Extreme Blue Bolt Shrimp are the highest available grade of the Blue Bolt Taiwan Bee Caridina line -- animals selected beyond the standard Blue Bolt grade for the most complete, most opaque, and most evenly distributed cobalt blue body colouration available in the line, paired with the cleanest, brightest white on the head carapace and tail fan. The Extreme designation reflects selection pressure applied above what produces standard Blue Bolt quality: where standard Blue Bolt individuals carry vivid cobalt blue with good coverage, Extreme Blue Bolt carry full-body opacity across every surface including legs, underside, and rostrum, with no paler areas, no translucency, and no colour reduction at any body zone. The white sections are correspondingly cleaner and brighter -- the contrast between the deepest cobalt and the cleanest white at Extreme grade is the most vivid achievable within the Taiwan Bee Caridina line. Care requirements are identical to standard Blue Bolt and all Taiwan Bee Caridina: the narrowest parameter window in the catalog, RO water, Caridina-specific remineralisation, active aquasoil, and experienced parameter management. Recommended for keepers with prior Taiwan Bee Caridina experience. Safe with all snails.
5.8-6.8pH
4-6GH
0-2KH
68-74FTemperature
What to Expect
Grade, Colour and Behaviour
Full-body cobalt blue opacity at the maximum achievable in the line -- Extreme Blue Bolt carry cobalt blue across every surface of the body with no pale extremities, no translucency, and no reduction in colour saturation at the legs, underside, rostrum, or tail fan. This complete, even distribution of maximum-opacity colour across the entire animal is the defining quality marker that distinguishes Extreme grade from standard Blue Bolt -- it is not merely a deeper shade of the same colour but a more complete, more evenly realised coverage of the cobalt that standard Blue Bolt carries primarily on the main body sections.
The cleanest, brightest white head and tail contrast in the Blue Bolt line -- the white sections on Extreme Blue Bolt are correspondingly brighter and more cleanly defined than on standard grade -- the purity of the white is selected alongside the depth of the blue, producing the maximum contrast between the two colour elements simultaneously. The boundary between cobalt body and white head is sharper and more clearly defined than in lower-grade animals, making the two-tone pattern read as more graphic and more intentional.
Colour is directly parameter-responsive -- Extreme grade requires optimal conditions -- the full expression of Extreme Blue Bolt colour depends on genuinely optimal parameters -- not merely survivable ones. At pH 6.0-6.4, GH 4-5, KH 0-1, temperature 70-72F the cobalt is at its deepest and the white at its cleanest. Toward the outer edges of the parameter range the colour becomes less opaque and the white less vivid -- a reliable indicator of parameter quality independent of test kit readings.
Experienced keepers only -- Taiwan Bee parameter demands apply fully -- Extreme Blue Bolt carry no additional fragility from their colour selection, but the base parameter requirements of Taiwan Bee Caridina -- RO water, Caridina-specific remineralisation, active aquasoil, zero-KH management -- require the experience and infrastructure that successful Taiwan Bee keeping demands. Not recommended as a first Caridina species or a first Taiwan Bee attempt.
Breeds in freshwater with direct shrimplet release -- females carry clutches for 4-6 weeks and release fully formed shrimplets into the tank. Dense moss, established biofilm surfaces, and parameter stability throughout the brooding period are all important for shrimplet survival and development of full Extreme grade colour in the next generation.
How to Set It Up
Getting Started
1Establish and verify Taiwan Bee parameters for two weeks before introduction -- pH 6.0-6.4, GH 4-5, KH 0-1, temperature 70-72F using RO water and Caridina-specific remineralisation. Active aquasoil. Test daily. Do not introduce until parameters have been stable for a full two weeks.
2Drip acclimate over 90-120 minutes minimum -- float bag 15 minutes, drip at one drop per second for 90-120 minutes. Extreme Blue Bolt are as sensitive to acclimation stress as any Taiwan Bee Caridina -- never rush this step.
3Dense established moss and proven biofilm before introduction -- Taiwan Moss or Christmas Moss established and actively growing for at least four weeks before introduction. Biofilm-rich surfaces are the primary food source for shrimplets and the quality of this surface determines first-generation breeding success.
4Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food within 2 hours -- small amounts of high-quality Caridina food every 1-2 days. In the zero-KH environment of a Taiwan Bee tank, uneaten decomposing food degrades water quality faster than in buffered setups -- consistent removal is essential.
Bonus TipExtreme Blue Bolt shrimp are most effectively displayed in a minimalist tank setup -- small volume (20-40 litres), white or very pale sand substrate, a single piece of Taiwan Moss or Christmas Moss on a small rock, no other plants or hardscape. The minimalist environment removes every competing visual element and makes the maximum-opacity cobalt blue of the shrimp the sole focus of the tank. Against white sand the floating-blue-body effect -- where the white head and tail blend toward the pale substrate and the cobalt body appears to float independently -- is at its most dramatic and most immediately striking.
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Browse more Caridina shrimpPair Extreme Blue Bolt with standard Blue Bolt, Red Bolt, or Shadow Panda for a complete Taiwan Bee setup. Browse our Caridina Shrimp collection.
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