Blue Bolt Shrimp (Caridina sp. "Taiwan Bee")

Blue Bolt Shrimp (Caridina sp. "Taiwan Bee") is a selectively bred blue-and-white dwarf shrimp for mature, carefully managed soft-water aquariums. The colour may appear powder blue, ice blue, deeper sapphire or partly white depending on the individual, line, age, moult stage, lighting and background. It is a striking choice for an established shrimp keeper, but it is less forgiving of unstable water than common Neocaridina colour forms.

One quantity buys one unsexed shrimp. The supplier lists an approximate dispatch size of 1-1.3 cm. That is a young-stock handling grade, not an exact measurement or adult-size promise. No particular sex, colour grade, blue coverage, genetic purity or breeding outcome is guaranteed.

The four gallery pictures are representative illustrations, not photographs of the exact shrimp that will be sent. They show the intended blue-and-white trade form, but the anatomy, colour intensity, scale and scene are stylised. One image shows two shrimp; this does not change the retail unit of one live shrimp per quantity.

Scientific Name and Taiwan Bee Identity

The most defensible identity for this stock is Caridina sp. "Taiwan Bee". The abbreviation "sp." means the animal is assigned to the genus Caridina without claiming a verified species. "Blue Bolt" describes the selected colour form, while "Taiwan Bee" is the established aquarium-trade group.

Many aquarium references call Blue Bolts Caridina cantonensis or Caridina cf. cantonensis. The "cf." means "compare with" and signals uncertainty. Modern taxonomic work has separated visually similar bee shrimp into distinct species using detailed morphology and mitochondrial DNA. Domestic Taiwan Bee lines may also have complicated selection and crossing histories. A trade name, colour and supplier image are therefore not enough to certify one pure biological species.

Caridina cantonensis is a valid species in the family Atyidae, but that fact does not prove this shipment belongs to it. The supplier's current record says only Caridina sp. / bee Blue Bolt Taiwan and gives no voucher specimen, breeder, parent-line record or genetic result. This page keeps the familiar hobby context while avoiding a species-level claim that the evidence cannot support.

"Taiwan" is part of the supplied trade description. It is not proof that the individual was bred in Taiwan, shipped from Taiwan or collected from a Taiwanese habitat. No wild locality, farm, named breeder or captive-bred statement has been supplied for this batch.

Colour, Pattern and Grade

The classic appearance is a blue body with areas of translucent, pale or white coverage. Some animals look frosted; others show a deeper blue head or more even body colour. The effect changes under warm or cool lighting, over dark or pale substrate, and as the shrimp matures. Stress after transport may temporarily mute colour.

Shops and breeders use terms such as low grade, high grade, extreme or full blue, but there is no single statutory grading standard shared by every seller. This listing does not promise an "extreme" grade or one precise percentage of blue. Unless a future option explicitly names and defines a grade, expect a naturally variable Blue Bolt trade-form individual.

Sex is not selected. Mature females are often larger and deeper-bodied, with a broader abdomen for carrying eggs; males are commonly slimmer. At 1-1.3 cm, confident sexing may be difficult. Do not interpret body shape in the gallery as a guarantee of the animal supplied.

A commonly quoted adult length for these domestic lines is about 2.5-3 cm. Adult outcome depends on sex, genetics, food and conditions. The supplier figure is a dispatch size, so compare like with like when looking at other listings: a 1 cm juvenile and a 3 cm adult are not equivalent sale grades.

Exactly What Will I Receive?

If you want to establish a colony, select the required quantity rather than relying on the pair illustration. A starter group of six to ten is a practical way to improve the chance of receiving both sexes and to make the animals easier to observe, but it is not a claim that one shrimp cannot be kept safely. Tank maturity and stability matter more than buying a fixed number.

Is This Shrimp Right for My Aquarium?

This is a good choice when you already understand the nitrogen cycle, can measure GH and KH separately, and are prepared to make soft water consistently. It is not the best first livestock for a newly filled nano tank, an untested planted jar or a community aquarium chosen only because the current pH looks close.

