Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis)

Choose this bee shrimp for a carefully prepared aquarium

Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp is a red-and-white aquarium form of Caridina cantonensis, a freshwater bee shrimp in the family Atyidae. It is native to China and Hong Kong, and possibly Vietnam, and reaches an adult planning size of 3 cm. It suits a keeper who can prepare a mature, filtered aquarium, test the water every week, maintain stable conditions and screen every proposed companion for predatory behaviour and mouth size. The World Register of Marine Species accepts Caridina cantonensis in Atyidae.

Wikipedia’s bee shrimp summary describes the species as a scavenger that eats small pieces of decayed vegetation and algae. That distribution describes the species in nature rather than the origin of the individual animal purchased here. Modern bee shrimp forms are often selectively bred for their appearance.

Match the animal to your routine

• Prepare first: use a mature aquarium with an established filter before adding the shrimp.
• Test consistently: ammonia and nitrite must remain at zero, while temperature, pH and hardness need to stay within the stated planning ranges.
• Feed deliberately: allow natural grazing, then supplement with an algae wafer or commercial freshwater-shrimp pellet two or three times a week.
• Screen companions: exclude fish able to fit the shrimp in their mouths and any species known to be predatory.
• Protect it from copper: check every aquarium treatment for invertebrate safety before use.

This is a good choice when you want a small grazing invertebrate and can commit to weekly testing, partial water changes and cautious stocking. If you are comparing forms or planning a wider invertebrate display, browse our shrimp and crustacean collection.

Understand the animal and dispatch size

One purchase supplies one Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp. The dispatch size is 1–1.3 cm, which describes the animal at dispatch rather than its eventual size. Plan the aquarium around an adult-size reference of 3 cm.

A small dispatch animal still needs the complete adult setup from its first day in the aquarium. Do not use the 1–1.3 cm size to reduce filtration, water testing, cover or planned aquarium volume. The biological filter must process waste regardless of the animal’s current length, and the aquarium should remain suitable as it grows.

Keep the purchase details separate

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

The gallery images are representative, based on reference photographs of this species, so colours can look slightly different from the live animal.

Gallery scenes may show one or two shrimp to illustrate their markings and aquarium context. The number visible in an image does not alter the purchase unit. For dispatch days, delivery arrangements and guarantee conditions, read the current delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy.

Plan around the adult size and water range

OATA’s freshwater shrimp and snail guidance gives 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, general hardness of 4–18°dH and carbonate hardness of 3–15°dKH for the group. These are broad planning limits, not a species-specific optimum for the Red Wine colour form.

Decide whether the care plan fits

The 10-litre figure is an “at least” instruction for a small shrimp group, not a reason to squeeze the setup into the smallest container. A larger aquarium offers more water in which changes in temperature and water quality can be diluted, making environmental conditions more stable. Fish increase both the compatibility question and the required space, so they should never be added merely because the adult shrimp is small.

Use the complete set of values when assessing a tank. A temperature inside 17–27°C does not compensate for detectable ammonia, and suitable pH does not compensate for nitrite. The aquarium is ready only when its filter, water measurements, volume and cover work together.

Build the home before the shrimp arrives

Start with a mature aquarium of at least 10 litres for a small group and fit an aquarium filter. OATA describes a filter as essential for freshwater shrimp and recommends gravel or sand, ideally with live plants for cover. Where live plants are not used, plastic plants and suitable ornaments such as model caves can provide shelter.

The filter is more than a device that moves water. The RSPCA’s aquarium filtration guidance explains that beneficial bacteria in a working biological filter convert toxic ammonia into nitrite and then into the safer nitrate. Maturing the filter establishes the bacterial population needed to process waste after livestock and food enter the aquarium.

Use a readiness check rather than a calendar

If either ammonia or nitrite is detectable, postpone the introduction. Adding an animal before the biological filter can manage waste risks unhealthy concentrations as feeding begins. Check the filter for blockages and continue monitoring rather than treating the calendar alone as proof that the aquarium is mature.

Arrange cover without sacrificing access for routine maintenance. You need to reach the substrate with a siphon, inspect the filter and remove uneaten prepared food while leaving sheltered areas where shrimp can move out of open view. Our shrimp-keeping guide can help you organise the preparation and maturation stages before livestock enters the aquarium.

Walk through the finished setup

Before deciding that the aquarium is ready, follow the route you will use during weekly care. Confirm that you can reach exposed areas of gravel or sand with the siphon, remove a food pellet after its feeding window and inspect the filter without dismantling all the cover. If an ornament blocks maintenance or traps food where it cannot be recovered, reposition it before the shrimp enters. This preserves shelter while making the supported testing, waste-removal and filter checks practical every week.

