Caridina profile
Wine Red shrimp
Caridina sp. Wine Red
Wine Red shrimp are red Taiwan Bee-type Caridina with white patterning. They need the same stable soft-water care as other sensitive Taiwan Bee lines.
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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.
Temperature
20 - 24 °C
pH
5.6 - 6.6
GH
4 - 6 °dH
KH
0 - 1 °dH
TDS
90 - 140 ppm
Aquarium
From 40 liters
Difficulty
Expert
Behavior
Peaceful but sensitive high-grade Caridina breeding shrimp
Feeding
Biofilm, fine shrimp food and very controlled supplemental feeding
Breeding
Breeds in freshwater when soft-water conditions remain very stable
Best match
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.
Wine Red shrimp have deep red to wine-red pigment with white markings. Strong red color, clean white and healthy body condition are key selection goals.
Wine Red shrimp share care needs with Panda and King Kong shrimp, but selection focuses on rich red pigment rather than black.
Full species profile
Wine Red shrimp are the red-toned Taiwan Bee counterpart to dark King Kong and Panda lines. They are sensitive, beautiful and best kept by experienced Caridina keepers.
Appearance
Good Wine Red shrimp show rich red pigment and clean white patterning. Weak color, patchy white or poor fertility should be selected against.
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
Wine Red 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 Wine Red lines separate if you want stable red Taiwan Bee offspring. Crosses with other Taiwan Bee lines may create interesting results, but they need tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about Wine Red shrimp.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: June 15, 2026. Different values are used in the hobby; choose stability over chasing numbers.
Sources for accepted names, classification and synonyms.
Sources for water values, temperature and stable care.
Practical sources for setup, feeding, behavior and breeding.