Fire Red Cherry Shrimp

Common Name: Cherry Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp, Fire Red Cherry Shrimp
Scientific Name: Neocaridina davidi
Genus: Neocaridina
Wild Origin: Taiwan
Adult Size: 0.75-1 in 

**Note: All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No extra insulation needs to be added to your cart for your livestock.

The Fire Red Cherry Shrimp is a higher grade of the ubiquitous Cherry Shrimp seen in many planted tanks all over the world. The Fire Red strain is developed through selective breeding and commitment to rigorous culling to consistently produce specimens with opaque, deep red bodies.

The Fire Red Cherry Shrimp is perhaps the most popular dwarf shrimp species available in the aquarium hobby due to its eye-catching red color. A member of the Neocaridina genus, they are a fantastic choice for new shrimp keepers due to their tolerance of a wide range of water parameters, as well as their widespread availability and low price point.  

The Fire Red Cherry Shrimp makes for a striking and dynamic addition to a planted aquarium, with its deep red hue popping against a backdrop of dark substrate or a dense carpet of dwarf hairgrass. Red Cherry Shrimp varieties are offered in different grades, ranging from opaque, full-coverage specimens to clear-bodied shrimp with patchy red coloration. Their associated price point is a reflection of their desirability in the market.

Care requirements are the same as most Neocaridina shrimp. Neocaridina davidi can tolerate a wide range of water parameters, as well as water straight from your tap. This species thrives at room temperature and doesn’t require a heater. They do best at a pH of 7.2 - 7.6, preferring harder water conditions with a neutral or basic pH level. Ensure the shrimp are kept in a low-flow, well-cycled tank with aged water and plenty of algae to feed on.

The Fire Red Cherry Shrimp is an active scavenger, continually feeding on detritus and decomposing plant material within the aquarium. This constant grazing means they’re constantly cleaning, and they’re an excellent addition to a tank’s clean-up crew. Its diet consists of algae, biofilm, and decaying organic matter, and can be further supplemented with commercial vegetable-based shrimp pellets or wafers. Adding hardscape elements like lava rock to the aquarium encourages the growth of biofilm and algae due to the rock’s rough texture. This provides increased surface area and an extra food source for the shrimp to feed on.

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank-raised specimen
• Bright, bold color and pattern
• Shrimp are excellent scavengers and will happily feed on biofilm, decaying plant matter, and algae
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after an order is placed to properly prepare live animal shipments 

Recommended Water Parameters
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. We encourage you to do thorough research before committing to keeping any livestock.

• Temperature Range: 65-80 °F
• pH: 7.2-7.6
• TDS: 250-300     
• GH: 8
• KH: 8

Recommended Tank Size
5+ gallons, minimum. Tank size is relative and various factors should be considered when determining tank size. Factors include maintenance schedules, tank mates, desired colony size and more.

Diet
Algae, biofilm, diatoms, decaying plant matter, spirulina powder, bee pollen, vegetable matter-based shrimp pellets/wafers, blanched vegetables

Breeding
As with most Neocaridina varieties, Fire Red Cherry Shrimp are eager, prolific breeders given proper water parameters and a consistent, high-quality food source. It’s recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure an adequate number of male-female pairs for successful breeding.

When a female has eggs available for fertilization, she will molt and release pheromones that signal to surrounding males that she’s ready to breed. Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The resulting shrimplets will feed from the same food sources as their parents, they will molt frequently during their early life stages. It’s advised to leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimplets will consume them for extra minerals like calcium. These trace minerals only help to expedite their growth. 

Fire Red Cherry Shrimp males are generally smaller and lighter in color than females. Females have slightly wider and larger tails. They also display a “saddle” formation on their upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. 

A line is established when a breeder selects specimens with the highest amounts of red, breeds them together, and then re-selects from the offspring for those with the most red, with the intention of breeding superior shrimp to one another again. The breeder repeats this process with the resulting offspring across generations until opaque red shrimp are consistently produced.

Solid red shrimp are considered higher grade and more desirable, therefore commanding a higher price than a patchy-colored shrimp. Note that lower grade shrimp aren't "worse" or less healthy than high-grade specimens; they're simply less pretty.

Check out our blog article to learn how to breed freshwater shrimp.