Measure the water as a complete set

Test temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and include general and carbonate hardness when comparing the aquarium with the planning range. Each result answers a different question: temperature shows the thermal condition, pH shows acidity or alkalinity, hardness describes dissolved-mineral conditions, and nitrogen tests show whether waste is being processed safely.

Use 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18°dH and 3–15°dKH together. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero mg per litre. Nitrate should not rise more than 20 mg per litre above the normal level in the tap water, so test the tap-water baseline rather than judging the aquarium result in isolation.

Turn each reading into a decision

Test at least once a week and keep the results together. A sequence makes gradual movement easier to recognise than isolated readings. The practical goal is not to chase one measurement while ignoring the others; it is to maintain an aquarium in which the full set stays suitable and toxic nitrogen compounds remain absent.

Use our aquarium water-chemistry guide to understand what each test measures. When you have current results, the water matcher provides a clear way to compare them with the stated range before making the stocking decision.

Compare trends as well as limits

For example, an aquarium reading of 15 mg per litre nitrate cannot be assessed fully until it is compared with the normal tap-water reading. If the tap water measures 5 mg per litre, the aquarium is 10 mg per litre above that baseline; record both figures so the next weekly result can be compared on the same basis. Apply the same discipline to the other tests by recording the value, date and any recent feeding, stocking or maintenance change instead of relying on memory.

Feed for grazing without building waste

Bee shrimp are scavengers that eat small pieces of decayed vegetation and algae in nature. In the aquarium, freshwater shrimp generally graze algae, but that grazing should be supplemented so the animals receive enough food. Use an algae wafer or a commercial pellet made for freshwater shrimp.

Offer prepared food two or three times a week rather than adding it every day. Leave a wafer or pellet for at least 30 minutes so the shrimp has time to feed. After that grazing window, inspect the aquarium and remove excess food before it breaks down and adds toxic waste to the water.

Use the shrimp and the leftovers as feedback

“Two or three times a week” is the schedule for prepared food, not a reason to ignore the animal between meals. Shrimp can continue grazing on algae and decaying plant fragments while no pellet or wafer is present. Natural grazing and controlled supplements therefore perform different jobs.

Avoid feeding extra merely because the aquarium looks clean. Uneaten food decomposes, releasing waste that the filter must process. This is especially important when the biological filter is adapting to newly introduced livestock or when the aquarium holds a small volume of water.

Make one adjustment at a time. If food remains, reduce the next portion while keeping the established meal frequency. If feeding interest changes together with unusual activity, colour, breathing or appearance, treat it as a health observation and check the water rather than trying a succession of new foods.

Build a repeatable feeding check

Choose two or three meal days across the week and inspect the same feeding place after at least 30 minutes. Record whether the shrimp approached, how much prepared food remained and whether the animal’s activity differed from earlier meals. If leftovers appear twice in succession, reduce the next portion and remove the excess rather than adding another meal. When the food disappears but the shrimp was not seen feeding, observe the next meal before assuming that a larger portion is needed.

Introduce livestock at the filter’s pace

Prepare for the introduction by testing the aquarium rather than relying on its appearance. Ammonia and nitrite must each read zero mg per litre, while temperature, pH and hardness should sit inside the planning ranges. Confirm that the filter is operating without a blockage and that plants or ornaments provide cover.

Before introduction

1. Confirm that the aquarium is mature and filtered.
2. Measure temperature, pH, general hardness and carbonate hardness.
3. Test ammonia and nitrite and proceed only when both are zero.
4. Compare nitrate with the normal tap-water level.
5. Check the intended companions against the mouth-size and predation rules.

After the animal enters the aquarium

Increase shrimp numbers slowly. Beneficial bacteria established while the filter matures must increase as more livestock and food add waste. Several additions made too quickly can leave too few nitrifying bacteria to cope, allowing ammonia or nitrite to rise through new tank syndrome.

During the first week, complete at least the normal weekly water test and inspect behaviour, colour, breathing, appearance, condition and feeding. Inactivity, unusual restlessness, darker or paler colour, increased hiding, greater breathing effort, body damage or reduced feeding all justify an immediate check of ammonia, nitrite, temperature and filter operation.

Use the first month to establish a pattern

Continue testing at least weekly and carry out a 25% partial water change at least once a week with conditioned replacement water. Record whether the shrimp grazes and accepts prepared food during the two or three weekly meals. A month of results gives four or more water-quality checkpoints and makes changes easier to identify.

Do not add another group simply because the first animal is visible and feeding. Use the filter’s measured performance as the deciding factor. Stable zero ammonia and nitrite, controlled nitrate, regular feeding response and an unobstructed filter provide a stronger basis for the next gradual addition.

