Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp (Caridina sp.)

Introduce the Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp

The Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp is a Taiwan bee shrimp, a selectively bred Caridina, with a deep blue-black body broken by bright white patches, blue-washed legs banded with white, and a white-edged tail. Under good light the dark areas show a glossy blue sheen. It is a soft-water shrimp for a mature, stable aquarium, ideally one kept for shrimp alone, and it rewards keepers who prepare their water carefully.

Read on for what the trade names mean, what arrives when you order, and the full routine for water, tank, feeding, acclimatisation, health and breeding, with the sources for every figure.

Untangle the blue Taiwan bee names

Taiwan bee shrimp first reached European hobbyists as a group of new colour morphs. Chris Lukhaup, in Practical Fishkeeping in December 2009, named Panda, King Kong, Blue Bolt, Red Ruby and Golden, and traced them to a spontaneous mutation in the tanks of a Taiwanese breeder working with Red Bee shrimp. Lukhaup and Pekny’s Aquarium Invertebrates notes that in Asia the same shrimp are called Shadow Shrimp or Shadow Bees, includes Blue Bolt in the Shadow Bee grade list, and offers a second origin theory, a tiger x bee cross, which the authors consider viable. TFH Magazine describes the Taiwan strains as apparently all caused by the same mutation.

“King Kong” is the name for the dark-bodied Taiwan bee line, and blue-based King Kong forms are sold under several names, including this one. No source we checked publishes how blue King Kong lines were produced, and sellers do not use the names consistently, so the photographs on this page are the best description of what you are buying. The species question is also open: a 2014 study by Klotz and von Rintelen grouped all five ornamental bee samples with Caridina cantonensis, which Seriously Fish’s summary calls “the genuine ancestor of line-bred aquarium forms such as the ‘crystal red’, ‘King Kong’, or ‘blue bolt’”, while Practical Fishkeeping files bee shrimp under C. logemanni. We list it as Caridina sp.

Understand each purchase

Each purchase is one live Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp; set the quantity in the basket. Our photographs show the colour form, but each shrimp is different: the proportion of white to blue-black, the depth of the blue sheen and the pattern on the legs all vary, and a shrimp may look duller for a few days after travelling. OATA lists colour change among the signs to watch, so note whether it improves during the first week. No size grade is recorded for this line, so we do not promise a size at dispatch; OATA gives about 3 cm as the adult size of bee-type shrimp, and TFH Magazine notes females are a little larger and more robust. Our delivery and live arrival terms explain dispatch days and packing.

Start with a breeding group

OATA recommends at least five shrimp, and Neale Monks in Practical Fishkeeping suggests six to twelve adults to start a colony. Females have a deeper, more curved underside; TFH Magazine adds that the saddle of developing eggs behind the head shows in non-opaque varieties, and on a heavily patterned shrimp like this it can be hard to see. Ordering the whole group at once means one acclimatisation and a colony that settles together. If the tank will also hold small fish, check numbers with the stocking calculator.

Give it soft, acidic, steady water

TFH Magazine describes Taiwan bees as the rarest and most fragile of the bee shrimp, and water is where most of that care goes. Their ancestors live in very soft streams: Lukhaup recorded 16°C, pH 5.8, no detectable carbonate hardness and 12 µS at a bee shrimp site in South China and Hong Kong, and the 2014 study measured pH 6.0, 33 µS and 19.8°C in the Hong Kong streams of C. logemanni (Seriously Fish).

Read the source ranges side by side

The planning range is where the bee shrimp sources agree. OATA’s figures are a general guide for all common freshwater shrimp and snails together, so they reach harder and more alkaline water than a Taiwan bee should see. Practical Fishkeeping also cautions that TDS readings can mislead, which is why serious breeders steer by GH and KH.

Prepare RO water in five steps

1. Test your tap water for GH, KH and pH; the UK has both very soft and very hard supplies. The water matcher tool shows how far yours is from the targets.
2. If it is harder than the planning range, use reverse-osmosis water, as Practical Fishkeeping describes for Caridina. Neale Monks warns that hard tap water makes bee shrimp difficult.
3. Add a GH-raising shrimp remineraliser to GH 4–6; TFH Magazine notes pure RO water lacks calcium.
4. Leave KH near zero unless you deliberately add a little sodium bicarbonate (Practical Fishkeeping).
5. Store prepared water covered and bring it to tank temperature before use. The aquarium water chemistry guide explains each value.

