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SnailsNeocaridina Shrimp: Care, Water Parameters, Color, & More
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Neocaridina Shrimp: Care, Water Parameters, Color, & More
Neocaridina Shrimp Colors and Types
Neocaridina shrimp are a favorite of many aquarists, due to their ease of care and vibrant colors. They come in numerous varieties that vary from red cherry shrimp, yellow shrimp, blue velvet shrimp, blue Pearl shrimp, snowball shrimp, rili shrimp, green shrimp, black rose shrimp and more. Neocaridina make great additions to any freshwater aquarium because they can help keep the tank clean by scavenging for food and debris. Additionally, they require minimal maintenance and are relatively easy to breed in captivity. To ensure proper health and coloration of your neocaridina shrimp, you should pay attention to water parameters such as pH level, temperature range, hardness levels and oxygen saturation levels. With the right conditions in place these little critters will thrive in your home aquarium!
Variations of the scientific name include: Neocaridina davidi and neocaridina heteropoda.
Neocaridina General Tank Setup
Setting up a neocaridina shrimp tank is not challenging. Dwarf shrimp are low demanding livestock. The tank setup for these aquarium shrimp is much like that of a fish aquarium.
Substrate
Neocaridina shrimp do not require buffering substrate. They do fine with inert substrates like pool sand, gravel, black diamond blasting sand, seachem black flourite and many others.
Water Source
Tap Water
Neocaridina Shrimp water parameters are important to learn and understand. Starting with a good water source is key. Using tap water is generally fine, but results will vary from locaiton to location as each supply is treated with different chemicals at various different times within the year. This makes using tap water a little unpredictable at times. Neocaridina shrimp are out of all aquarium shrimp the best to accept a wide range of tap water parameters. These freshwater shrimp are the most hardy to start with. Generally buying some starter cheaper shrimp is recommended to avoid killing more pricey shrimp if you are unsure your water will work for them.
RODI Water
Using RODI water is ideal as RODI is more or less 100% h20 stripped of all minerals. Think of it as taking away all of the good and the bad and starting with a blank slate. When using RODI water you will also use a mineralizer like Salty Shrimp GH/KH. Using a mineralizer like this adds back only the good things the neocaridina shrimp will need.
Live Plants
Adding aquarium plants to your shrimp aquarium are important! Plants provide your tiny shrimp with micro-organisms as foods to fed on. Plants also provide cover for your shrimp to feel safe and hide in. They help keep your aquarium parameters in balance. Plants of all kinds are generally always ideal for a shrimp aquarium. Java Moss, Floating plants like red root floaters, Java Fern, Buce, and many others are perfect to add.
Filtration
Typically most shrimp keepers will use sponge filters for filtration however using power filters like HOB filters Canister filters..etc are fine as long as you cover the intake so the shrimp will not get sucked into the filter.
Water Parameters
Neocaridina shrimp can adapt to a wide range of parameters in general. The most ideal parameters are considered to be GH of 9-11, KH 4-6, PH 7.0-7.6. Of course having a cycled aquarium is also key!
Neocaridina Shrimp Tank Mates
Keeping your neocaridina shrimp with other livestock is achieve in many cases. The general rule is always if the other livestock can fit the shrimp into their mouths they will likely try at some point. Here are a few types you can keep with your neocaridina shrimp.
Snail Tank Mates
Freshwater snails make great additions for these dwarf shrimp. Snails like Ramshorn or mystery snails will help clean algae in addition to the shrimp. The snails also leave a slime trail which the shrimp can feed on which is also beneficial!
Fish Tank Mates
Nano fish like Chili Rasboras, Galaxy Rasboras (Celestial Pearl Danio), or 3 Forktail Blue-Eye Rainbowfish (Pseudomugil furcatus) all make great additions to your neocaridina tank. Any fish may eat tiny baby shrimp, so bare that in mind.
Other Shrimp Tank Mates
Keeping Neocardina shrimp like cherry shrimp with other neocaridna shrimp like orange pumpkin shrimp in the same tank is fine. They can live together without issue, but the cross breeding may occur which results in brown/grey shrimp after 2-3 generations.
Breeding Neocaridina Shrimp
Breeding Tank Setup
To breed neocaridina shrimp, it is important to have a separate tank dedicated just for breeding. This is because the conditions in the breeding tank need to be ideal for these little creatures. Your aquarium should have Hornwort, Java Moss or other live plants as they provide hiding places and food refuge for the fry. The pH level should be between 7-7.8 and the temperature should range from 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer water will encourage breeding.
The number one thing that’s important for breeding neocaridina shrimp is a regular water change schedule. It is recommended to do bi-weekly 25% water changes, as this will help to keep the water clean and free of any toxins or chemicals that could harm your shrimp. In addition, it’s important to keep the water parameters stable by doing water changes.
Selective Breeding
Selective breeding is an excellent way to achieve different color variations of neocaridina shrimp. This involves selecting the most desirable colored individuals and allowing them to breed. The offspring from these shrimp will be more likely to pass on the desired colors and patterns. It is important to note that selective breeding should be done with caution, as some breeds may be more prone to disease or other problems.
You can add the desired male and female pairs into a breeder box to try and encourage the correct shrimp to breed with one another.
Feeding Baby Shrimp
When a baby shrimp is born it generally will not move more than 1.4" for the first few weeks. During the first few weeks it is important to feed powder foods as the powder will spread easily through the entire tank thus getting to the baby shrimp and increasing the survival rate of them all. They naturally feed on micro-organisms and algae otherwise.
Note that overfeeding powdered food into a tank can be harmful so using sparingly.
Culling Shrimp
When breeding neocaridina shrimp you generally are striving for a certain look. If you have Cherry Shrimp for example you may want to breed so that you have the most Red Cherry Shrimp possible. This involves culling shrimp in your freshwater shrimp aquarium. This is done by taking the less desired freshwater shrimp out of the tank and putting them into a separate "cull" tank. By taking out the less desired freshwater shrimp you are leaving only the best stock to breed with each other and hopefully give you the desired look you are wanting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neocaridina shrimp like to have plenty of hiding places, areas for feeding, and items that encourage natural grazing behavior. Provide a variety of live plants with accessible algae growth, as well as smooth surfaces they can groom. They need stable water parameters such as pH, temperature and hardness which should remain steady.
Neocaridina shrimp should be kept in a tank no smaller than 10 gallons. It should also have plenty of hiding places and a filtration system to maintain water cleanliness. Keeping them in nano aquariums is fine, but 10 gallon or larger is recommended as it is easier to keep parameters more stable as you increase water volume.
Neocaridina shrimp are not aggressive and can live together in the same tank without any problems. It is, however, recommended to avoid mixing different species of Neocaridina in the same tank as they may hybridize. With that being said many people mix all the various colors.
10 gallon aquariums can support a population of 75-150 shrimp without much issue.
