Full Red King Kong Shrimp (Caridina sp.)

Meet the Full Red King Kong Shrimp

The Full Red King Kong Shrimp is a solid red Taiwan bee shrimp: a line-bred Caridina whose head, body and tail carry one even red, with no white bands across the back. If you have kept Crystal Red Bee Shrimp and want a colony that reads as a single block of colour against green moss, this is the form to look at. It is a soft-water animal. It needs a mature, fully cycled aquarium with acidic water that stays the same from week to week, and it does best in a tank kept for shrimp alone.

This page explains what the name means, how the full red King Kong shrimp differs from the other red shrimp we sell, and exactly how to set up, feed, acclimatise and breed a colony. Every number comes from the published sources listed at the bottom, and where those sources disagree we show you both figures.

Read the trade name correctly

“King Kong” is one of the names Taiwanese breeders gave to a new group of bee shrimp colour morphs, alongside Panda, Blue Bolt, Red Ruby and Golden. Chris Lukhaup described them as new in Practical Fishkeeping in December 2009. In Europe these morphs are sold as Taiwan Bee Shrimp; in Asia they are usually called Shadow Shrimp or Shadow Bees (Lukhaup and Pekny, Aquarium Invertebrates). The same book lists “Full Black or Red Shadow” as one of the recognised Shadow Bee grades, and that is what the word “Full” signals here: red over the whole body rather than red broken by white. Shops use several overlapping names for solid red Taiwan bees, so treat the photographs, not the label, as the description.

Scientifically, bee shrimp are a naming knot. They have long been sold as Caridina cantonensis or C. cf. cantonensis. In 2014 Werner Klotz and Thomas von Rintelen described Caridina logemanni from hill streams in Hong Kong’s New Territories, a species that closely resembles the original aquarium bee shrimp. Yet in the same study all five samples from ornamental bee shrimp strains grouped with C. cantonensis, which Seriously Fish’s account of the paper calls “the genuine ancestor of line-bred aquarium forms such as the ‘crystal red’, ‘King Kong’, or ‘blue bolt’”. Practical Fishkeeping’s introduction to shrimp, by contrast, files bee shrimp under C. logemanni. Because the origin of the Taiwan line itself is also disputed (below), we list this shrimp as Caridina sp.

Where did the Taiwan bees come from? Lukhaup’s 2009 account is that they arose from a spontaneous mutation in the tanks of a Taiwanese breeder who concentrated on the variable Red Bee, and TFH Magazine likewise describes the Taiwan strains as apparently all caused by the same mutation. Lukhaup and Pekny’s book adds a second theory, that Shadow Shrimp come from a cross between tiger and bee shrimp, and the authors call it viable because German breeders have had good results crossing the two on purpose. For a buyer the practical point is the same either way: this is a man-made colour line kept going by selective breeding, not a wild species, so it should never be released outdoors.

Check what one purchase brings

Each purchase is one live Full Red King Kong Shrimp; choose the quantity you need in the basket. The pictures on this page show the colour form you are buying, but these are living, line-bred animals: the depth of red, the gloss of the shell and the amount of colour on the legs vary from shrimp to shrimp. A newly moved shrimp may also look paler while it settles. OATA lists colour change among the signs to watch, so note whether colour returns over the first week.

No size grade is recorded for this line, so we do not promise a particular size at dispatch. As a guide to the adult, OATA gives about 3 cm for bee-type shrimp, and TFH Magazine notes that females are slightly larger and more robust than males. Delivery days, packing and our live-arrival terms are on the delivery and live arrival page.

Plan the starting group before you order

OATA advises keeping shrimp in groups of at least five. Neale Monks, answering a reader in Practical Fishkeeping, suggests starting a colony with six to twelve adults and letting it grow to the tank’s natural limit. Sexing a full red shrimp is harder than sexing a crystal red: TFH Magazine points out that the saddle-shaped ovary behind the head is visible in non-opaque varieties, and a solid red shell hides it. Females have a deeper, more curved underside. Buying a group is therefore the simplest way to be sure of both sexes. Our stocking calculator helps if the shrimp will share the tank with small fish.

Decide whether your water suits a bee shrimp

Water chemistry decides success with any Taiwan bee. These shrimp come from soft-water ancestors. Lukhaup measured a South China and Hong Kong bee shrimp stream at 16°C, pH 5.8, no detectable carbonate hardness and a conductivity of only 12 µS, and the Hong Kong streams where C. logemanni lives read pH 6.0, 33 µS and 19.8°C (Seriously Fish). Breeders do not copy those extremes, but they do keep the water soft, slightly acidic and above all steady.

