Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Min Tank Size
10L
Adult Size
3 cm
Lifespan
2 years
About
Cherry shrimp are where most people's shrimp obsession starts, and honestly it's easy to see why. Native to Taiwan, Neocaridina davidi have been selectively bred into a staggering range of color forms, from the classic red cherry and high-grade Painted Fire Red to yellows, oranges, blues, greens, blacks, and whites. All of these are the same species underneath, just wearing different clothes.
They're genuinely hardy for a shrimp. They'll tolerate a wider temperature and pH range than the more demanding Caridina species, which makes them far more forgiving of imperfect water. Stability matters more than hitting exact numbers. Dramatic swings in pH, temperature, or total dissolved solids stress them out fast and will kill a colony before you notice something's wrong. Aim for 6.8 to 7.5 pH, 72 to 78 F, and moderate hardness.
Feeding is simple. They graze constantly on biofilm, algae, and decaying plant matter, which makes them genuinely useful as a cleanup crew. Supplement with dedicated shrimp foods, blanched vegetables, and the occasional protein source like freeze-dried daphnia. Don't overfeed. Fouled water from excess food kills more shrimp colonies than anything else.
In a well-planted, mature tank they'll breed without much encouragement. Berried females carry eggs for about three to four weeks, and the babies are miniature versions of the adults right from hatching. No larval stage, no special requirements. A colony can go from ten shrimp to a hundred in just a few months under good conditions.
Water Parameters
Temperature
°CpH
GH
dGHKH
dKHSwimming Level
Flow Preference
Compatibility
The bigger concern isn't what cherry shrimp do to their tankmates, it's what their tankmates do to them. Almost any fish with a mouth large enough will eat them, including fish that are generally considered peaceful community species. Neon tetras, guppies, and even small rasboras will snack on shrimp, especially juveniles. Truly safe options include small otocinclus, nerite snails, mystery snails, and other shrimp species. Dwarf puffer fish and cichlids are a hard no. If you want fish in the tank, nano species like chili rasboras or ember tetras work better than most, but babies will still get eaten. A densely planted tank with lots of moss and cover makes a huge difference in shrimp survival rates when fish are present.
Commonly kept with
Species this one is most often paired withCommonly tried but avoid
Often paired, but shouldn't beCare Notes
The most common mistake is adding shrimp to an uncycled or recently cycled tank. They're sensitive to ammonia and nitrite spikes even if fish survive the same conditions. A mature tank with stable parameters and established biofilm is what gets a colony thriving, not perfect numbers on paper. Copper is the other killer, lurking in some fish medications and plant fertilizers, so read labels carefully. Don't underestimate predation either. A fish that ignores adults may still pick off every single baby, which slowly collapses the colony over months without obvious cause.
Behavior & Aggression
Cherry shrimp are about as non-aggressive as anything you can put in a tank. They don't establish territories, don't fight each other in any meaningful way, and spend their days grazing peacefully alongside tankmates. Occasionally males will jostle briefly during breeding chases, but nothing that results in injury. The only time you'll see anything resembling conflict is when multiple shrimp converge on a food source, and even then it resolves itself in seconds. They pose absolutely no threat to any other animal in the tank.
Things to Know
- Copper in any form is lethal, check all medications and fertilizers
- Prolific breeders, populations can explode quickly in shrimp-only tanks
- Vulnerable to most fish, even small peaceful species may pick them off
- Females carry eggs for 3-4 weeks, protect berried females from stress
- Will breed prolifically in good conditions.
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