Blue Bolt lines are often called "sensitive". In practice, the main challenge is repeatability. A properly matured aquarium with stable remineralised water can be straightforward to maintain. A tank that alternates between tap water, guessed mineral doses, large corrective changes and fluctuating temperature is risky even when each individual test result briefly falls inside a published range.

Before ordering, confirm the aquarium has been fully cycled and then allowed time to develop visible and invisible grazing life. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH, KH and temperature. If using a conductivity or TDS meter, calibrate it and understand that it measures dissolved ions collectively; it does not tell you which minerals are present.

Mature Tank Setup

A 30-litre or larger aquarium is a practical starting point because more water generally changes more slowly. Experienced keepers can maintain smaller systems, but small volume leaves less room for error in temperature, evaporation, feeding and mineral concentration. Choose a footprint with abundant surfaces rather than a tall display with little usable area.

Set up the aquarium before the shrimp is ordered. Add substrate, hardscape, plants and gentle filtration; complete the nitrogen cycle; then allow biofilm and microbial grazing to establish. A tank can show zero ammonia after cycling and still be too biologically bare for small shrimp. Mature wood, leaves, moss and plant surfaces help create a continuous foraging environment.

Use a lid where needed to reduce rapid evaporation and contamination, but maintain gas exchange. Keep the aquarium away from direct sun, radiators, aerosol sprays, paint fumes, nicotine, flea treatments and household cleaners. Shrimp are small, and a trace exposure can affect the entire system.

Substrate

An active shrimp substrate is commonly used because it can reduce carbonate hardness and buffer the aquarium towards a mildly acidic pH. Its effect is not permanent. Capacity, starting water and maintenance all influence how long it works, so test the water rather than assuming the bag's marketing claim remains true.

Do not combine an acid-buffering substrate with uncontrolled alkaline rocks or coral-based media. The opposing materials can make chemistry difficult to predict and may exhaust the substrate faster. If you are unsure whether a stone changes hardness, test it separately over time rather than learning after livestock arrives.

Wood, Leaves and Plants

Branching wood, mosses, epiphytes, leaf litter and fine-leaved plants increase grazing area and refuge. Botanicals may also release tannins and other organic compounds, but they are not a precise pH-control tool. Add them gradually, observe oxygen and remove material that rots heavily.

Source plants from an invertebrate-aware supplier or quarantine them. Pesticides and snail treatments used in plant production can be dangerous to shrimp. Rinsing helps with loose residues but may not remove systemic chemicals, so time and source information matter.

Hides and Shrimplet Refuge

Provide tight spaces among moss, wood, porous stone and leaf litter. Adults use cover after moulting, and newly hatched young need fine refuge where fish cannot reach them. Spread shelter throughout the aquarium so one dominant feeding area does not become the only safe place.

Blue Bolt Shrimp Water Parameters

These are conservative specialist-hobby targets, not a claim that every domestic line fails one step beyond them. The most useful pre-arrival information is the water in which the current stock is held. Ask for supplier pH, GH, KH, temperature and, if available, conductivity or TDS; then plan acclimation around the real difference.

Do not use pH-down products to force hard tap water into the range. Acids can lower a reading temporarily while carbonate remains, producing rebounds and unstable chemistry. Build the water correctly from a low-mineral source, then let substrate and biological processes operate within a tested routine.

RO Water and Remineralisation

Many keepers use reverse-osmosis or deionised water because it provides a predictable low-mineral starting point. Pure RO water is not a finished aquarium water for these shrimp. It must be remineralised with a product intended for soft-water bee shrimp, usually one that raises GH with little or no KH.

Measure each batch in a clean food-safe container. Add mineral by weight or a repeatable level measure, mix completely, allow temperature to equalise, then test GH and conductivity or TDS. Keep notes. A recipe that reliably makes GH 5 is safer than adding powder directly to the aquarium until a meter shows a familiar number.

