Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

The Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) is the classic red dwarf shrimp and the one most shrimp keepers start with. Hardy, peaceful, and always busy, a group picks over plants, wood, and glass for biofilm and algae, cleans up leftover food, and breeds readily in a stable tank. Cherry is the standard red grade: females show the deepest red, while males stay slimmer and paler, often with clear patches. Browse the rest of our freshwater invertebrates and live aquarium plants to build a shrimp tank around them.

Care Guide

• Mature tank first: add shrimp only to a fully cycled tank that has been running for several weeks. Established tanks carry the biofilm shrimp graze on, and brand new tanks often do not.
• Acclimate slowly: drip acclimate over an hour or more. Cherry shrimp tolerate a wide range of water but not sudden swings in temperature, pH, or hardness.
• Keep a group: start with 10 or more for a good mix of males and females and a colony that keeps growing.
• Minerals matter: shrimp need some hardness to molt cleanly. Aim for 6 to 12 dGH. If you use RO or very soft tap water, remineralize with Seachem Equilibrium.
• No copper: copper kills shrimp. Many fish medications and some plant fertilizers contain it, so read every label, and treat sick fish in a separate tank.
• Brighter red: a darker substrate, plenty of plants, and a varied diet bring out stronger color. Stressed or newly moved shrimp often look pale for a few days, then color back up.
• Filter intake: use a sponge filter or cover the intake with a sponge so shrimplets are not pulled in.
• Feed lightly: a small pinch once a day or every other day. Remove leftovers after a couple of hours.

Specifications

Compatibility

Cherry shrimp are completely peaceful and never bother fish, snails, or plants. What matters is whether the tank mates will eat them.

• Great with: Amano Shrimp, nerite snails such as the Batman Nerite, and Otocinclus.
• Good with some losses: nano fish like Micro Tiger Rasboras and Ember Tetras leave adults alone but will eat some shrimplets. Heavy moss and plant cover keeps the colony growing.
• Other Neocaridina colors: Rili Red and Blue Diamond are the same species and will crossbreed with cherries. They live together fine, but mixed offspring lose their color over generations, so keep each color in its own tank if you want them to breed true.
• Avoid: cichlids, angelfish, gouramis, goldfish, loaches, and any fish big enough to swallow a 1 inch shrimp. Bettas are hit or miss and often hunt shrimp.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Shrimp Cuisine sinking staple sized for dwarf shrimp
• Seachem NutriDiet Shrimp Flakes to rotate in for variety and color
• Java Moss nursery cover for shrimplets and a biofilm farm
• Fluval Plant & Shrimp Stratum dark substrate that makes red shrimp pop
• Galapagos Cholla Wood grows the biofilm shrimp graze all day
• Hikari Bacto-Surge Foam Filter shrimp safe filtration for breeding tanks

FAQ

What is the difference between Cherry, Sakura, and Fire Red? They are all red grades of the same shrimp. Cherry is the standard grade, with lighter red and some see-through areas, especially on males. Sakura, Fire Red, and Painted Fire Red are selectively bred for more solid, opaque red. Care is identical across all of them.

Why are some of mine paler than others? Males are naturally lighter and slimmer than females. Color also fades with stress, after a move, or on a very light substrate, and usually returns once they settle in.

How many should I buy? Start with 10 or more so you have both sexes and a colony that grows on its own.

Are they easy to breed? Yes. Females carry eggs under the tail for about a month, and the babies hatch as tiny fully formed shrimp. In a mature tank with moss and no shrimp eating fish, the colony takes care of itself.

Can I keep them with my other colored shrimp? Safely, yes. They will crossbreed with other Neocaridina colors, though, and the offspring drift back toward brown or clear. Amano shrimp are a different genus and will not crossbreed.