Compare the published water values

Turn your tap water into bee shrimp water

UK tap water ranges from soft to very hard depending on where you live, so test before you buy rather than guessing. Compare your results with the table using our water matcher tool, and read the guide to aquarium water chemistry if GH and KH are new to you.

1. Test your tap water for GH, KH and pH, after a dechlorinator, on two different days.
2. If GH is above about 6 or KH above 2, plan to use reverse-osmosis (RO) water. Practical Fishkeeping notes that Caridina are typically kept in pure RO water remineralised with a GH-raising shrimp product.
3. Remineralise the RO water to GH 4–6. TFH Magazine warns that pure RO water lacks calcium, which shrimp need for their shells.
4. Leave KH at or near zero; Practical Fishkeeping mentions a little sodium bicarbonate only if you choose to raise it.
5. Make every batch of change water the same way, at the same temperature as the tank, and store it covered.

Size the tank and build a shrimp substrate

OATA’s minimum for a group of small shrimp is 10 litres, but a bee colony is easier to keep stable in more water. Practical Fishkeeping notes that larger tanks are more stable, and none of the Taiwanese breeding tanks Lukhaup visited held less than 80 litres. For a first Full Red King Kong colony we suggest 20 litres or more, set up and cycled well before the shrimp arrive. Our tank volume calculator gives the true water volume from your tank’s measurements.

Set the tank up in five steps

1. Substrate. Practical Fishkeeping recommends an active shrimp soil, which holds pH steady. Some soils release ammonia for a couple of weeks, so the tank must be fully cycled before shrimp go in. Lukhaup’s Taiwanese breeders used fired clay granules without fertiliser instead.
2. Hardscape. Avoid limestone and any rock that raises hardness. Drip vinegar or dilute acid on a rock: if it fizzes, it contains lime.
3. Plants. Breeding tanks are sparsely planted, mostly with mosses or easy plants such as Vallisneria. Buy plants from pesticide-free sources or tissue culture; Practical Fishkeeping names buprofezin, imidacloprid and trichlorfon as insecticides that kill shrimp.
4. Grazing surfaces. Add wood that grows biofilm (aufwuchs), as Lukhaup’s breeders did, so the shrimp have something to pick at all day.
5. Shelter. Shrimp hide while their new shell hardens after a moult, so include moss, leaves or small caves.

A solid red shrimp shows best against green moss and dark soil, where the colour does not have to compete with pale gravel. Keep the layout open enough that you can count the colony and spot a problem early.

Filter gently and keep the water steady

Air-driven sponge filters are the shrimp keeper’s standard. The author of Practical Fishkeeping’s introduction prefers them because they move water without pulling in young shrimp and give shrimplets a surface to graze. If you use a power filter, cover the intake with a sponge or stocking. Lukhaup’s breeders ran undergravel filters driven by an external filter, or air-driven sponge filters, and stressed that a well-aerated tank matters.

Temperature changes deserve the same care as chemistry. Lukhaup warns that rapid warming harms shrimplets, while a slow fall is less of a problem. Practical Fishkeeping adds that some breeders even let tanks drop below 16°C in winter as a rest period, so a cool room is less risky than a hot windowsill.

Run the same weekly routine every time

Feed small, measured meals

Bee shrimp graze biofilm, algae and fine detritus all day, so prepared food is a supplement, not the whole diet. OATA advises feeding two or three times a week; the author of Practical Fishkeeping’s introduction feeds every other day because the shrimp graze between meals. Overfeeding quickly fouls a small shrimp tank.

Build one feed the colony can finish

• Offer a pinch of Caridina nano sticks or a piece of a green algae wafer sized so the group clears it.
• OATA advises leaving pellets or wafers in the tank for at least 30 minutes so every shrimp gets a share; remove what is left before it starts to foul the water.
• For variety, Practical Fishkeeping suggests blanched stinging nettle, dandelion and spinach, or courgette and cucumber.
• When young appear, a little powdered Spirulina gives them extra food alongside biofilm.

Acclimatise slowly with a drip

Bee shrimp dislike sudden changes more than almost anything else, so take your time on arrival. Lukhaup’s advice is to adapt shrimp slowly, adding small amounts of water at long intervals. Practical Fishkeeping’s drip method puts that into steps: dim the lights, move the shrimp and their bag water into a small clean container, and start a slow siphon from the tank through airline with a clamp or flow controller at one to two drops per second. Let it run for about an hour, until the water volume has tripled or quadrupled, then net the shrimp across and discard the container water. OATA’s simpler floating-bag method (float for 10 minutes, then add tank water over at least 30 minutes) is a minimum, not the ideal, for soft-water shrimp. Our acclimatisation guide shows the set-up.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Read moults and health signs

Moulting is the most demanding moment in a shrimp’s life. Practical Fishkeeping calls a failed moult a major cause of unexplained deaths, and links it to water of the wrong hardness or with too little mineral and calcium content. A soft new shell takes time to harden, which is why shelter matters. OATA’s general signs of ill health apply to shrimp too: changes in movement, colour, behaviour, breathing, appearance or appetite.