Mineral products contain different ion mixtures, so two batches with the same TDS can have different GH. Natural drift, fertiliser, food and evaporation also raise dissolved solids. Use GH and KH tests to understand hardness; use TDS as a quick alert that a familiar recipe or tank has changed.

Evaporation Top-Off

When water evaporates, most dissolved minerals remain behind. Replace evaporation with plain RO water, not a fully remineralised water-change batch, unless testing proves a different need. Repeatedly topping up with mineralised water causes concentration to creep upward even though the aquarium still looks full.

Water Changes

Make modest, regular changes with new water closely matched for temperature, GH, KH and conductivity. Ten to twenty percent is a practical starting range, but the correct schedule depends on feeding, stocking, nitrate and the stability of the aquarium. A neglected tank should not be corrected with one abrupt chemistry swing unless an immediate toxin emergency makes that the safer option.

Add replacement water slowly. Check that the heater, filter and animals remain safe as the level changes. Do not vacuum every surface at once; preserving some established biofilm and microbial habitat is valuable, especially when young are present.

Filtration, Cycling and Oxygen

An air-driven sponge filter is a strong choice because it provides gentle flow, biological area and a grazeable surface while protecting adults and young from an open intake. A small canister or internal filter can also work when every intake is covered with fine sponge and the outlet does not blast the animals around the tank.

Cycle the aquarium with a measured ammonia source or another controlled method before livestock is added. Do not use a shrimp to test whether the cycle works. After ammonia and nitrite process to zero, continue feeding the microbial system lightly while the aquarium matures.

Warm water holds less oxygen. Dense plants consume oxygen at night, and decaying food or leaves increase biological demand. Maintain gentle surface movement without creating a turbulent washing machine. If animals gather unusually near the surface or filter flow changes, test the water and inspect the equipment rather than assuming the behaviour is normal.

Rinse sponge or biological media in removed aquarium water when flow drops. Do not sterilise all media, replace every sponge or deep-clean the substrate on the same day. Stagger maintenance so the system retains functioning microbial communities.

Temperature and Seasonal Stability

A steady 20-24°C suits the practical soft-water target used here. Many homes need no heater for much of the year, but a thermostat-controlled heater may prevent cold swings in winter. Choose equipment designed for the water volume and verify it with a separate thermometer.

Heat is often the larger seasonal risk. At 25°C and above, metabolism, feeding demand and microbial activity rise while dissolved oxygen falls. A short warm afternoon is different from a week-long heatwave. Use room ventilation, shade, an aquarium fan and increased aeration where needed; lower temperature gradually and avoid adding ice directly.

Place the thermometer where it reflects the animals' water, not against the heater. Record morning and evening values during the first hot and cold periods. Stability is a husbandry result, not an assumption based on room thermostat settings.

What Do Taiwan Bee Shrimp Eat?

Caridina use specialised setose appendages to collect fine material. In a mature aquarium, they spend much of the day picking at biofilm, microorganisms, algae, decaying leaf surfaces and trapped particles. Prepared food supplements this grazing environment; it should not replace it with a large daily pellet.

Offer a varied shrimp food in tiny amounts. Useful rotations can include a complete dwarf-shrimp pellet, algae-based food, leaf-based food, a small amount of protein-rich food and safe blanched vegetables. Remove soft leftovers before they spoil. Avoid salted, seasoned or oily human food.

How Often Should I Feed?

Start with a tiny prepared portion every other day for a small new group and adjust from observation. A large mature colony or a bare young tank may need a different schedule. The useful question is not "daily or weekly?" but whether food disappears without leaving residue, planaria-friendly excess or rising nitrate.

Use a feeding dish if it helps you remove leftovers. When shrimp ignore food, check whether they are already grazing, recently disturbed or approaching a moult before adding more. Persistent refusal combined with lethargy or deaths requires water testing, not a more attractive treat.

Do They Clean the Aquarium?

