The cherry shrimp is a small, hardy freshwater invertebrate, a selectively bred colour form of Neocaridina davidi known for its bright red shell and easy care.
It is one of the best beginner invertebrates and a popular nano-tank species.
Reaching just a few centimetres, cherry shrimp graze biofilm and algae, breed readily, and form colourful colonies.
They are sensitive to copper and unstable water but otherwise undemanding, making them a good introduction to keeping freshwater shrimp.
Housing
A stable, mature, planted tank of at least 20L suits a cherry shrimp colony, with cool to warm temperatures of 18-26C and neutral to slightly alkaline water of moderate hardness.
They need plenty of biofilm, so an established tank is essential.
Provide moss, plants and surfaces for grazing, and gentle, shrimp-safe filtration with intake guards to protect tiny young.
Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and avoid any copper, which is lethal.
Stable parameters and a cycled tank matter more than precise numbers.
Diet
Cherry shrimp are omnivorous scavengers that graze biofilm and algae continuously, supplemented with specialised shrimp pellets, blanched vegetables such as spinach and courgette, and occasional protein.
A mature, biofilm-rich tank meets most of their needs.
Feed only tiny amounts every day or two, removing uneaten food to protect water quality.
Overfeeding fouls the water and is a common beginner mistake.
A varied diet supports colour, moulting and breeding; calcium and stable hardness aid healthy shell formation.
Health
Cherry shrimp are hardy but acutely sensitive to copper, ammonia, nitrite and sudden parameter swings, all of which cause failed moults and death.
Most losses trace to medications containing copper, unstable water, or adding shrimp to an immature tank.
Avoid copper-based fish treatments entirely, acclimatise new shrimp very slowly by drip, and keep water stable and well cycled.
Moulting problems often indicate insufficient calcium or fluctuating hardness.
In clean, stable conditions a colony stays healthy and reproduces steadily.
Temperament
Cherry shrimp are peaceful, social grazers that do best in colonies and feel secure in numbers, so start with at least ten.
They spend their days foraging over plants and surfaces and pose no threat to other inhabitants.
Keep them in a species tank or with very small, peaceful fish, as most fish will eat shrimplets and some will hunt adults.
Avoid all aggressive or larger fish.
They breed prolifically; cross-breeding with other Neocaridina colours dulls their bright hues over generations.
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner