King Kong" shrimp are popular, selectively bred freshwater dwarf shrimp (Caridina cantonensis) prized in the aquarium hobby for their vibrant, opaque coloration. Despite their name, they are small, typically growing to only 1 to 1.5 inches in length. Key Characteristics Coloration: They are best known for deep, solid colors, primarily black King Kong (BKK) and red King Kong varieties. Different patterns also exist, such as: Panda: Features thick white or blue bands alternating with black or red bands. Extreme: Mostly solid body color with a small amount of white on the tail tip. Mosura: Predominantly white body with black or red markings only on the head. Yellow King Kong and Purple King Kong are other color variants. Origin: They are a mutation and product of crossbreeding various Caridina cantonensis strains, including crystal red, crystal black, and golden bee shrimp, with development largely in Taiwan. They do not occur naturally in the wild. Black Panda Shrimp Black King Kong extreme shrimp black Taiwan bees. They are from the genus Caridina and tend to be more difficult to keep compared to cherry shrimp or others. Taiwan Bees were considered some of the hardest to keep and breed freshwater shrimp in the past. Between 2009 and 2014 ,hobbyists were able to stabilize the Taiwan bee shrimp line to have more stability. By adding in new genetic pools, the Taiwan bee shrimp is much easier to keep and breed in current days. For a hobbyist ready to take their hobby to the next level, these pet shrimp are a great place to start. Mixing Taiwan Bees It is great to be aware of the fact that all Taiwan Bee shrimp can be kept in the same tank with out risk of hybridizing. All Taiwan Bee shrimp share similar genetic lines so they will produce shrimp that look similar to the parents. Red King Kongs, Red Pandas, Black King King Kongs, Black Pandas and Blue Bolts can all be kept in the same aquarium. The following parameters are how we keep our Taiwan Bees: Tank Parameter. RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS Ph level range: 6 - 6.5 Temperature range: 67° to 78° F kh: 0-1 gh: 4-6 TDS: 100-200
