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Species profile

Black Panda Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Common names: Black Panda Caridina Shrimp, Panda Shrimp, Black Panda Shrimp, Taiwan Bee Panda

Pattern varietyCaridina Shrimp
Black Panda Caridina Shrimp (Caridina spp.)

Adult size

Up to 3 cm

Typical adult length 2–3 cm.

Up to 3 cm

Countries of origin

  • See all stock from Taiwan

Good fit for your tank?

Good fit for

  • A stable Taiwan-bee setup where you want bold black-and-white bands rather than the spotted pattern of Galaxy shrimp.
  • A breeder prepared to select for solid black pigment, bright white bands, and clean borders between colours.
  • A species-focused shrimp tank with gentle filtration, moss, leaf litter, and no fish competing for food.

Think carefully if

  • The aquarium is newly cycled or still showing changing pH, ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate readings.
  • You expect all Black Pandas to have identical banding. The amount and placement of black and white can differ among grades and offspring.
  • You cannot keep the tank cool during hot weather. Panda-type Taiwan Bees can decline quickly when heat and low oxygen occur together.

A black-and-white Taiwan Bee–type Caridina line with contrasting Panda-style bands or patches.

Appearance and Identification

Deep black sections contrasted with opaque white body zones, often forming broad bands or block-like markings.

Black Panda is a Taiwan Bee–type aquarium line. Hybrid lineage and trade naming make Caridina spp. more accurate than assigning it to one biological species.

Adult females are generally larger and deeper-bodied than males. Colour and pattern intensity are not reliable sex indicators.

Tank Requirements

Suggested filter
About 80–100 litres an hour
Suggested heater
About 25–50 W for this tank
Minimum tank volume
20 litres
Minimum tank length
30 cm
Minimum group size
6
Recommended group size
10
Activity level
Moderate
Flow preference
Low to moderate
Planting preference
Heavily planted
Hiding places
Yes
Lid recommended
Yes
Jumping risk
Low

Use a mature, cycled aquarium with active substrate or another stable soft-water setup, gentle filtration, abundant biofilm, mosses, leaf litter, and protected filter intakes.

Behaviour and Tankmates

Peaceful dwarf shrimp that graze biofilm, algae, detritus, leaf litter, and prepared foods.

Best maintained in a group with other compatible Caridina lines sharing the same water requirements.

Not normally territorial.

Peaceful community fish may still eat shrimplets. Keep breeding colonies in shrimp-focused aquariums. Different compatible Caridina lines may interbreed and alter colour or pattern outcomes.

Check tankmates for this species

Water Parameters

Temperature
20–23 °C
pH
5.5–6.5
GH
4–6
KH
0–1
TDS
90–140
Stability importance
Very important

Use remineralized reverse-osmosis water and an active substrate. Keep hardness and dissolved solids stable, and avoid abrupt water changes.

Parameter caveat
Stability matters more than chasing a single number. Avoid abrupt changes in temperature, pH, GH, KH, or total dissolved solids.

Feeding

Diet types
Aufwuchs Grazer, Detritivore, Omnivore
Feeding frequency
Daily
Preferred foods
  • Mature biofilmPrimary natural grazing resource.
  • Complete dwarf-shrimp foodFeed sparingly and remove uneaten food.
  • Leaf litterProvides grazing area and slowly decomposing natural food.

Omnivorous biofilm grazer. Provide mature natural grazing surfaces and small portions of complete shrimp food, leaf litter, algae-based food, and occasional protein-rich food.

Avoid overfeeding. A mature aquarium with continuous biofilm is more important than heavy supplemental feeding.

Breeding

Breeding type
Direct Developer
Breeding difficulty
Moderate
Breeding temperature
22 °C
Breeding pH
6.2
Brood or egg count
Approximately 15–30 eggs, varying with female size and line
Incubation
28 days
Parental care
Maternal care
Baby foods
  • Mature biofilm and fine powdered shrimp foodShrimplets need constant access to microscopic food on established surfaces.

Direct-developing freshwater shrimp. Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen and release miniature shrimplets. Line purity and pattern consistency depend on selecting breeders and preventing unwanted crosses.

Habitat and Origin

Geographic origin
Captive Bred, Taiwan
Natural habitat
Freshwater Stream
Aquarium contexts
Breeding Aquarium, Planted Tank, Shrimp Tank
Audience level
Advanced, Intermediate

Classification

Profile type
Pattern variety
Genus
Caridina
Family
Atyidae
Species group
Caridina Shrimp

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