Red King Kong Shrimp (Caridina sp.)

Choose the Red King Kong Shrimp for a premium Taiwan bee colony

The Red King Kong Shrimp is a Taiwan bee shrimp with a rich, deep red body broken by bright white markings. White patches sit on the head behind the eye and on the cheek, a row of white spots runs along the back, and the tail ends in a white-tipped fan. The legs and antennae are banded red and white and the eyes are dark. Seen in a group over dark soil, the solid red and clean white give one of the boldest contrasts in the shrimp hobby.

Taiwan bees are line-bred forms of the bee shrimp, Caridina cantonensis, in the family Atyidae. Their care is the same as for crystal red shrimp, only stricter: soft, acidic, very stable water in a mature tank. They are a shrimp for keepers who have already kept Caridina successfully, not for a first tank.

Check the fit before you order

Browse our shrimps and crustaceans, the freshwater shrimp category or the Caridina shrimp range to compare lines.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase quantity supplies one live Red King Kong Shrimp. The only option is “Standard”: the line is not graded into sizes, so shrimp are sent at the size available on the day, usually young adults. Sex is not specified. The photographs show the colour line, not the individual shrimp: the amount and placing of the white differs from shrimp to shrimp, and young shrimp deepen in colour as they grow.

Order for the colony you plan

• One shrimp: only to add to an existing Red King Kong group.
• Five shrimp: OATA’s minimum for freshwater shrimp, which often become stressed alone or in very small groups.
• Ten or more: the best start for breeding, with a good chance of both sexes.

Read our delivery and live arrival information before ordering, and have the tank fully cycled and the water tested before the shrimp arrive.

Trace the Red King Kong back to Taiwan

The modern bee shrimp lines started with a single find. Wikipedia records that in 1996 Hisayasu Suzuki of Japan spotted a red shrimp among his black bee shrimp, and selective breeding from that and two more produced the crystal red. In 2009 Chris Lukhaup wrote in Practical Fishkeeping that a spontaneous mutation in a Taiwanese breeder’s tanks had produced a new set of colour forms, among them King Kong, Panda, Red Ruby and Blue Bolt, which became known as Taiwan bees.

Genetics confirms that these are bee shrimp. Klotz and von Rintelen’s 2014 study, summarised by Seriously Fish, found that all the ornamental bee strains they sampled, including King Kong and crystal red, group with Caridina cantonensis. Gensou’s Taiwan bee guide describes the original King Kong as black over most of the body, and the Red Wine line as the same shrimp with the black replaced by a rich burgundy red.

Tell the red Taiwan bee lines apart

Trade names for red Taiwan bees overlap, and breeders use them differently. Use the photographs to judge the pattern you are buying.

Build the tank around stable soft water

Taiwan bees live or die by stability, and volume helps. Gensou gives 20 litres as the minimum and 40–60 litres as steadier, and Lukhaup noted that none of the Taiwanese breeding tanks he saw was smaller than 80 litres. OATA adds the basics for every shrimp tank: a filter is essential, a cover stops shrimp jumping, and the tank should sit away from draughts, radiators, direct sunlight and vibration.

Start with an active, buffering aquarium soil about 3–5 cm deep, which softens the water and holds the pH down. Fill with reverse osmosis water remineralised to the target GH, plant moss for grazing and cover, and then wait. Gensou recommends cycling for at least six weeks, ideally eight, and adding shrimp only when ammonia and nitrite have read zero for two weeks running. Our article on the aquarium nitrogen cycle explains why.

Prepare the tank in order

1. Lay the buffering soil and add wood or stone for moss.
2. Fill slowly with remineralised reverse osmosis water.
3. Run the filter and heater and add moss and plants.
4. Test ammonia and nitrite every few days through the cycle.
5. Order the shrimp only after two weeks of zero readings.

Hit the water targets and hold them

The specialist sources agree on soft water but differ in detail. Gensou gives 22–25°C, pH 5.4–6.2, GH 4–6, KH 0–1 and TDS 100–150 ppm, and stresses that a steady 24°C is better than a tank swinging between 22 and 26°C. Practical Fishkeeping reports Taiwanese breeders keeping King Kong-type shrimp at about 200 µS/cm and pH 6.4–6.9, breeding at 22–24°C and holding them at 17–22°C. Wikipedia gives 21–26°C for the species, with the strongest colours at 24–25°C. OATA’s general shrimp guidance (17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18 dGH) covers far hardier species, so for a Taiwan bee follow the specialist targets.

