Bumblebee shrimp - Caridinia sp.

Its striking black and white banded coloring gives the bumblebee shrimp a nice contrast to green plants in the aquarium. Its stripes, somewhat reminiscent of those of a bumblebee, make it stand out very well against both dark and light backgrounds, making it easy to observe. With up to three centimeters in size, especially the females of the bumblebee shrimp grow a little larger than those of other shrimp species. The males remain somewhat smaller and slimmer. They can be distinguished from the bee shrimp by their rostrum (the "nose"). In the bumblebee shrimp it is much shorter and only very weakly toothed or even completely toothless.

In the past, the bumblebee shrimp was often referred to as Caridina breviata. As it turned out, this name is not correct for the black and white banded animals. There is a whole species complex hidden behind the name "bumblebee shrimp". These species occur in nature in very similar habitats and have virtually identical requirements for water values, care and feeding.

As soft water shr imp, bumblebee shrimp do not feel very comfortable in water that is too hard. It is possible to keep them in tap water, but in most cases they will not reproduce there. Especially the carbonate hardness should be very low, because it is not well tolerated by bumblebee shrimp. If you have hard water from the tap, you can avoid osmosis water and hardening salt ("Bee Salt" also works for bumblebee shrimp!).

As a distinctly peaceful group animal, the Bumblebee Shrimp can be easily socialized with other shrimp and small, non-predatory fish. Care should be taken to match the water values needed by the animals. Bumblebee shrimp can also be kept together with crayfish and snails .

The bumblebee shrimp keeps the aquarium clean, because it is an omnivore and takes care of food remains and algae deposits, among other things. Furthermore, it also likes to eat special shrimp food and also gratefully accepts a suitable protein food given twice a week. Brown autumn leaves are very suitable as a natural permanent food, which can be left in the aquarium until it has been eaten.

The bumblebee shrimp is considered to be quite prolific. Twenty to forty eggs can be laid by the female, from which fully developed young hatch after three to four weeks. Since the adult bumblebee shrimp do not eat the offspring, they can be easily raised in the same tank.

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, which preserves the vitamins and other valuable ingredients as much 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.