Variety of Neocaridina shrimp
Cherry shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
One of 11 varieties of Neocaridina davidi · See all varieties →
Also known as Cherry Red Shrimp
FreshwaterShrimp
Varieties · Neocaridina davidi
See all 11 →
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 59–84°F
- 15–29°C
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
- Adult size
- 1.6 in
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 5 gal
- 20 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Easy
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Atyidae
- Origin
- Taiwan
Overview
Keep them in a group, the more the better, in a tank of about 20 liters or larger. They are peaceful bottom dwellers that spend the day grazing on algae, biofilm, and leftover food, and a quality algae wafer or shrimp pellet rounds out their diet. They handle a wide temperature range, roughly 15 to 29 C, and a pH from about 6.5 to 8, but they hate sudden swings, so go slow on water changes. Keep them with small, peaceful fish or no fish at all, since anything large will eat the young.
In the wild
Cherry shrimp come from streams and ponds in Taiwan, where they graze over rocks, leaf litter, and plants. Give them a planted tank with moss, driftwood, and some biofilm to pick at, since that mimics what they eat in the wild. A mature, stable tank suits them best because they live and graze along every surface.
Good to know
This is Neocaridina davidi, a dwarf shrimp in the family Atyidae. Adults stay small, around 4 cm at most, and usually live one to two years. Females carry their eggs under the tail until the fry hatch as tiny, fully formed shrimp with no larval stage.
Did you know
Color comes from selective breeding, not the wild type, which is a plain brownish shrimp. Breeders have pushed cherry shrimp into grades from pale pink up to deep solid red, and the redder lines usually cost more.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Cherry 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.
Mini bumblebee goby
Brachygobius xanthomelas
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Chili rasbora
Boraras brigittae
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 7 gal (25 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Zebra nerite
Vittina natalensis
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)66–84°F (19–29°C)
Tangerine tiger shrimp
Caridina serrata
Freshwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Micro bumblebee goby
Brachygobius nunus
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Dwarf livebearer
Neoheterandria elegans
Freshwater1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Common questions
Is a Cherry shrimp a different species from the Neocaridina shrimp?
No. A Cherry 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 Cherry shrimp need?
A Cherry shrimp needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
How big does a Cherry shrimp get?
An adult Cherry shrimp reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).
Related species
1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)Okinawa cleaner shrimp
Neocaridina denticulata
1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Red skunk shrimp
Caridina gracilirostris
1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1.6 in (4 cm)7 gal (25 L)64–73°F (18–23°C)Tiger shrimp
Caridina mariae
1.6 in (4 cm) · 7 gal (25 L)
1.4 in (3.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Short-nose algae shrimp
Caridina longirostris
1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1.4 in (3.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Sunkist shrimp
Caridina thambipillai
1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
2 in (5 cm)8 gal (30 L)59–81°F (15–27°C)Amano shrimp
Caridina multidentata
2 in (5 cm) · 8 gal (30 L)