A captive bred color line of the dwarf shrimp Neocaridina davidi, whose wild form lives in freshwater streams and ponds across eastern China and Taiwan.
Overview
The Bloody Mary shrimp is a deep, translucent blood red line of Neocaridina davidi. It is as hardy and easy to keep as any other Neocaridina color.
Did you know
Because the red sits over a clear shell, Bloody Mary shrimp can look almost see-through in some light and glow solid red in others.
Caring for the Bloody Mary shrimp
Keep a Bloody Mary colony in at least 5 gal (19 L) of stable, cycled water. A mature planted tank with moss and biofilm to graze suits them best.
They handle 59 to 84°F (15 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Feed algae, biofilm, blanched vegetables and a little shrimp pellet. They molt as they grow, stay soft for a few hours afterward, and eat the cast shells for their minerals.
Bloody Mary shrimp are small, peaceful algaegrazers that pick over plants, wood and substrate. Keep them with other small, peaceful shrimp or tiny fish that will not eat them.
Females are larger and more deeply colored than males. A female carries 20 to 40 eggs under the tail for three to four weeks, and the young hatch fully formed with no larval stage. They breed readily with no special effort, so a few animals soon become a colony.
Good to know
Every Neocaridina davidi color line, from cherry to blue to this red, is the same species, and the color is a selected trait. Bloody Mary was line bred from the chocolate and rili gene pool to fix its clear, glassy red. Its red comes from pigment, unlike the opaque red of a painted fire red cherry.
In the wild
The Bloody Mary is a captive-bred color line of Neocaridina davidi. Its wild form lives in freshwater streams and ponds across eastern China and Taiwan.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Bloody Mary shrimp is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Is a Bloody Mary shrimp a different species from the Neocaridina shrimp?
No. A Bloody Mary shrimp is a variety of the Neocaridina shrimp, Neocaridina davidi, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a Bloody Mary shrimp need?
A Bloody Mary shrimp needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What does a Bloody Mary shrimp eat?
A Bloody Mary shrimp grazes algae and biofilm over plants, wood and substrate. Add blanched vegetables and a little shrimp pellet.
How big does a Bloody Mary shrimp get?
An adult Bloody Mary shrimp reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).
How can you tell a male Bloody Mary shrimp from a female?
Female Bloody Mary shrimp are larger and more deeply colored than males.
How does a Bloody Mary shrimp breed?
A female Bloody Mary shrimp carries 20 to 40 eggs under her tail for three to four weeks. The young hatch fully formed, and the shrimp breed readily with no special effort.
1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)7 gal (25 L)64–73°F (18–23°C)
1.4 in (3.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
1.4 in (3.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
2 in (5 cm)8 gal (30 L)59–81°F (15–27°C)