They graze continuously and can consume soft algae and fine organic material, but they are not a replacement for maintenance. They do not remove nitrate, correct overfeeding or reliably eat every nuisance algae. Buy them for their own care and behaviour, not as disposable cleaning equipment.

Acclimating New Shrimp

Prepare the receiving aquarium and equipment before the parcel arrives. Dim the lights, check temperature and have a clean container, airline and control valve ready if gradual acclimation is appropriate. Read the current delivery instructions and Live Arrival Guarantee terms in advance so the arrival record is not lost while you improvise.

Inspect the sealed bag first and follow the supplied arrival instructions. Do not add shop transport water to the aquarium. If the journey has been long, opening the bag changes gas exchange and can alter the toxicity of accumulated waste; avoid leaving livestock sitting in an opened bag for hours.

Compare bag and aquarium temperature, pH, GH, KH and conductivity where practical. A gradual drip method can reduce osmotic shock when the difference is meaningful, but it is not a ritual with one universal duration. Use clean airline to add aquarium water steadily, monitor the container and prevent chilling.

Transfer the shrimp with a fine net or shrimp-safe cup, leaving transport water behind. Release near cover, keep lighting low and do not feed heavily on the first evening. Hiding is normal. Judge settling over several days while watching posture, grazing and moulting rather than expecting immediate display colour.

A Stable Weekly Routine

A notebook or simple spreadsheet is more valuable than chasing a perfect number from memory. Record water-change recipe, GH, KH, conductivity, temperature, feeding and any moult or loss. Patterns can reveal mineral creep, exhausted substrate or overfeeding before the colony declines.

Do not deep-clean because the glass looks untidy. Clean the viewing pane if desired, but retain mature grazing surfaces elsewhere. Trim plants and remove decomposing material in stages. Sudden cleanliness can remove food and destabilise a small ecosystem.

Moulting and Mineral Balance

Shrimp grow by shedding the old exoskeleton. Before a moult, an individual may hide or reduce feeding; afterwards it can look pale and remain sheltered while the new shell hardens. Leave a clean shed exoskeleton in the aquarium initially because shrimp often graze it.

Failed moults are not solved by one magic additive. They can relate to rapid osmotic change, inappropriate GH or KH, poor nutrition, heat, toxins, age or underlying illness. Test the actual water and review recent changes before adding minerals. Raising GH abruptly can create the same instability you were trying to correct.

Copper is an essential trace element in crustacean biology, but elevated dissolved copper and copper-based medications can be toxic. The useful rule is not "zero copper exists"; it is to avoid unmeasured copper treatments, unsafe plant products and metal contamination. Use only medication explicitly suitable for the shrimp and snails present.

Tank Mates and Predation Risk

A species-focused shrimp aquarium gives adults and young the best chance. Almost any fish capable of fitting a shrimplet in its mouth may eat one, and even small peaceful fish can keep shrimp hidden. Adult survival does not prove that a breeding colony is safe.

Small snails are generally lower-risk companions when their water needs match. Otocinclus are often described as shrimp-safe grazers, but adding fish changes feeding, oxygen, waste and disease management. Quarantine and the actual aquarium size still matter.

Neocaridina davidi colour forms are not expected to hybridise with Taiwan Bee Caridina. The practical problem is different water preference: many Neocaridina lines are maintained in more mineralised, less acidic conditions. Forcing both into a compromise can suit neither line well.

Mixing Colour Lines

Blue Bolt, King Kong, Red Wine and Red Bolt are trade colour identities within the wider Taiwan Bee hobby. Keeping different forms together can produce interesting offspring, but the result is not guaranteed to repeat either parent. If maintaining a recognisable Blue Bolt colony matters, keep the line separate and record introductions.

A colour name is not a complete pedigree. Two shrimp sold under the same name may come from different selection histories. Avoid definitive claims that one pairing will always produce a fixed ratio of Blue Bolt, Panda or King Kong young unless the actual breeder has documented that line over generations.

