Black King Kong Shrimp

Common Name: Black King Kong Panda Shrimp, BKK Panda Shrimp, Panda Shrimp
Scientific Name: Caridina Cantonensis
Genus: Caridina
Wild Origin: Taiwan
Adult Size: 1-1.5in

**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.

The Black King Kong Panda Shrimp is a variety of the Taiwan Bee Shrimp achieved through crossbreeding. Black King Kong Panda Shrimp have a very striking appearance with a black body and a range of white markings. The name used for the shrimp can differ depending on what marks they exhibit. Shrimp with a black body and white bands are commonly referred to as “Pandas”. Some of these shrimp have thick blue bands against a black body, and these are referred to as “Shadow” or “Shadow Pandas”. “King Kongs” are almost completely black with some small white markings near the upper body. They can also be completely black.

Black King Kong Panda Shrimp are very sensitive to water conditions, as with many shrimp that are the result of inbreeding for desirable characteristics. It is recommended to use a larger tank for these shrimp, at least 25 gallons. This is because it is easier to maintain consistent parameters in a larger tank. There is conflicting information on the best water parameters for these shrimp. They may prefer warmer conditions and neutral pH, but there is evidence that low temperatures and pH help protect the shrimp from disease, even though its not their preferred environment. Water temperature should be between 68°-75° F with a pH of 5-6.

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank-raised specimen
  
• Bright, bold color and pattern
• Shrimp are excellent scavengers and will happily feed on biofilm, decaying plant matter, and algae
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after placing an order 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: 64-76°F
• pH: 6.0-7.5
• TDS: 100-200 ppm
• GH: 3-5 dGH
• KH: 0-2 dKH

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
The Black King Kong shrimp variety doesn't occur naturally in the wild, so breeding lines are entirely captive-bred and maintained by skilled breeders. Once optimal water conditions are established, breeding Caridina shrimp is relatively easy. Starting with larger groups of 10-20 adults offers the best chance of successful spawning.

However, Caridina varieties lay fewer eggs than other dwarf shrimp species. Expect females to only lay about 15 eggs at a time. It takes roughly 20 days for the eggs to hatch and become free-swimming. Breeding Black King Kong Panda Shrimp will depend on the line it came from, and what type of shrimp you will breed them to.

You’ll want to get some information from the source of your Black King Kong Panda Shrimp on their particular genetic history. Survival rates of Black King Kong Panda x Black King Kong Panda can be as low as 10%, so most breeders choose to cross these shrimp with any of a variety of other Caridinas.

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