Pause when the aquarium changes

Treat any detectable ammonia or nitrite after an addition as a stop signal for further stocking. Inspect the filter, remove uneaten food and continue testing while the aquarium returns to zero readings. The same pause applies if feeding falls, activity changes or the filter becomes obstructed. This keeps the next decision tied to the aquarium’s measured capacity rather than to a planned date or the fact that another animal would complete the intended group.

Keep weekly maintenance consistent

Carry out a 25% partial water change at least once a week. Use a siphon to remove solid waste from the gravel or sand, and treat replacement tap water with a conditioner that removes chlorine or chloramine before it enters the aquarium.

Calculate the routine from aquarium volume

These examples apply the same 25% instruction to different aquarium volumes. Measure from the aquarium’s working water volume and prepare the replacement water before adding it. The conditioner step matters because chlorine and chloramine can harm the beneficial bacteria that keep the biological filter functioning.

Protect the filter while cleaning it

Check the filter for blockages during maintenance. If it needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the partial water change. Do not run the filter under the tap, because chlorine or chloramine may kill beneficial bacteria established in the media.

• At least once a week: test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and check the physical filter.
• At the water change: remove 25%, siphon solid waste and condition the replacement water.
• When flow is obstructed: clean the filter lightly in removed aquarium water.
• After maintenance: confirm that the filter is operating and observe the shrimp for behavioural or feeding changes.

Water changes and filter care have connected but distinct purposes. The water change dilutes accumulated waste and removes solids; biological filter bacteria continue converting ammonia and nitrite. Protecting both processes is safer than cleaning the aquarium while damaging the bacterial population on which it depends.

Keep the routine consistent even when the water looks clear. Ammonia and nitrite cannot be judged by sight, and a visually clean aquarium can still require testing, waste removal and filter attention.

Prepare each change before removing water

Calculate the 25% amount, prepare enough replacement water and add the required conditioner before beginning. Place removed aquarium water aside if the filter needs a light rinse, because that water protects the established media from direct tap-water exposure. Once the change is complete, confirm that the filter has restarted and is not blocked. Then record the test results and water-change amount so the next check follows the same working volume and method.

Protect the shrimp from copper and health changes

Freshwater shrimp are invertebrates and are highly sensitive to copper. They will die if exposed even to low levels, so check every treatment before it enters the aquarium and use it only when it is explicitly safe for invertebrates. Do not assume a treatment intended for an aquarium containing fish is automatically suitable for shrimp.

Routine observation helps connect a visible change with a practical water or equipment check. Establish what normal activity, colour and feeding look like in your aquarium, then respond when that pattern changes.

Match a warning sign to the first check

A water check should include ammonia, nitrite, temperature and the other routine measurements, not colour alone. Also inspect the filter for a blockage and look for uneaten food that may be breaking down. Where a companion could have caused physical damage, reassess it using the predation and mouth-size screen.

Do not respond to an unexplained symptom by adding a succession of treatments. Copper sensitivity makes treatment selection especially important, while inappropriate medication may add another hazard without resolving the original problem. For persistent symptoms, lesions, swelling, breathing changes or losses, contact us with the water results, recent maintenance and treatment history so the health change can be assessed.

Reconstruct what changed first

When a warning sign appears, note its time and compare it with the most recent feeding, water change, livestock addition, filter cleaning or treatment. Test the aquarium before changing several parts of the routine at once. Remove uneaten food, inspect filter flow and record the shrimp’s activity, colour, breathing and appearance. A clear sequence of observations helps distinguish a water-quality problem, a companion interaction and a treatment-safety concern while avoiding an unnecessary series of aquarium interventions.

Exclude fish that can swallow or hunt shrimp

Freshwater shrimp should not be mixed with fish that can fit them in their mouths or with any species known to be predatory. OATA also warns that common aquarium fish may eat shrimp, so a community label or small body size is not enough by itself to establish compatibility.

Screen each proposed companion

Use the adult mouth size and normal feeding behaviour of the proposed fish, not only its size when purchased. The Red Wine shrimp begins here at 1–1.3 cm and uses a 3 cm adult planning size, so the screen must account for a small animal at dispatch as well as its eventual size.

Passing the predation screen is only the first stage. Compare the companion’s temperature, pH, general hardness and carbonate-hardness needs with 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18°dH and 3–15°dKH. Check that the planned aquarium is larger than the 10-litre baseline used for a small shrimp group, because an aquarium containing fish needs additional space.

Feeding also needs to remain manageable. The shrimp receives prepared food two or three times a week and needs at least 30 minutes to graze. A companion that immediately consumes every wafer or pellet can prevent the shrimp from feeding, while extra food added to compensate can break down and raise waste.

