Golden Bee Shrimp

Common Name:  Golden Bee Shrimp, White Bee, Snow White Bee
Scientific Name:  Caridina Cantonensis "Golden Bee"
Genus: Caridina
Wild Origin:  Asia
Adult Size:  1.25in

**Note:  All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No extra insulation needs to be added to your cart for your livestock.

Golden Bee shrimp are beautiful shrimp that come from the Crystal Bee group that originates from Southern China and Hong Kong. This particular variation features colors that range from orange/yellow all the way to a golden/white tone. 

Maintaining optimal water quality is important when caring for Golden Bee Shrimp. Unlike hardier Neocaridina shrimp, Golden Bees are notably delicate. They don't tolerate poor water conditions or abrupt fluctuations well.

For their well-being, ensure that the aquarium water remains soft and slightly acidic. A fully cycled setup is essential, as even slight traces of ammonia or nitrite can endanger these sensitive shrimp. Monitoring nitrates is also vital, as elevated levels can be harmful. Implement regular water changes to reduce nitrates and diligently monitor water parameters using a liquid test kit to ensure their health and longevity.

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank raised specimen
• Unsexed juveniles
• Bright, bold colors
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after an order is placed to properly prepare live animal shipments. 
  

Recommended Water Parameters
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. We encourage you to do thorough research before committing to keeping any livestock.

• Temperature Range:  68-76 F
• pH: 6.6-7.6
• TDS: 100-300
• GH:  4-8
• KH: 0-4

Recommended Tank Size
5+ gallons, minimum. Tank size is relative and various factors should be considered when determining tank size. Factors include maintenance schedules, tank mates, desired colony size and more.

Diet
Algae, biofilm, diatoms, decaying plant matter, spirulina powder, bee pollen, plant-based shrimp pellets/wafers, blanched vegetables

Breeding
Sexing these shrimp can be somewhat difficult until the shrimp begin to mature. Females have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once the shrimp are fully-grown the males will be smaller than the females.

Golden Bee Shrimp are eager breeders given comfortable water parameters and a sufficient food source. Once the shrimp reach maturity, and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding.

When female shrimp have eggs available for fertilization, they will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy. Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as adult shrimp and will molt frequently during their early life stages. Leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimp fry will consume them for extra minerals like calcium that will help their growth.

Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide they may not breed.

Check out our blog article to learn  how to breed freshwater shrimp.