Build a mature shrimp aquarium

OATA’s minimum for a small group of shrimp is 10 litres. Larger tanks are more stable (Practical Fishkeeping), and the Taiwanese breeding tanks Lukhaup visited were never smaller than 80 litres. For a Blue Diamond King Kong colony we suggest 20 litres or more, fully cycled before you order. Use the tank volume calculator to check the real water volume.

Follow the build sequence

Blue-black and white shrimp look their best against green moss and dark soil. Keep sight lines open so you can count the colony each evening.

Run gentle filtration and a fixed routine

A sponge filter run from an air pump is the easiest choice: Practical Fishkeeping’s author prefers it because it cannot suck in young shrimp and gives them a grazing surface. Cover the intake of any power filter. Lukhaup’s breeders used undergravel filters powered by an external filter, or air-driven sponge filters, and kept the water well aerated. Caridina do not need a heater at room temperature (Practical Fishkeeping), but rapid warming harms shrimplets (Lukhaup), so keep the tank away from sunny windows and radiators.

Tick off the weekly jobs

• Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness every week (OATA). Ammonia and nitrite must be zero, nitrate no more than 20 mg/l above your tap level.
• Change about 25% of the water at least once a week (OATA), with prepared water matched in GH, KH and temperature.
• Siphon leftover food and waste. Lukhaup warns that dirt building up in a thin substrate layer can kill young shrimp, and notes that breeders without undergravel filters vacuum twice a week.
• Top up evaporation with plain RO water, not remineralised water, because the minerals stay in the tank.
• Rinse sponges only in removed tank water so the filter bacteria survive.

Offer small, varied meals

Taiwan bees graze biofilm, algae and fine detritus between meals, so prepared food should be a top-up. OATA recommends feeding two or three times a week; Practical Fishkeeping’s author feeds every other day.

Size a single portion

1. Offer a pinch of Caridina nano sticks or a small piece of algae wafer.
2. Leave pellets or wafers for at least 30 minutes so every shrimp can reach them (OATA).
3. Remove anything left once the group stops feeding.
4. Vary the menu with blanched nettle, dandelion or spinach, or a little courgette or cucumber (Practical Fishkeeping); add powdered Spirulina once young appear.

Drip-acclimatise on arrival

Bee shrimp cope badly with sudden changes in hardness or pH, so take an hour over the move. Practical Fishkeeping describes the drip method: dim the lights, pour the shrimp and their water into a small container, and run airline from the tank with a clamp or flow controller at one to two drops a second for about an hour, until the volume has tripled or quadrupled. Net the shrimp into the tank and throw away the transport water. Lukhaup’s advice is the same in principle: add small amounts at long intervals. OATA’s floating-bag method (10 minutes floating, then tank water over at least 30 minutes) is the minimum. See our step-by-step acclimatisation guide.

Note the first-week milestones

Recognise stress and disease

A failed moult is a major cause of unexplained shrimp deaths, according to Practical Fishkeeping, and is linked to water of the wrong hardness or short of minerals and calcium. Practical Fishkeeping also lists the household dangers: insecticides on plants (buprofezin, imidacloprid, trichlorfon), cigarette smoke, scented candles and air fresheners, flea spray and some medications. OATA adds copper and gives the general warning signs: changes in swimming, colour, temperament, breathing, appearance, body condition or feeding.

Respond to each warning sign

Protect the blue line from crossing

All bee shrimp belong to one species, so TFH Magazine notes that crossing strains does not make a true hybrid, but it does degrade the selected look. Practical Fishkeeping adds that Caridina crosses do not revert to a wild type; they keep throwing new patterns, so a few stray shrimp can change a colony permanently.

Separate these shrimp

• Other Taiwan and crystal bees, including Crystal Red Bee Shrimp, Blue Bolts and King Kongs: they interbreed with this line.
• Tiger shrimp, including the black diamond tiger form: tiger x bee crosses give Tibee young (Practical Fishkeeping; TFH Magazine).
• Caridina breviata and C. hodgarti, which TFH Magazine lists as hybridisation risks for bees.
• Neocaridina such as the Blue Diamond Shrimp should not hybridise with bee shrimp (Neale Monks), but they need harder water.

Select peaceful companions

OATA advises against any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth and against predatory species. TFH Magazine suggests only very small fish, such as Otocinclus and least killifish, with bee shrimp, and a species-only tank for breeding. It also lists Amano shrimp and Paracaridina, such as our Princess Bee Shrimp, as compatible. Check any plan with our tank mates checker.

