Cherry shrimp

Quick facts

Adult size

3 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 2 years; captive average 12-18 months; molting frequency drops as they age

Tank zone

all

Temperament

peaceful

Difficulty

beginner

Water parameters

Temperature

18–28°C

pH

6.5 to 8.0

Hardness

6 to 20 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

20 L

Minimum length

30 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

moderate

Substrate

any

Driftwood

preferred

Hiding spots

needed

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the all.

Primarily a biofilm and algae grazer. A mature tank with established surfaces provides most of their diet. Supplement with blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach, nettle), algae wafers, and commercial shrimp food 2-3 times per week. Do not overfeed; excess food fouls the water and shrimp are extremely sensitive to ammonia. Specialized shrimp foods (Shrimp King, GlasGarten) contain minerals that support molting. A piece of Indian almond leaf or alder cone in the tank provides continuous biofilm growth and mild tannins.

Vegetable matter required (algae wafers, blanched zucchini, spinach).

Compatibility

• Keep in a species-only tank for maximum breeding success. Any fish will eat shrimplets, and most fish larger than 3–4 cm will eat adults too.
• Safe tankmates are limited: otocinclus, small snails (nerites, ramshorns), and other dwarf shrimp. Pygmy corys are generally safe but may eat the smallest fry.
• Do not mix color varieties of Neocaridina (red, blue, yellow, orange) unless you don't care about offspring color. They interbreed freely and revert to wild-type brown within a few generations.
• Copper is lethal to shrimp at low concentrations. Avoid medications containing copper, and check fertilizers for copper content.

Habitat

Selectively bred from the wild Neocaridina davidi, which is a plain brown-gray shrimp native to freshwater streams in Taiwan and southern China. The cherry red coloration is the result of decades of selective breeding. Grading ranges from low-grade (mostly translucent with some red) to painted fire red (solid opaque red). Higher grades are more expensive but the grading is purely aesthetic; care requirements are identical. Cherry shrimp have become the most popular freshwater invertebrate in the hobby because they breed readily, tolerate a wide range of parameters, and eat algae. They are the default starter shrimp for anyone new to invertebrates.

Breeding

Among the easiest aquarium animals to breed. Females carry eggs under their swimmerets (the small legs under the tail) for about 30 days. Shrimplets hatch as miniature adults, not larvae, and need no special food. In a predator-free tank with stable parameters, a colony of 10 will grow to 50-100 within a few months. Breeding slows or stops if the water is too cold (below 20°C), too unstable, or if the shrimp are stressed. Berried females (carrying eggs) should not be moved; the stress can cause them to drop the eggs. Selective breeding for color intensity involves culling (removing) low-grade offspring from the breeding colony.

Common problems

Failed molts are the most common cause of death. Shrimp shed their exoskeleton as they grow, and if mineral levels (GH, KH) are too low, the new shell doesn't harden properly and the shrimp dies mid-molt. Maintain GH 6-8 and KH 3-5 for reliable molting. "White ring of death" is a white band behind the head where the old shell cracked but the shrimp couldn't escape; it's almost always fatal and caused by mineral deficiency or sudden parameter swings. Planaria and hydra are predators that can appear in shrimp tanks; planaria eat shrimplets, hydra sting and kill them. Treat with fenbendazole (sold as No Planaria or Panacur C). Avoid copper-based medications entirely.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 0.1 (tiny invertebrate; bioload is mostly negligible at single units, treated as 1/10 of a neon tetra so a colony of 20 equals 2 neons).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• Stocking ideas by tank size