Black King Kong (BKK) Breeding Guide
Breeding the premium Taiwan Bee Black King Kong of Caridina cantonensis: very soft acidic low-TDS water, grade genetics, sexing, berried females and direct-developing shrimplets.
Overview
Black King Kong (BKK) is a premium Taiwan Bee line of Caridina cantonensis with a nearly solid jet-black body. It belongs to the same species as Crystal and bee shrimp and reproduces by direct development — eggs hatch into miniature adults, with no larval or brackish stage. Taiwan Bee lines such as BKK, Panda and Pinto share this demanding, low-mineral husbandry.
Colour grade and pattern in Taiwan Bee shrimp are heritable, but the line carries little genetic diversity, so breeding programmes must manage inbreeding to keep offspring strong.
Sexing
Females are larger with a deeper abdomen used to carry eggs. Wikipedia notes females signal readiness with pheromones and males then swim actively to find them, behaviour easily observed in a mature colony.
Conditioning
Keep BKK in a stable, well-aged tank with very soft, acidic water. Taiwan Bee Caridina prefer soft water and cooler-than-tropical temperatures; The Shrimp Farm cites roughly 18-24 °C (65-75 °F) for bee-line shrimp. Light daily feeding of biofilm and prepared shrimp foods supports steady egg production.
- Active soil substrate buffering pH below 7.0
- Remineralised RO water held at a low, stable TDS
- Gentle, guarded filtration so shrimplets are not drawn in
Breeding Setup
BKK sits at the soft, acidic extreme of the bee line. The Shrimp Farm recommends GH around 4-6, KH 0-2 and a pH below 7.0 for Taiwan Bee Caridina, with parameter stability mattering more than hitting an exact number. A single-species tank prevents cross-breeding with other Caridina morphs.
Spawning & Berried Females
The berried female fans her eggs with the pleopods to keep water moving across them. The Shrimp Farm gives an incubation of about 30 days for bee-line Caridina, consistent with the roughly 28 days at 22 °C reported by Wikipedia for the species.
Shrimplet/Larval Care
BKK young hatch as fully formed shrimplets only a few millimetres long and are immediately independent. They graze on biofilm and detritus, so success depends on a mature tank rather than special larval feeding.
Common Challenges
As an inbred high-grade line, BKK is sensitive to any instability in TDS, pH or temperature; Wikipedia notes high temperatures reduce egg survival and raise mortality. Inbreeding can also produce weak offspring, so introducing fresh, compatible bloodlines helps maintain colony vigour.