A captive bred Taiwan Bee line of Caridina cantonensis, line bred from bee shrimp whose wild form lives in soft, acidic streams in southern China.
Overview
The blue bolt shrimp is a Taiwan Bee with a clear white head that fades into a deep blue tail. It is a shrimp for experienced keepers.
Did you know
The depth of blue in a blue bolt can shift with diet and water. Breeders select carefully to hold the strongest, most even color.
Caring for the blue bolt shrimp
Keep blue bolt shrimp in a mature tank of at least 5 gal (19 L) on active shrimp soil. A planted tank with moss and biofilm gives them grazing surfaces and hiding places.
Like all Taiwan Bees, blue bolts need soft, acidic water with low TDS. Use RO water remineralized for Caridina, at a pH of 5.2 to 6.2 and TDS near 100 to 130. Keep it at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C).
Blue bolts want a lower pH and TDS than crystal shrimp. Stable water is essential, since they react badly to swings in pH or TDS. They are also sensitive to copper.
Feed biofilm, botanicals and prepared shrimp foods. Blue bolts are peaceful and social, and they graze constantly along the bottom and on plants. Keep them in a dedicated shrimp tank or with other Taiwan Bees.
Females carry the eggs under the tail and fan them until they hatch. The young come out as fully formed miniature shrimp, with no free-swimming larval stage. Breeding them is a moderate challenge.
Good to know
The blue bolt is a Taiwan Bee form of Caridina logemanni, line bred from the bee shrimp, and it is also sold as Caridina cantonensis. Its blue is a structural color that varies in depth between individuals. Blue bolt, king kong and panda all come from the same Taiwan Bee genetics.
In the wild
The blue bolt is a captive-bred Taiwan Bee line. Its wild ancestor, the bee shrimp, lives in soft, acidic streams in southern China.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The blue bolt shrimp is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Is a blue bolt shrimp a different species from the bee shrimp?
No. A blue bolt shrimp is a variety of the bee shrimp, Caridina logemanni. It is kept the same way apart from difficulty and pH.
What size tank does a blue bolt shrimp need?
A blue bolt shrimp needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What does a blue bolt shrimp eat?
A blue bolt shrimp grazes biofilm along the bottom and on plants. Feed it botanicals and prepared shrimp foods as well.
How big does a blue bolt shrimp get?
An adult blue bolt shrimp reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).
How does a blue bolt shrimp breed?
A female blue bolt shrimp carries her eggs under the tail and fans them until they hatch. The young are fully formed miniature shrimp with no larval stage, and breeding is a moderate challenge.
1.6 in (4 cm)7 gal (25 L)64–73°F (18–23°C)
1.2 in (3 cm)10 gal (38 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
2 in (5 cm)8 gal (30 L)59–81°F (15–27°C)
1.4 in (3.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)