4 perfect freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners

If you're just getting into shrimp keeping, it can be difficult to figure out which type to start with. There are so many species! So many colors, sizes and genera to choose from. Some are difficult to care for, while some are very easy. Today, let's have a look at some of the best freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners.

Keep reading to find out our selection of the 4 best starter shrimp!

Red Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. Red)

The Red Cherry shrimp is probably the most popular dwarf shrimp among both beginners and more experienced shrimp keepers. And for good reason! This red Neocaridina variety is not fussy about water values, very easy to breed and quite decorative. Colors can vary from a light pink to deep blood red. With smart selective breeding you can easily improve a colony's color intensity.

Keep your Red Cherry shrimp in a fully cycled aquarium of at least around five gallons (19L). If you're interested in breeding your Cherries, a single species setup with only shrimp is recommended. However, these shrimp also do well in peaceful community aquarium setups. They breed very quickly and the occasional casualty won't damage the population. Provide your Red Cherries with plenty of hiding places, especially in community tanks, and feed a high-quality shrimp food.

Have a look at the full Red Cherry shrimp care guide to learn more.

Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata)

Amano shrimp are named after the late famous aquascaper Takashi Amano, who first introduced them into the aquarium hobby on a large scale. Though colorless and not too exciting visually, these shrimp are among the most popular. They are pretty hardy, have a huge appetite for algae and make a great cleaning crew. All in all, Amanos really are among the most perfect freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners.

Amanos are a little larger than dwarf shrimp, but still peaceful. The only downside is that they are almost impossible to breed in the home aquarium: they hatch as larvae, which go through a brackish stage where they need a very specific amount of salt in their water. After this, they need to be returned to fresh water at exactly the right time.

Keep your Amano shrimp in a heated and cycled aquarium of at least around ten gallons (38L). As with all shrimp, provide plenty of hiding places in the form of plants, rocks and driftwood. If there are plenty of algae for the shrimp to eat, you don't have to supplement their diet all that much, but be sure to always have some shrimp food on hand in case the algae run out.

Have a look at the full Amano shrimp care guide to learn more.

Blue Dream shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. Blue)

The Blue Dream shrimp is a blue Neocaridina davidi variety: basically a blue version of the aforementioned Red Cherry. Their care requirements are the same, meaning they're great if you want a colorful but non-fussy shrimp. Like all aquarium shrimp, Blue Dreams also make a good cleaning crew that keeps the aquarium tidy by eating leftover foods and algae. They can be combined with small, peaceful fish species (provided there are enough hiding places), but show themselves more and breed more readily in an invert-only setup with snails and other shrimp.

By the way: there are plenty more Neocaridina davidi varieties out there. All of them easy to care for and make a great breeding project for beginners. Go for Blue Velvets if you're looking for a lighter blue color or maybe a bright Yellow! Just don't combine these shrimp in one aquarium, as they do interbreed and the offspring will eventually revert to a brownish wild color in most cases.

Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.)

Ghost shrimp are often sold as cheap food for larger fish species, but can also make an interesting permanent addition to the aquarium. They are on this list because they are incredibly hardy and can tolerate bad water values a lot better than most other shrimp. A great option if you're just getting started and worried about messing up, and one of our favorite freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners.

'Ghost shrimp' is a collective name for various shrimp species in the Palaemonetes genus. Be sure to buy from a reputable seller to avoid ending up with a huge aggressive river prawn or brackish variety. The Shrimp Farm sells Palaemonetes paludosus, which don't grow too large and should work fine in most cases.

Keep your ghost shrimp in a cycled aquarium of at least around 10 gallons. A peaceful community should work just fine (though keep in mind ghost shrimp can be a bit more aggressive than dwarf shrimp). Ghost shrimp larvae are tiny and very vulnerable, so if you're interested in breeding and don't want the young to end up being eaten, a single-species setup is probably a better idea.

Have a look at the ghost shrimp care guide to learn more.