For contrast, Lukhaup measured the wild streams of the bee shrimp’s home range at only 16°C, with no measurable carbonate hardness, a conductivity of 12 µS and pH 5.8. Very little UK tap water is anywhere near that soft. Test yours and compare it using our water matcher; in most areas you will need reverse osmosis water with a GH-only shrimp mineral.

Use a target table

Heat is a real risk. Wikipedia notes that high temperatures raise the death rate of young and adult bee shrimp and cut egg survival, so plan for hot summer days with a cooler room or a fan across the surface. Our water chemistry guide covers GH, KH and conductivity testing.

Feed for biofilm first

In a mature tank, biofilm supplies most of a Taiwan bee’s food. Wikipedia describes the species as a scavenger of decaying plant matter and algae, and Gensou recommends feeding prepared shrimp food sparingly, two or three times a week, alongside blanched mulberry leaves, spinach or dried almond leaves. OATA gives the same two or three feeds a week, leaving food for at least 30 minutes and removing what remains. In a soil tank, uneaten food quickly pushes up ammonia, so err on the side of less.

Build one measured shrimp meal

• Choose a fine food: small sinking sticks such as our Caridina nano sticks.
• Portion for the group: enough to draw the shrimp together, not enough to leave a pile.
• Watch for 30 minutes: a healthy group finds food fast.
• Clear the rest: lift out leftovers before lights out.
• Add leaves: a dried almond leaf grows biofilm for days as it breaks down.

Acclimatise by drip, not by guesswork

Moving a Taiwan bee from one water to another is the riskiest moment of its life. OATA’s floating-bag method, with tank water added over at least 30 minutes, is the minimum. Gensou recommends going further with a drip of at least two hours, until the TDS of the shrimp’s water is within 10 ppm of the tank.

1. Dim the lights and float the sealed bag for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the shrimp and bag water into a clean container.
3. Run airline tubing from the tank with a knot or valve to give a slow drip.
4. Check TDS regularly and stop when it is close to the tank reading.
5. Net the shrimp across and discard the container water down a household sink.

Use a first-week checklist

Keep water changes matched and gentle

OATA recommends a 25% water change at least once a week, with weekly tests and filter sponges rinsed in removed tank water. For a Taiwan bee tank, the water you add matters as much as the amount: make it up in advance from reverse osmosis water, remineralise it to the tank’s TDS and GH, and bring it to the tank’s temperature. Top up evaporation with plain reverse osmosis water, because evaporated water leaves its minerals behind.

Follow a weekly routine

1. Measure TDS, pH and temperature first.
2. Prepare matched replacement water the day before.
3. Siphon gently over open soil and check the bucket for shrimp.
4. Add the new water slowly, ideally as a drip.
5. Write down the readings so you can spot slow drifts.

Recognise moulting trouble and stress

A shed skin that looks like a dead shrimp is normal, OATA notes. Gensou describes a “white ring”, a pale band across the back, as a sign of a failing moult, often linked to low GH or a mineral imbalance, and says that several shrimp dying at once usually points to a shift in water values.

Pair each observation with an action

Breed Red King Kong Shrimp

Taiwan bees breed in fresh water with no larval stage. Wikipedia explains that the female carries her eggs under the abdomen, fanning water over them with her swimming legs, and that the young hatch as miniature adults after 28 days at 22°C. Gensou gives 15–30 eggs carried for 28–30 days and young about 2 mm long that start grazing biofilm at once. Mature females are larger and deeper-bodied than males, as Wikipedia notes.

Plan your breeding approach

• Expect variety: Lukhaup found that Taiwanese breeders let high-grade lines mate with Red Bee shrimp, which they said gave more stable young, and that many of the offspring were Red Bee, with some Red Ruby and a few Blue Bolt, Panda and King Kong.
• Isolate for consistency: Gensou says Taiwan bee lines breed true when kept on their own, while crosses between lines give unpredictable patterns.
• Select every generation: keep the best-marked shrimp for breeding and move the rest on.
• No fish: Gensou advises removing even tiny fish from a breeding tank, because they eat newborn shrimp.

