the head and the thick body stripe — on a black body, with the white carrying an orange tone instead of blue or green. “Orange based” is the hobby’s name for that tone on the white; the body itself is black and never changes. The orange form emerged as a mutation out of the Blue Boa line, and we line-breed our colony to hold it stable while keeping the heavy shell the Boa lineage is known for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the photo.\u003c\/strong\u003e The shrimp pictured is High or Collector grade — the target this line breeds toward, not what arrives in the bag. The orange tone is already visible on our juveniles, but shell density, head coverage and the blue tint on the head keep developing with each moult. Adults are available on request.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003clabel class=\"sz-acc__row\"\u003e\u003cinput type=\"radio\" name=\"sz-acc-orange-based-boa\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eColour \u0026amp; Care\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/label\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"sz-acc__panel\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive traits define a true Boa, and each keeps developing after arrival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe hood:\u003c\/strong\u003e White spreading over the head and carapace, down to the cheeks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe body stripe:\u003c\/strong\u003e A thick “fishbone” stripe running down the back and reaching close to the edge of the belly — either a clean, straight-cut “boa” look or a saw-edged “jagged” look. Both are correct; the fewer breaks in it, the better.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShell thickness:\u003c\/strong\u003e A thick shell looks shiny and solid. A thin one looks dull, with see-through patches.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour on the pattern:\u003c\/strong\u003e The black base stays black. The orange tone on the white is there at the size we ship and deepens with age. Because the line descends from the Blue Boa, the head can also carry a subtle metallic blue or teal over the orange — most on the better-patterned animals, and most after a female has carried eggs (been “berried”) for the second time, at roughly three to four months old.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpider legs:\u003c\/strong\u003e The body pattern carried onto the legs — black patches with white, and the white takes the same tone the body does, only subtler. Leg colour follows shell thickness, so the higher grades show it first.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pattern keeps expanding and shifting as the shrimp ages, so a Boa looks better with time. That is normal, not a fault.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003clabel class=\"sz-acc__row\"\u003e\u003cinput type=\"radio\" name=\"sz-acc-orange-based-boa\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrading\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/label\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"sz-acc__panel\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe grade by the traits that genuinely vary within a batch. On a Boa five things vary, and all five are readable at the size we ship, so this line sorts into three grades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHead coverage\u003c\/strong\u003e — how much of the head is white. Mid sits around 40–50%, High up to about 80%, Collector 95% or the full head.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBody pattern\u003c\/strong\u003e — thick, in the boa look or the jagged look. The higher the grade, the fewer breaks and flaws.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShell thickness\u003c\/strong\u003e — High and Collector are thick throughout; Mid can be a mix of thin and thick.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour\u003c\/strong\u003e — the higher grades carry a deeper orange on the pattern, and are the ones most likely to show the blue tint on the head.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLeg colour\u003c\/strong\u003e — grows in with age on every grade. High and Collector already show strong spider legs at the size we ship; Mid may show less and may never fill the legs completely.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMid\u003c\/strong\u003e is lighter orange with 40–50% head coverage and some flaws — a sound base that saturates as it grows. \u003cstrong\u003eHigh\u003c\/strong\u003e is a thicker, deeper-orange shell with coverage up to 80% and minimal flaws, and the grade most likely to develop the metallic blue over the head. \u003cstrong\u003eCollector\u003c\/strong\u003e is the top of the pull — a near-full head, the deepest orange and the fewest flaws, in limited numbers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrading is done by eye at shipping size, on what the shrimp shows then. Shrimp rarely move a grade as they grow, but water matters: poor water costs colour and shell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sz-acc__rule\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"sz-acc__note\"\u003eThe photo shows a high-grade or best-looking adult from the batch. We ship unsexed juveniles, 0.6–1.2 cm — too young to tell male from female. Shrimp arrive pale from the trip and colour back up within days. For detailed water parameters, tank setup guides, and our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee, see our FAQ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"SZA","offers":[{"title":"Entry","offer_id":52997550342456,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Mid","offer_id":52463458156856,"sku":"SZ-ORNGBOA-G3","price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High","offer_id":52674843607352,"sku":"SZ-ORNGBOA-G2","price":100.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Collector","offer_id":52773174346040,"sku":"SZ-ORNGBOA-G1","price":210.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0971\/3339\/6280\/files\/orangebasedboa.jpg?v=1780112010","url":"https:\/\/shrimpzone.com.au\/products\/orange-based-boa","provider":"Shrimp Zone ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}