Pair each sign with a first action

Keep the full red line pure

Caridina shrimp cross readily, and Practical Fishkeeping notes that Caridina crosses do not revert to a wild look the way mixed Neocaridina do; instead they produce new patterns. That is a problem if you paid for solid red. TFH Magazine explains that crossing bee strains does not make a true hybrid, because all bee shrimp are one species, but it can spoil the appearance.

Plan which shrimp share the tank

• Other bee and Taiwan bee forms such as King Kong Taiwan Bee Shrimp or Crystal Reds will interbreed with it. Keep them apart unless you want mixed young.
• Tiger shrimp cross with bee shrimp to give “Tibee” young (Practical Fishkeeping, TFH Magazine), so keep tigers in another tank.
• Caridina breviata and C. hodgarti are named by TFH Magazine as shrimp to avoid with bees because of hybridisation.
• Cherry shrimp should not hybridise with bee shrimp (Neale Monks), but they prefer harder water, so a shared tank suits neither fully.
• Amano Shrimp and Paracaridina such as the Princess Bee Shrimp are listed by TFH Magazine as compatible.

Choose tank mates that leave shrimp alone

OATA’s rule is simple: avoid any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth, and any predatory species. TFH Magazine goes further for bee shrimp and suggests only very small fish such as Otocinclus and least killifish, and a species-only tank if you want to breed. Young shrimp are tiny, so even a peaceful fish will reduce the number that survive. Run any planned mix through our tank mates checker.

Screen companions with this table

Breed Full Red King Kongs in a mature tank

A settled colony in steady water breeds without help. Practical Fishkeeping says shrimp start breeding at around six months old, females release pheromones before moulting that set the males searching, and the eggs are carried under the tail. Sources differ on how long: Practical Fishkeeping says the eggs hatch in about three weeks, TFH Magazine says females carry them for about a month. The young hatch fully formed, with no larval stage needing special food, as long as there is biofilm to graze.

Know how the colour is inherited

For more on dwarf shrimp in general, read our shrimp-keeping guide and the freshwater shrimp buying guide, or browse every Caridina shrimp in the freshwater shrimp category and our wider range of shrimps and crustaceans.

Answer Full Red King Kong Shrimp buying questions

Is the Full Red King Kong Shrimp a separate species?

No. It is a line-bred colour form of the Taiwan bee shrimp, a Caridina. Chris Lukhaup traced the Taiwan bee morphs, King Kong among them, to a spontaneous mutation in a Taiwanese Red Bee breeder’s tanks, and a 2014 study grouped ornamental bee strains with Caridina cantonensis. We list it as Caridina sp.

What does “Full Red” mean?

It describes the grade: red over the head, body and tail instead of red broken by white bands or patches. Lukhaup and Pekny’s grade list for Shadow (Taiwan) bees includes a “Full Black or Red Shadow” grade. There is no single published grading standard, so judge by the photographs.

Is it the same as a Red Ruby or Red Wine Taiwan Bee?

They are close relatives sold under different trade names, and all three are solid or nearly solid red Taiwan bees. Shops apply the names inconsistently. Compare the photographs on our Red Ruby and Red Wine Taiwan Bee pages with this one and pick the look you want; their care is the same.

Can I keep Full Red King Kong Shrimp in tap water?

Only if your tap water is already soft. Practical Fishkeeping gives bee and tiger shrimp GH 5, KH 0–2 and pH 6–6.8, and Neale Monks warns that hard tap water makes bee shrimp difficult. Most keepers use reverse-osmosis water remineralised for shrimp.

How many should I buy?

At least five, the minimum group OATA recommends for shrimp. Neale Monks suggests starting a colony with six to twelve adults. Sexing a solid red shrimp is hard, so a larger group is the easiest way to get males and females.

Do they need a heater?

Usually not in a heated home. Practical Fishkeeping says Caridina do not need a heater at room temperature. Keep the tank within about 20–23°C and avoid sudden warming, which Lukhaup warns is harmful to young shrimp.

Will they breed with my Crystal Red Bee Shrimp?

Yes. Bee shrimp forms interbreed freely. TFH Magazine describes the Taiwan look as recessive to the normal crystal appearance, so a cross usually gives young that look like ordinary crystal-type bees. Keep the line in its own tank if you want full red young.

What do they eat?

Biofilm, algae and fine detritus, plus a small meal of shrimp food two or three times a week (OATA) or every other day (Practical Fishkeeping). Blanched nettle, dandelion, spinach, courgette and cucumber make good extras.

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.