Check the companion table

Breed Blue Diamond King Kongs

Given steady water and no fish, a colony breeds on its own. Practical Fishkeeping says shrimp start breeding at around six months, can breed roughly monthly, and that a female about to moult releases pheromones that send the males searching. Eggs are carried under the tail for about three weeks (Practical Fishkeeping) or about a month (TFH Magazine), and the young hatch fully formed and graze biofilm at once.

Plan the breeding calendar

For more, read the Tropical Fish Co shrimp-keeping guide and our UK freshwater shrimp guide, or browse Caridina Taiwan bee and tiger shrimp, the freshwater shrimp category and all our shrimps and crustaceans.

Answer Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp buying questions

What is a Blue Diamond King Kong Shrimp?

A line-bred Taiwan bee shrimp (Caridina) with a deep blue-black body broken by white patches. King Kong is the trade name of the dark Taiwan bee line; “Blue Diamond” describes this blue-based form. It is not a separate species.

Is it the same as your Blue Diamond Shrimp?

No. Our Blue Diamond Shrimp is a Neocaridina davidi, a cherry-type shrimp that prefers harder water (Practical Fishkeeping gives Neocaridina pH 6.5–8 and GH 8–18). The Blue Diamond King Kong is a Caridina Taiwan bee for soft, acidic water. They should not be kept in the same water.

How does it differ from a Blue Bolt?

Both are blue Taiwan bees, but our Blue Bolt photographs show pale sky-blue and white marbling, while the Blue Diamond King Kong is a much darker blue-black with white patches. Care is the same.

Is it hard to keep?

It needs care with water. TFH Magazine describes Taiwan bees as the rarest and most fragile of the bee shrimp, and Practical Fishkeeping gives them 18–23°C, pH 6–6.8, GH 5 and KH 0–2. If you can make remineralised RO water and keep it steady, a colony is very achievable.

How many should I order?

Five or more, as OATA recommends for shrimp; Neale Monks suggests six to twelve adults to start a breeding colony, which makes it likely you get both sexes.

Will the young look like the parents?

Not all of them. Taiwan bee lines are kept by selective breeding, and TFH Magazine says the Taiwan look is recessive to the normal crystal appearance, so crosses with crystal bees give crystal-looking young. Keep the line on its own and keep the best-coloured shrimp together.

Can I keep them with fish?

Only very small, peaceful fish such as Otocinclus (TFH Magazine), and breeding is best in a shrimp-only tank. OATA advises against any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth.

Do they need a heater?

Not normally indoors: Practical Fishkeeping says Caridina do not need a heater at room temperature. Aim for about 20–23°C and avoid sudden warming, which Lukhaup says harms young shrimp.

Consult the care references

• Practical Fishkeeping: Freshwater shrimps, the next generation (Chris Lukhaup, 2009) — origin of the Taiwan bee morphs, wild habitat and breeding water values, and how Taiwanese breeders kept King Kong lines.
• Lukhaup and Pekny, Aquarium Invertebrates (Daehne): Taiwan Bee Shrimp or Shadow Shrimp — trade names, origin theories, breeding water values, temperature tolerance and the Shadow Bee grade list.
• TFH Magazine: The Latest Buzz: Freshwater Bee Shrimp (Amanda Wenger) — Taiwan bee strains, inheritance of the Taiwan look, water values, sexing, egg carrying, grading and tank mates.
• Practical Fishkeeping: An introduction to shrimp — Caridina and Neocaridina water values, RO and remineralising, soils, filtration, drip acclimatisation, feeding, moulting, disease and breeding.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Will my shrimp hybridise? (Neale Monks) — bee shrimp water hardness and pH, cherry x bee shrimp, starting colony size.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — UK trade body care sheet: water values, tank and group size, feeding, weekly maintenance, acclimatisation, copper and health signs.
• Seriously Fish: New shrimp from Hong Kong and southern China — summary of the 2014 study that described Caridina logemanni and C. mariae and traced line-bred bee shrimp to C. cantonensis.
• Klotz and von Rintelen (2014), Zootaxa 3889(2): 151–184 — peer-reviewed descriptions of Caridina logemanni, C. mariae and C. conghuensis from Guangdong and Hong Kong.
• Tropical Fish Co notes: dispatch, quantities and our 20-litre colony suggestion are our own shop guidance, not figures from the sources above.