Caridina profile
Panda shrimp
Caridina sp. Panda
Panda shrimp are black-and-white Taiwan Bee-type Caridina. They are peaceful but sensitive and need stable soft-water conditions.
Quick verdict
Suitable for: Experienced Caridina keepers focused on stable water and selective breeding. Watch especially: adjust KH, GH and TDS slowly.
Quick care card
Use this card as a starting point. Always check whether your aquarium is stable enough for sensitive species.
20 - 24 °C
5.6 - 6.6
4 - 6 °dH
0 - 1 °dH
90 - 140 ppm
From 40 liters
Expert
Peaceful but sensitive high-grade Caridina breeding shrimp
Biofilm, fine shrimp food and very controlled supplemental feeding
Breeds in freshwater when soft-water conditions remain very stable
Experienced Caridina keepers focused on stable water and selective breeding
Important
Do not treat these as easy beginner shrimp. High-grade Taiwan Bee, Pinto and Boa lines need stable soft water, low KH, active substrate, mature biofilm and careful feeding. Avoid rapid changes, warm water, high nitrate, exhausted substrate and mixed-line breeding without a clear goal.
Care in practice
These are the points that most often make the difference between survival and a stable colony.
Use remineralized RO water with active substrate. A practical range is 19-23 degrees Celsius, pH about 5.6-6.6, GH 4-6, KH 0-1 and TDS roughly 100-150 ppm. Keep values stable and change water slowly with closely matched temperature and mineral content.
Use a mature, dedicated Caridina tank with active substrate, gentle filtration, moss, leaf litter and lots of biofilm. A protected intake is essential for shrimplets. Let the aquarium mature well before adding expensive breeding stock.
Base feeding on biofilm and small controlled portions of quality shrimp food. Use powdered food carefully for shrimplets and remove leftovers. Overfeeding is one of the fastest ways to destabilize a soft-water Caridina tank.
Keep a calm group with enough animals for breeding, usually at least 10 if budget allows. They are peaceful, but stress from fish, frequent disturbance or unstable maintenance quickly affects color, molting and breeding.
A dedicated shrimp-only breeding tank is the safest choice. Avoid fish and avoid mixing different high-grade lines unless you are intentionally planning crosses and tracking offspring.
These lines breed in freshwater with direct development, but reliable breeding depends on mature biofilm, low-stress conditions and stable soft water. Select breeding stock carefully and cull or separate animals that do not fit the line goal.
Common mistakes are buying expensive shrimp before the tank is mature, using unstable tap water, allowing KH or nitrate to rise, overfeeding, changing too much water at once, mixing lines without records and selecting only for pattern while ignoring health and fertility.
Background and identification
Extra context helps you identify, compare and keep the species safely.
These are selectively bred aquarium Caridina lines, usually built from Bee shrimp, Taiwan Bee and Pinto-related breeding backgrounds. Treat trade names as breeding-line names rather than wild species names unless exact lineage is documented.
Panda shrimp show black and white patches, usually with more white contrast than very dark King Kong shrimp. Clean pattern edges and strong color are desired.
Panda shrimp are closely related in care to King Kong shrimp, but the visual goal is a more balanced black-and-white pattern.
Full species profile
Panda shrimp are black-and-white Taiwan Bee Caridina with a bold contrast pattern. They suit experienced keepers who can keep soft water stable.
Appearance
The pattern combines black body sections with white markings. Line quality determines contrast, white coverage and pattern sharpness.
Water parameters
Use remineralized RO water with active substrate. A practical range is 19-23 degrees Celsius, pH about 5.6-6.6, GH 4-6, KH 0-1 and TDS roughly 100-150 ppm. Stability matters more than chasing a single exact value.
Aquarium setup
Use a mature dedicated Caridina aquarium with active substrate, gentle filtration, moss, leaf litter and protected intakes. Let the tank develop stable biofilm before adding valuable breeding animals.
Feeding
Feed lightly. Biofilm and microfauna are the base, with small amounts of quality shrimp food and occasional fine powdered food for shrimplets. Overfeeding can quickly destabilize soft-water tanks.
Behavior and tank mates
Panda shrimp are peaceful but sensitive. Keep them in a calm shrimp-only tank for best breeding results. Fish and frequent disturbance reduce shrimplet survival and can suppress breeding.
Breeding and selection
Keep Panda shrimp in a dedicated line if you want stable offspring. Crosses with King Kong or other Taiwan Bee lines are possible but should be intentional.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about Panda shrimp.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: June 12, 2026. Different values are used in the hobby; choose stability over chasing numbers.
- Garnelio: Black Panda Shrimp - Caridina spec. Black Panda
Bron die Black Panda als Caridina spec., Taiwan Bee / Shadow Bee en zwart-witte kweekvorm beschrijft.
- Jungle Aquashrimp: Panda Shrimp
Bron die Panda als Panda Taiwan Bee onder Caridina cantonensis met oorsprong Taiwan beschrijft en het verschil met Crystal Black benoemt.
- Shrimpy Business: Taiwan Bee Shrimp Varieties
Bron die Panda als Taiwan Bee-variant naast King Kong, Blue Bolt en Wine Red plaatst.
- Flip Aquatics: Black King Kong / Panda Shrimp Mix
Bron die Panda en Black King Kong als zwarte Taiwan Bees uit het genus Caridina behandelt.
- Jungle Aquashrimp: Panda Shrimp
Panda-specifieke waarden voor pH, temperatuur, TDS, KH en GH.
- Flip Aquatics: Black King Kong / Panda Shrimp Mix
Taiwan Bee-waarden voor pH, GH, KH, TDS en temperatuur, plus RO/DI-water, GH+ mineralen, actief substraat en Mattenfilter.
- Garnelio: Black Panda Shrimp - Caridina spec. Black Panda
Praktijkadvies voor zeer schoon, zuurstofrijk, koel en zacht water, osmosewater, bee shrimp-zout, actief soil en temperaturen onder 25 graden Celsius.
- Rare Shrimp: Caridina Black Shadow Bee Shrimp
Aanvullende Black Shadow Bee-waarden en setupadvies voor TDS, pH, GH, KH, temperatuur, actieve bodem en RO/DI-water.
- Shrimpy Business: Taiwan Bee Shrimp Varieties
Algemene Taiwan Bee-zorg met nadruk op schoon water, gevestigde aquaria, koelere temperatuur en zachte licht zure waterwaarden.
- Garnelio: Black Panda Shrimp - Caridina spec. Black Panda
Praktische informatie over uiterlijk, oorsprongstheorien, osmosewater, actief soil, temperatuur, kweek, jonge garnalen, stofvoer, voeding en socialisatie.
- Jungle Aquashrimp: Panda Shrimp
Praktische informatie over verschil met Crystal Black, Panda Taiwan Bee, fertility, difficulty en Shadow/Blue Panda-variatie.
- Flip Aquatics: Black King Kong / Panda Shrimp Mix
Praktische informatie over Panda en Black King Kong als zwarte Taiwan Bees, acclimatiseren, mixed Taiwan Bee-tanks, setup en waterwaarden.
- Shrimpy Business: Taiwan Bee Shrimp Varieties
Praktische informatie over Panda versus King Kong, shrimp-only tanks, strain separation, voeding en kweek van Taiwan Bees.
- Rare Shrimp: Caridina Black Shadow Bee Shrimp
Aanvullende praktijkinformatie over tankgrootte, sponge filters, actieve bodem, biofilm, drip acclimation, voeding, kweek, stresssignalen en tankgenoten.