The Black King Kong Shrimp is a stunning addition to a freshwater aquarium. They are a variation of “Taiwan Bee”. There is some dispute as to the origin of the Black King Kong Panda Shrimp. It could have been a mutation or a complex crossbreed. 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. Sexing Black King Kong Panda Shrimp can be somewhat difficult until the shrimp begin to mature. Female shrimp have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. The saddle can be nearly impossible to identify on this shrimp due to its dark coloration. 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.

Black King Kong Panda Shrimp are herbivores, and need a controlled diet of blanched spinach or vegetarian shrimp feed. Be sure to remove any excess food that is left after feeding, as this can increase ammonia and nitrite levels. Excess food means that the shrimp are being overfed, which can damage their health and even kill them. When your shrimp molt out of their shell, make sure to leave the shells in the tank. They provide the necessary calcium in the shrimp’s diet.

Taiwan Bees were considered some of the hardest to keep and breed 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 shrimp are a great place to start.

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.

Our water parameters:

• pH – 5.8
• GH – 5
• KH – 0
• TDS – 140

Ideal water parameters:

• pH (5,5 – 6,8)
• GH (4 – 6)
• KH (0 – 1)
• TDS (100 – 190)

What to feed your shrimp?

• Shrimp King range offers the best results in our experience
• GlasGarten foods are great value for money
• OG shrimp food is a great local brand, good food
• We feed our shrimp a variety of different foods, a different type for each day
• A well balanced diet is essential to a healthy shrimp

Our mineralization process:

1. Age your reverse osmosis (RO) water for 2 – 3 days with an air stone
   • This will remove any additional evaporative odors
   • Add a de-chlorinator for safety
   • Aging the water will drop the pH of the RO water
2. Add GH+ minerals to the RO water 24 hours prior to a water change
   • Add minerals to achieve desired TDS (total dissolved solids)
   • TDS will differ slightly in different areas
   • Our measurements with Shrimp King GH+ are
     • TDS 100 – GH of 4
     • TDS 120 – GH of 5
     • TDS 140 – GH of 6
   • Our water is prepped between 100 – 120 to make sure the GH in the tank does not rise above 6.
3. Remove 10 – 15% of your water from your aquarium
4. Add newly prepped water as slow as possible back to the tank
   • The biggest shrimp killers are adjustments in water quality
   • Acclimate slowly, add water slowly
   • This will avoid quick changes in GH and pH

Our shrimp are sold at 1cm – 1,5cm in size. Age of the shrimp at this size is 3 – 4 months. We sell shrimp at this size for 2 reasons:

1. The younger shrimps acclimate better to new environments and also travel better over long distances.
2. They will live longer for you and grow up with your maintenance habits and aquarium keeping traits. Everyone does this a little different.