Do not cull unwanted live shrimp by releasing them outdoors or flushing them. Rehome responsibly, maintain a separate mixed-grade aquarium or ask a specialist retailer for advice. Aquarium animals, plants and water must never be released into ponds, streams or drains.

Breeding Blue Bolt Taiwan Bee Shrimp

A mature female carries eggs beneath the abdomen, ventilating them with the swimmerets until they hatch. Bee-type freshwater Caridina have direct development: the young emerge as miniature benthic shrimp rather than requiring a marine larval stage. Incubation varies with temperature and line, so a fixed day count should be treated as an estimate.

Breeding success begins before eggs appear. Keep the aquarium stable, feed a varied but restrained diet, protect the filter intake and allow biofilm to develop on many fine surfaces. Avoid major rescapes and chemistry changes around berried females. A dense moss area and mature leaf litter give tiny young places to graze.

Newly hatched shrimp need food at their scale. Mature surfaces distribute microscopic grazing better than one large pellet. Powdered food can help in a sparse aquarium, but overdosing fine food can pollute water quickly. Use a very small amount and observe whether the colony is actually consuming it.

Colour and pattern may vary among offspring. Selective breeding requires patience, separate grow-out space and honest records. This listing supplies an unsexed individual, not a proven breeding pair, and no pregnancy, fertility or colour result is promised.

Health Checks and Troubleshooting

A settled shrimp should support itself normally, move its appendages, graze and respond to nearby activity. It may remain hidden after arrival or around a moult. Colour alone is a poor health test because transport, lighting, substrate and shell stage alter its appearance.

Warning signs include repeated uncontrolled swimming, lying on the side, inability to grip, sudden mass hiding combined with poor oxygen, failed moults, unexplained rapid losses, visible parasites or unusual white muscular opacity. Start with temperature, ammonia, nitrite, GH, KH, pH and recent maintenance history. Check for sprays, plant treatments, medication and heater or filter failure.

Do not dose the display aquarium blindly. Identify the likely problem and confirm that any treatment is safe for dwarf shrimp, snails, plants and biological filtration. A simple quarantine container can be useful, but it needs matched water, stable temperature, oxygen and shelter; a bare cup is not long-term care.

Planaria, hydra and other small organisms may become visible in heavily fed shrimp tanks. Their presence can signal excess food, but identification matters because not every harmless worm is planaria. Reduce the cause and use species-appropriate control rather than adding a chemical on the strength of one blurry photograph.

Preparing for UK Delivery

Have the aquarium cycled, matured and tested before dispatch. Confirm the filter intake is protected, temperature is stable and the new water recipe is ready. Do not place an order and plan to cycle the tank while the shrimp is in transit.

Review the current specialist live-animal delivery process, Live Arrival Guarantee and ordering FAQ. Delivery timing depends on the weekly livestock schedule, postcode, courier coverage and safe conditions. This listing does not promise an immediate or fixed delivery day.

Be available for the parcel and keep the arrival packaging until the animals have been checked under the published terms. Follow the required arrival-record process before opening where applicable. If anything is wrong, contact the team on the day of delivery with the requested evidence.

Compare Other Freshwater Shrimp

Browse the freshwater shrimp collection to compare current stock. The related listings below share some visual or hobby context, but they are not automatic tank mates. Read each product's current identity, water requirements, sale unit and image limits before combining animals.

Blue Bolt Shrimp FAQ

Does one quantity mean one shrimp or a pair?

One quantity buys one live, unsexed shrimp. The gallery image showing two animals is illustrative and does not mean the listing includes a pair.

What size will the shrimp be when dispatched?

The supplier lists an approximate dispatch size of 1-1.3 cm. Individual measurements vary, and this is not the adult size; mature Taiwan Bee lines are commonly around 2.5-3 cm.

Is the scientific name definitely Caridina cantonensis?

No specimen-level evidence has been supplied for that certainty. The defensible identity is Caridina sp. "Taiwan Bee". C. cantonensis and C. cf. cantonensis remain common hobby labels.

