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Species profile

Red King Kong Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Common names: Red King Kong Caridina Shrimp, Red King Kong Shrimp, RKK Shrimp

Breeding lineCaridina Shrimp
Red King Kong 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 Taiwan-bee aquarium prepared for dark wine-red body colour with a small amount of contrasting white.
  • A dedicated breeding tank where red depth, white band placement, and strong shell coverage can be selected.
  • An experienced keeper able to provide cool, clean, oxygen-rich water and fine food for small young.

Think carefully if

  • You expect the colour to look bright cherry red. Red King Kong shrimp usually show a deeper wine or burgundy tone.
  • The aquarium uses ordinary hard tap water or has measurable KH that is difficult to keep stable and low.
  • You plan to mix them with Crystal Reds or other red lines while expecting the King Kong pattern and Taiwan-bee genetics to remain predictable.

A red Taiwan Bee–type Caridina line selected for deep body colour and reduced white patterning.

Appearance and Identification

Deep wine-red to red body colour with variable white head, tail, or small body markings.

Red King Kong is a Taiwan Bee–type trade line, not a biological species. Breeder usage may overlap with Wine Red and other red Taiwan Bee classifications.

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

Keep in soft, acidic water with near-zero KH. Active substrate and carefully remineralized reverse-osmosis water support stable conditions.

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
Breeding line
Genus
Caridina
Family
Atyidae
Species group
Caridina Shrimp

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Red Pinto Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
20–23 °C

Santa Caridina Shrimp

Caridina spp.

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
20–23 °C

Shadow Panda Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
20 litres
Temperature
19–24 °C

Sulawesi Fan Shrimp

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Care level
Advanced
Adult size
2–3 cm
Minimum tank
30 litres
Temperature
27–30 °C

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