Snowball Shrimp

Neocaridina davidi

Also known as White Pearl shrimp, Snowflake shrimp

FreshwaterShrimp

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°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: Common
Origin: 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.
Family: Atyidae

Overview

A snowball colony is happy in 20 L or more at 18 to 28 C and a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, in cycled water with plants and biofilm to graze. Keep them with small peaceful fish or other shrimp. They breed easily, and the white eggs make berried females easy to spot. Feed algae, biofilm, blanched vegetables and a little shrimp food.

In the wild

The snowball, or white pearl, is a milky white line of Neocaridina davidi named for its bright white eggs that look like tiny snowballs. It is a small, peaceful grazer with the same easy care as cherry shrimp. The white color shows best against dark substrate and plants. It thrives in a stable, mature planted tank.

Good to know

The snowball's eggs are opaque white rather than the yellow or green of other lines, which is where the name comes from. It is the same species as every other Neocaridina davidi color, just with a selected white body. Some older sources listed it under Neocaridina zhangjiajiensis, but the trade now treats it as N. davidi.

Did you know

Berried snowball females are unmistakable, since the clutch of bright white eggs under the tail stands out far more than the pale eggs of most other shrimp.