Blue Bolt Shrimp are a Taiwan Bee Caridina -- a line derived from selective breeding within the Bee shrimp family -- carrying vivid sky-blue to deep cobalt body colouration with clean white on the head and tail segments. The blue is the defining characteristic: at its best in well-bred, high-grade individuals maintained at optimal parameters, the cobalt blue is saturated and opaque enough to read as a true solid colour event in the tank rather than a translucent wash. The white head and tail provide a clean framing contrast that makes the blue body colour appear even more vivid by comparison. Blue Bolt parameters sit at the same narrow Caridina range as other Taiwan Bee lines -- soft, acidic, ultra-low-KH water is essential -- and the intensity of the blue colouration is directly parameter-responsive: shrimp at genuinely optimal conditions are visibly more intensely blue than the same animals in merely adequate conditions. Recommended for keepers with prior Caridina experience. Safe with all snails.
5.8-6.8pH
4-6GH
0-2KH
68-74FTemperature
What to Expect
Colour, Grade and Behaviour
Vivid sky-blue to deep cobalt body -- the most intensely blue Caridina in the catalog -- the blue colour of Blue Bolt at its best is warm-to-neutral cobalt -- not the grey-blue of some diluted colour morphs but a saturated, clearly vivid blue that reads across the tank. Grade quality is reflected primarily in colour opacity and saturation: high-grade individuals carry deep, opaque cobalt across the full body; lower-grade individuals carry lighter, more translucent blue with the internal structures more visible through the body tissue.
White head and tail segments frame the blue body -- the white colouration on the head carapace and tail fan provides a natural framing that concentrates visual attention on the blue body section. The white is most clean and bright in well-maintained optimal conditions -- in sub-optimal parameters the white may appear off-white or cream rather than the bright clean white of a well-kept specimen.
Blue depth is directly parameter-responsive -- optimal conditions produce the most vivid colour -- as with all Taiwan Bee Caridina, colour intensity is a reliable indicator of parameter quality. Shrimp at pH 6.0-6.4, GH 4-5, KH 0-1, temperature 70-72F produce the most vivid, most opaque blue. Shrimp at the outer edges of the survivable parameter range are visibly less intensely blue -- a useful ongoing quality indicator beyond test kit readings alone.
Active and visible in well-established tanks at optimal parameters -- settled Blue Bolt in a stable tank graze continuously across all surfaces, compete actively at food drops, and move freely throughout the day. The vivid blue body colour makes individuals easy to observe and track at any point in the tank -- a quality that adds significantly to the experience of keeping this species relative to more subtly coloured Caridina.
Taiwan Bee difficulty -- narrow parameters, experienced keepers recommended -- Blue Bolt share the parameter requirements and sensitivity profile of all Taiwan Bee Caridina. RO water, Caridina-specific remineralisation, active aquasoil substrate, and experienced parameter management are all required for consistent success. Not recommended as a first Caridina species.
Breeds in freshwater with direct shrimplet release -- females carry clutches of 15-25 eggs for 4-6 weeks and release fully formed miniature Blue Bolt directly into the tank. Dense moss coverage, established biofilm surfaces, and parameter stability throughout the brooding period all contribute to shrimplet survival.
How to Set It Up
Getting Started
1Establish optimal Taiwan Bee parameters two weeks before introduction -- target pH 6.0-6.5, GH 4-5, KH 0-1, temperature 70-72F using RO water and Caridina-specific remineralisation mineral. Active aquasoil substrate maintains stable low pH. Test daily to confirm stability before introduction.
2Drip acclimate over 90-120 minutes minimum -- Blue Bolt are sensitive to parameter transitions. Float the bag for 15 minutes to temperature-equalise, then drip tank water at one drop per second for 90-120 minutes before release. Never use the float-and-pour method.
3Dense moss, biofilm, and established tank -- introduce Blue Bolt only to a tank that has been running for at least 4-6 weeks with established moss and biofilm surfaces. Taiwan Moss, Christmas Moss, or Java Moss all provide appropriate shrimplet shelter and foraging surfaces.
4Feed sparingly with high-quality Caridina food -- small amounts every 1-2 days, removed within 2-3 hours if uneaten. The low-buffering environment of a Blue Bolt tank is more vulnerable to the water quality impact of excess food than harder, more buffered setups.
Bonus TipBlue Bolt shrimp on white or very pale sand substrate -- rather than the dark substrate typical of Caridina setups -- creates a colour presentation opposite to the usual convention: the vivid cobalt body reads with exceptional immediacy against the pale substrate, and the clean white head and tail sections become nearly invisible against it, making the blue body appear to float disconnected from the substrate. On dark substrate the white framing reads clearly and the cobalt body is deep and rich. Both approaches are visually effective but produce fundamentally different aesthetic results -- choose based on whether the primary impact is the overall colour contrast (dark substrate) or the vivid blue body in isolation (pale substrate).
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Browse more Caridina shrimpPair Blue Bolt with Red Bolt, Shadow Panda, or other Taiwan Bee Caridina for a complete advanced setup. Browse our Caridina Shrimp collection.
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