How Do Taiwan Bees Breed? 5 Things To Know

The Taiwan bee shrimp is one of the most popular species of dwarf shrimp today, thanks to its striking coloration and ease of care. They are also very prolific breeders, making them an excellent choice for beginners or those looking to add some color to their tank.

A mature colony of Taiwan Bees breeds when the environment in their tank offers optimum breeding conditions. Water temperatures should be around 24-28 °C ( 76-82 °F), a neutral or slightly acidic pH level of between 6.5 and 7, adequate water quality, and they need to be fed a nutritious diet.

This article discusses five things to know when embarking on the journey of breeding Taiwan bees.

How Do Taiwan Bees Breed? 5 Things To Know

Things To Know When Breeding Taiwan Bees

The most important thing is to understand the shrimps’ needs and requirements. These shrimps are tiny and delicate. You need to ensure that you’re providing them with a healthy environment to grow and develop in. It’s not just about food; it’s also about the water temperature, quality, and PH level.

For successful Taiwan bee shrimps breeding, the following are five things to know and do before you start:

1. Taiwan Bees Are Temperature Specific

Like all invertebrates, they are susceptible to their environment’s temperature. Keeping Taiwan Bee Shrimps at a colder temperature will stimulate their breeding behavior. For optimal breeding behavior, the ideal temperature for the Taiwan Bee shrimps’ health is between 73-85 °F (22.77-29.44 °C).

2. Taiwan Bees Thrive in Optimum Water Quality

Water quality is the number one shrimp killer. A healthy shrimp will quickly become unhealthy in poor water. Water parameters are thus essential for shrimp. If you keep your water parameters in check, your shrimp will thrive.

Shrimp can handle a wide variety of conditions, but some basic things such as improving water quality need to be followed.

Here’s a simple way of improving their water quality:

Change 90% of the water every week. Alternatively, do it less frequently if you want your fish to get used to their environment.
Clean all decorations at least once a month. This includes gravel, plastic plants, stones, and other objects. Ensure you clean them well so the bacteria can’t grow on them. If possible, bo il them before putting them back in your fish tank.
Get a filter for your tank. Clean or change it regularly as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Some filters also have carbon cartridges that remove chemicals from the water. These cartridges need to be changed regularly, or they will stop working properly.
Opt for live plants instead of artificial ones. Live plants help with oxygenation and carbon dioxide exchange.

3. Optimal PH Level Is Important for Breeding

You can find Taiwan bee shrimps in various habitats, from freshwater to brackish water in the wild. But in most cases, their natural habitats are highly acidic, with a pH level below 6.8. However, Taiwan bee shrimps kept in captivity can also breed well in slightly alkaline waters as long as the pH level is below 7.5.

Taiwan bee shrimps kept in neutral waters (pH 7.0) will also breed, albeit slowly. This is because the water in the aquarium or tank tends to be more acidic due to the accumulation of decomposing organic matter like fish waste and uneaten food.

4. They Have To Reach Sexual Maturation

The sexual maturation process of this species is almost similar to other caridean shrimps. Both male and female individuals reach their maturity between 2 and 3 months. The shrimp become sexually differentiated when they reach about 1 cm (0.39 inches) in body length (2-3 months). Once they have reached sexual maturity, they then start mating.

When a female is ready to mate, she will release pheromones that attract males. The male then deposits sperm into her pleopods (swimming legs) underneath her abdomen. She will then release the sperm into her brood pouch, where it fertilizes the eggs. This brood pouch is created when she molts.

A female can carry up to 100 eggs in her brood pouch so you may see her with a large abdomen. When she releases these babies, they are developed and ready to find food independently.

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5. A Balanced Diet Is Important for Healthy Breeding

The diet of the Taiwan bee is vital because it ensures that the female shrimp can reproduce in the most natural way without physical defects. It can also produce eggs while avoiding parasites and toxic substances.

The best diet for shrimps is natural to live food from their environments like artemia (brine shrimp) and daphnia. The only problem is that it’s not always available, especially in winter, when we usually want to breed them. In this case, you need to feed them high-quality food formulated specifically for them. Nutrient-dense food such as algae-based wafers, flakes, or pellets is ideal because the nutrients found in this food help them thrive.

Final Thoughts

Taiwan Bees are not easy to breed. They have a lot of breeding requirements, including cold water temperatures, optimal water quality, a balanced diet, and sexual maturity. However, there is a very high chance of successful Taiwan bees breeding when all these requirements are met.