King Kong

Description

The King Kong is a very beautiful form of the Red Bee. These shrimp prefer a pH of approximately 6–7.5, a carbonate hardness of 0–5° and a general hardness of approximately 1–10°. Conductivity should be between 80 and 400 µS, although successful breeding has also been achieved at a conductivity of 937 µS. Females of this species grow to approximately 3–3.5 cm, whereas males only reach approximately 2.5–3 cm.

It is still unclear whether the King Kong is a mutation or whether breeders developed the shrimp's black coloration through selective breeding and selection.

How breeding happens

Breeding the King Kong is very similar to breeding the Red Bee and Black Bee. These shrimp prefer slightly acidic water, in which they often also display better coloration. Once sexually mature, females develop an ovarian saddle behind the head when water quality is good and the water parameters are suitable. During the next molt, the male attaches a sperm packet to the female, which then tries to press the eggs previously produced behind the head into her abdominal pouches. Normally, there should be approximately 20–30 eggs. Inexperienced females often lose some of the eggs and sometimes even all of them. After approximately 4 weeks, the female releases the juveniles, which immediately hide in the moss. There they graze on everything in search of microorganisms and are constantly looking for food. At this still-young age, molts occur relatively frequently. However, their frequency steadily decreases with age. The shrimp reach sexual maturity at approximately 3–3½ months. To achieve better rearing success rates, it is advisable to use juvenile food.