Black Panda Shrimp, Caridina spec. "Black Panda" (Taiwan Bee / Shadow Bee)

The Black Panda shr imp is one of the most sought after breeding forms at the moment, the Shadow Bees or Taiwan shrimp. This is a banded color form with a deep, continuous black underlaid with blue body color and a densely pigmented, brilliant white that immediately stands out in any aquarium. There are several theories as to how this color form originated. Some assume that a mutation led to the Shadow Bees, others from a crossbreeding, possibly with tiger shrimp.

The males reach a size of 20 mm, the females grow to about 25 mm. The males remain slightly smaller and more slender, the females develop deep downward extended belly pouches over time and appear chubbier overall.

Taiwan shrimp such as the Black Panda shrimp prefer very clean, oxygen-rich and rather cool, soft water. Tap water is usually not suitable for Taiwan shrimp. Therefore, it is best to use a special hardening salt for bee shrimp for them, which is salinated with osmosis water or demineralized water to  the appropriate values. We recommend water changes of 10 to 30% per week. The sensitive Black Panda shrimp should preferably be kept on active Soil , which stabilizes the values in a range favorable for them.

The Black Panda Shrimp feels most comfortable at room temperature. Especially in summer you should be very careful that the temperatures in the aquarium do not climb above 25 °C, because higher temperatures, the resulting lack of oxygen and the possible stronger reproduction of bacteria are not well tolerated by Taiwan shrimp.

If the keeping conditions are good, breeding the Black Panda shrimp is not that difficult. The female releases 20 to 40 young after a gestation period of three to four weeks. Like all Taiwan Bees, the young of the Black Panda shrimp are relatively small and do not grow as fast as bee shrimp. Young Taiwan Bees do not move far from where they hatched in the beginning, so they ideally require dust foods to grow large.

Black Panda Shrimp, being omnivorous, are not particularly picky about food. Brown autumn leaves are grazed very gladly. It can remain in the aquarium as permanent food, because it has no negative influence on the water values. A special protein food twice a week provides Taiwan shrimp with the protein they need. Otherwise, they are grateful for food with a predominantly vegetable base.

Black Panda shrimp are generally quite peaceful. They can be well socialized with other shrimp - mainly bee shrimp. Here it is very important that the demands on the water values are identical. Due to their lower reproduction rates and their relative sensitivity, Black Panda Shrimp should be kept in shrimp-only tanks or together with snails. Socialization with fish, crayfish, freshwater crabs, predatory snails and mussels is not recommended

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic's soft mainfeed softpads are designed for daily feeding. They contain all the nutrients shrimp need for shell development, egg formation and growth. During the production we pay attention to a gentle and environmentally friendly production, in which the vitamins and other valuable ingredients are preserved as far as possible.

Our plant recommendation: Use for the planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.