Compatibility is conditional rather than universal. For a stocking and compatibility assessment, contact us with the proposed species, adult size, normal diet, aquarium volume and measured water values.

Work through a proposed fish in order

Begin with the strictest question: can the fish swallow a 1–1.3 cm shrimp, or is it known to be predatory? If either answer is yes, avoid the combination and do not rely on extra cover to reverse that decision. If both answers are no, compare the fish’s adult requirements with the full shrimp water range, choose an aquarium larger than 10 litres and decide how the shrimp will receive at least 30 minutes with prepared food. A failure at any stage stops the plan before livestock is mixed.

Plan a social shrimp group without rushing

Freshwater shrimp species are usually social, so plan a group rather than treating the purchase unit as a solitary-care instruction. Each purchase still supplies one animal, allowing the group to be built at a pace the mature filter can support.

Additions should be gradual because every extra animal and prepared meal increases the waste that beneficial filter bacteria must process. Test ammonia and nitrite after additions as part of the weekly routine and pause further additions if either rises above zero.

Choose the aquarium plan by risk

A shrimp-focused aquarium still needs complete care: at least 10 litres for the group, an essential filter, gravel or sand, cover, weekly testing and a 25% partial water change at least once a week. Removing fish reduces one compatibility risk but does not replace water-quality control.

For another shrimp or snail, compare the required temperature, pH, hardness, adult size and diet. Proceed only when the same aquarium can meet both animals’ needs and neither is predatory. Similar appearance or a shared trade word should not be used as the compatibility test.

Watch the animals after any addition. Increased hiding, restlessness, physical damage, reduced feeding or changed colour can indicate that the plan needs reassessment. Check the water and observe interactions before adding more livestock. If uneaten food accumulates because animals are not feeding normally, remove it and reduce the next portion rather than allowing it to decay.

This approach keeps three decisions separate: one purchase supplies one animal, shrimp are normally planned socially, and the group must grow slowly enough for the filter and aquarium volume to support it.

Set checkpoints between additions

After adding an animal, keep the normal weekly test and maintenance cycle in place before deciding on the next addition. Confirm that ammonia and nitrite remain at zero mg per litre, nitrate stays within the stated limit, prepared food is being eaten and filter flow remains unobstructed. If hiding, colour, breathing, appearance or feeding changes, pause and investigate. A planned social group is built through repeated stable checkpoints rather than by adding several animals simply because each purchase unit is small.

Answer the key questions before purchase

How big does Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp get?

Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp reaches an adult planning size of 3 cm. This is OATA’s figure for the smaller Caridina cantonensis colour variants.

What size aquarium does Caridina cantonensis need?

Use a mature, filtered aquarium of at least 10 litres for a small shrimp group. OATA gives this as broad group guidance, and an aquarium containing fish needs to be larger.

How many Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp should I keep together?

Plan a group because OATA describes freshwater shrimp species as usually social, but it gives no numeric minimum for this form. Add animals slowly so the mature filter can adjust as feeding and waste increase.

Does this shrimp suit beginners?

Choose it only if you can provide a mature filter, test the water at least weekly, keep ammonia and nitrite at zero mg per litre and prevent copper exposure. These routines matter more than attaching a beginner label.

What does Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp eat?

It scavenges algae and small pieces of decaying plant matter. Supplement its grazing with an algae wafer or commercial freshwater-shrimp pellet two or three times a week, allowing at least 30 minutes to feed.

What temperature and pH does it need?

OATA’s freshwater shrimp guidance gives 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and general hardness of 4–18°dH for the group. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero mg per litre.

Is Red Wine Taiwan Bee Shrimp aggressive or likely to nip fins?

OATA describes freshwater shrimp species as usually social. Screen every companion by mouth size and predatory behaviour, and respond to increased aggression, hiding or physical damage by checking interactions and water quality.

Which animals can this shrimp live with?

Avoid fish able to fit the shrimp in their mouths and any species known to be predatory. For other shrimp or snails, compare water requirements, adult size, diet and predatory behaviour before mixing them.

How does this shrimp arrive alive in the UK?

Film every delivery continuously from the sealed parcel as it is opened, with the shrimp still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed. Have someone present to receive the parcel, inspect it the same day, float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the shrimp and never pour the bag water into the aquarium.

Check the scientific and welfare references

• World Register of Marine Species: Caridina cantonensis — accepted name, family and taxonomic identity.
• Wikipedia: bee shrimp — freshwater identity, distribution, scavenging behaviour and selective-breeding context.
• OATA freshwater shrimp and snail guidance — water ranges, aquarium preparation, feeding, maintenance, health and compatibility.
• RSPCA aquarium environment guidance — biological filtration and aquarium waste processing.