Was this shrimp bred in Taiwan?

The supplier uses "Taiwan" in the trade description but does not state the breeder, farm or shipment origin. The listing therefore does not claim that the individual was bred or shipped from Taiwan.

Will it be the same blue as the pictures?

No exact colour or pattern is promised. The gallery is representative; real blue coverage varies with genetics, grade, age, sex, lighting, background, stress and moult stage.

Are Blue Bolts suitable for beginners?

They are better for a prepared shrimp keeper who can make and test stable soft water. A complete beginner may find a well-sourced Neocaridina line more tolerant while learning cycling and routine maintenance.

What tank size is recommended?

Thirty litres or larger is a practical starting point because it gives more chemical and thermal stability. Smaller tanks can work for experienced keepers but magnify evaporation, feeding and temperature errors.

What pH, GH and KH should I use?

A conservative working guide is pH 5.6-6.8, GH 4-6 dGH and KH 0-1 dKH. Ask for the current stock water and avoid rapid changes merely to hit one published decimal.

Do I need RO water?

RO water is the most predictable option in hard-water areas. It must be remineralised before use. Soft suitable tap water can sometimes work, but test it fully and account for seasonal supplier changes.

What TDS should I target?

Specialist guides often use roughly 100-180 ppm, but meters and mineral recipes differ. Treat TDS as a consistency check, not a replacement for GH and KH tests or a reason to add unknown mineral powder.

What should I feed?

Make mature biofilm the foundation, then offer tiny varied portions of a complete shrimp food, algae or plant-based food and occasional protein. Remove leftovers before they spoil.

Can Blue Bolts live with fish?

Adults may coexist with some very small peaceful fish, but shrimplets are prey and adults can remain hidden. A species-focused shrimp tank is best for breeding and line observation.

Can they live with Neocaridina?

They are not expected to hybridise, but their preferred water recipes often differ. Keeping each in a suitable separate aquarium is safer than forcing both into a compromise.

Can I mix Blue Bolt, King Kong and Red Wine shrimp?

Their soft-water needs may align and related Taiwan Bee lines can interbreed, but offspring colour will be less predictable. Keep them separate when preserving a recognisable Blue Bolt line is the goal.

How long do they live?

Specialist sources commonly give about one to two years for related domestic lines. Lifespan varies with age at purchase, sex, genetics, temperature and care, so it is not guaranteed for one animal.

How do I improve breeding success?

Prioritise mature biofilm, stable remineralised water, protected filtration, dense fine cover and restrained feeding. Buy enough unsexed animals for a reasonable chance of both sexes, but no breeding result is guaranteed.

Research and Care Sources

This listing separates formal taxonomy, government research and specialist husbandry. A finding about a wild species or another domestic bee-shrimp line is not automatically treated as proof about the individual supplied.

• Klotz and von Rintelen (2014), ornamental bee-shrimp taxonomy - primary morphology and mtDNA evidence for distinct similar-looking Caridina species.
• GBIF: Caridina cantonensis Yü, 1938 - accepted taxonomic context, not proof that this shipment is that species.
• Taiwan Fisheries Agency ornamental shrimp breeding research - selection and hybridisation context in domestic Caridina and Neocaridina.
• Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute crystal-shrimp husbandry report - related bee-line temperature, feeding and lifespan observations.
• Fryer, feeding mechanisms in the genus Caridina - genus-level fine-particle collection and grazing morphology.
• Shrimp Science Blue Bolt care guide - specialist practical ranges, diet, grading and breeding context.
• The Shrimp Farm Blue Bolt care sheet - specialist long-form husbandry and the cautious Caridina cf. cantonensis label.
• Horizon Aquatics Blue Bolt profile - current UK specialist guidance for remineralised RO water and matched water changes.

Last reviewed: 14 July 2026. Trade identities, stock water and practical husbandry knowledge can change. When the current supplier water differs from a generic guide, prioritise a safe transition, stable tested conditions and direct welfare observation.