Plan on a short life: Wikipedia gives about 18 months for the species and OATA a couple of years for freshwater shrimp in a well-matured tank, so a breeding colony keeps the line going.

Keep companions to a minimum

OATA advises against keeping shrimp with any fish that can fit them in its mouth, and Gensou’s advice is to keep fish out of a Taiwan bee tank altogether. Other bee shrimp, including crystal red and every Taiwan bee line, are the same species and will interbreed. Neocaridina shrimp belong to a different genus and do not cross with Caridina, but they add bioload to a tank that rewards a light load.

Screen every companion

Compare other Taiwan bee shrimp

Our other Taiwan bee lines include the black King Kong Taiwan Bee Shrimp, the solid Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp, the deep red Red Ruby Taiwan Bee Shrimp and the white-headed Red Wine Hinomaru Taiwan Bee Shrimp. The classic Crystal Red Bee Shrimp needs the same soft water and is a good way to prove your tank first. For the wider picture, read our shrimp-keeping guide.

Never release shrimp, plants or tank water

OATA reminds keepers never to release aquarium animals or plants into the wild. Old soil, plant trimmings and tank water belong in household waste or down the drain, never in ponds, streams or gardens.

Answer Red King Kong Shrimp buying questions

What is a Red King Kong Shrimp?

A Taiwan bee shrimp, a line-bred form of Caridina cantonensis, with a deep red body marked with white on the head, along the back and at the tail. Names for red Taiwan bees vary between breeders, so judge the look by the photographs.

How many shrimp does one purchase supply?

One live shrimp of the Standard option, sex not specified. Order at least five to start a group, as OATA recommends.

Is the Red King Kong Shrimp hard to keep?

It is for experienced shrimp keepers. It needs soft, acidic water held very steady, normally reverse osmosis water remineralised over a buffering soil, in a tank that has been running for six to eight weeks.

What water does it need?

Aim for 22–24°C, GH 4–6, KH 0–1, TDS 100–150 ppm and a pH below 7. Gensou gives pH 5.4–6.2 and Practical Fishkeeping reports Taiwanese breeders using pH 6.4–6.9, so the exact figure matters less than keeping it stable.

How big does a Red King Kong Shrimp grow?

About 3 cm, the figure OATA gives for Caridina cantonensis colour variants. Females are larger, with a deeper abdomen, than males.

Can I keep it with crystal red or other Taiwan bee shrimp?

They are all the same species and will interbreed. Mixing lines gives young of many patterns, so keep the Red King Kong on its own if you want to keep its look.

How do I acclimatise Red King Kong Shrimp?

Slowly. Float the bag to match temperature, then drip tank water into the shrimp for at least two hours until the TDS is within about 10 ppm of the tank, as Gensou recommends.

Will Red King Kong Shrimp breed?

In a mature, stable tank, yes. Females carry 15–30 eggs for about four weeks and the young hatch as tiny shrimp around 2 mm long. Keep fish out of a breeding tank.

Consult the care references

• Practical Fishkeeping: Freshwater shrimps, the next generation (Chris Lukhaup) — how the King Kong, Panda and Red Ruby lines arose in Taiwan, how breeders keep them and the water they use.
• Seriously Fish: New shrimp from Hong Kong and southern China (Klotz and von Rintelen 2014) — genetic study placing King Kong and other ornamental bee strains in Caridina cantonensis.
• Wikipedia: Caridina cantonensis — natural range, temperature, lifespan, colour development, egg incubation and the origin of the crystal red line.
• Gensou: Taiwan bee shrimp care guide — Taiwan bee line definitions, water preparation, soil, cycling, drip acclimatisation, breeding figures and moulting problems.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — UK trade body care sheet: broad water values, group size, feeding, maintenance, acclimatisation and health signs.
• Tropical Fish Co shrimp-keeping guide and delivery terms — our own set-up and live arrival guidance.