Care guide · Freshwater shrimp

Bee shrimp

Caridina logemanni

Red-and-white cultivated Caridina logemanni. Photo: 5snake5 · Source · CC0Resized and compressed; no cropping or colour changes.

Bee shrimp require a different approach from the more adaptable cherry shrimp. Caridina logemanni is a small soft-water grazer known for black-and-white and red-and-white cultivated forms. A stable soft-water setup matters more than adding as much equipment and treatment as possible. This species suits keepers who can measure water, prepare changes carefully and build a quiet colony. Juveniles readily disappear in community aquaria. This guide covers the biological species and recognisable bee selections; it does not automatically apply to every modern hybrid sold under a commercial Bee name. The photograph shows a red-and-white cultivated form.

Plan your aquarium →

At a glance

Temperature: 20–24 °C
pH: 5.8–6.5
GH: 4–6 °dGH
KH: 0–1 °dKH
Difficulty: Difficult
Diet: Omnivore
Plant safety: Yes
Minimum aquarium volume: At least 30 L
Adult size: Approximately 2–3 cm
Group size: At least 10 individuals
Swimming zone: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Cover: Suitable plants, Wood

Figures are cautious husbandry guidance, not a full stocking calculation. Missing values are insufficiently supported. Read layout, water and pairing conditions together.

About this species

The species was distinguished scientifically in 2014 during work on shrimp from southern China and Hong Kong. The older collective name Caridina cf. cantonensis is consequently not a precise current identification. Adults reach roughly two to three centimetres. Females are usually fuller-bodied and carry eggs underneath the abdomen. Pattern and white coverage are breeding traits, not measures of health or separate species. Ask about the line’s origin and any hybridisation: a commercial name alone is insufficient.

Natural habitat

Natural populations inhabit small streams in the Hong Kong region. The describing study reports soft water, but one measurement from a locality is not a universal aquarium recipe. Stable conditions, oxygen and plentiful grazing surfaces are useful maintenance principles. An aquarium need not reproduce an entire stream to provide these functions. Use wood, fine vegetation and sheltered surfaces. Avoid decorations that release substantial hardness unnoticed when the intended environment is soft water.

Aquarium and layout

A mature species aquarium from about 30 litres makes careful maintenance easier than a very small container. Begin with at least ten animals and protect the filter intake. If using active substrate, understand how it affects pH and KH and how this changes with age. It neither replaces testing nor is automatically necessary for every water source. Provide refuges that remain accessible without dismantling the entire layout during maintenance. Fine moss offers sheltered grazing for juveniles.

Water conditions

For the selected cultivated forms, the conservative soft-water range is about 20–24 °C, pH 5.8–6.5, GH 4–6 and KH 0–1. These are maintenance guidelines based on specialist breeding experience, not proven boundaries for every population. Low carbonate buffering makes stability particularly important. Discuss moves from different breeding conditions with the supplier. Unprepared reverse-osmosis water does not automatically contain everything required; equally, do not routinely add salts to water already suitable. No exact TDS target is specified.

Behaviour and group size

Bee shrimp graze quietly across the aquarium. A secure group is easier to observe than individuals continually avoiding fish. Avoid unnecessary moves of egg-carrying females and excessive substrate disturbance. Colonies benefit from continuity: do not simultaneously replace substrate, filter, food and water source when something goes wrong. As numbers increase, assess usable surface area as well as litres. A sponge filter can provide both a safe intake and additional feeding surface.

Feeding

Grazing on microorganisms, algae and organic material should be supported by suitable complete dwarf-shrimp food. Small portions at several points are easier to monitor than a large pile. Feeding only protein-rich fish food is not a balanced approach. Suitable leaves provide variety and surfaces but do not replace attention to diet. Use powdered juvenile food sparingly: a barely visible excess can still burden the water. Observe actual consumption before offering more.

Breeding

Eggs develop underneath the abdomen and produce small shrimp that remain in freshwater. Reproduction may be regular under suitable conditions, but success varies with line, age and maintenance. Several weeks is a more useful incubation description than a guaranteed date. Protect juveniles from filter intakes and tankmates. Caridina logemanni can be crossed with related aquarium lines. Keep species and selections separate when maintaining identity matters, and do not sell mixed offspring as a pure line.

Keeping with fish

Fish that ignore adult bee shrimp may eat almost all their young. Many community fish also do not fit the cool, very soft maintenance conditions selected here. Assess both predation and water chemistry. Even small fish can suppress a colony through persistent picking. The linked cards assess individual combinations; they are not a list of fish to add together. A fishless aquarium remains the clearest choice for predictable juvenile survival.

Keeping with other invertebrates

Combining a soft-water colony with snails requiring more minerals and less acidic water is often unhelpful. Do not let the wish for extra cleaners dictate water chemistry. Tiger shrimp may interbreed with bee lines, while their chosen maintenance ranges are not automatically identical. Large Amano shrimp are not specialised predators but can displace bee shrimp at food. Crayfish do not belong in a quiet breeding colony. Use the actual species relationships rather than broad labels such as shrimp-safe.

Exoskeleton, shell and minerals

Even in soft water, shrimp must rebuild an exoskeleton. Low KH does not mean GH or dietary minerals are unimportant. Prepare replacement water consistently and give freshly moulted animals peace. Shed exoskeletons may be eaten. Recurrent problems require investigation of changes and loading; an extra mineral product is not a proven universal remedy. Avoid rapidly correcting hardness in an attempt to help one animal.

Possible problems

Heat peaks, inadequate oxygen and sudden changes deserve attention. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight and check temperature during hot weather. Colour changes alone do not establish a diagnosis. Fish medicines and algae treatments are not automatically suitable, particularly when copper ingredients or their intended use are uncertain. Seek knowledgeable help for repeated illness and record water measurements, recent changes and the course of events rather than trying several treatments.