What tank size does a Cherry Shrimp need?

A Cherry Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 19 litres (5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 30 cm (11.8 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Cherry Shrimp need?

Cherry Shrimp does best at 15–30 °C (59–86 °F), pH 6.5–8 and a general hardness of 4–14 °dGH.

What group size does a Cherry Shrimp need?

Cherry Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 10 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Cherry Shrimp suitable for beginners?

Yes — Cherry Shrimp is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Cherry Shrimp

Neocaridina davidi

Atyidae

InvertsDifficulty: ●●○○○Data: well-established

📷 TheJammingYam · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Cherry Shrimp — Neocaridina davidi — 📷 TheJammingYam · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The cherry shrimp is the hardiest and most popular dwarf freshwater shrimp in the hobby, selectively bred from wild Neocaridina davidi into vivid red, orange, yellow, blue and green strains. Peaceful, tiny and endlessly busy, it grazes biofilm across plants and hardscape and breeds readily in a stable, mature aquarium without any special intervention. Its tolerance of a broad range of water parameters makes it an ideal first shrimp for nano and planted tanks.

Care

Keep in a mature, stable planted nano tank with gentle flow, plenty of moss and biofilm, and stable GH for successful molting. Highly sensitive to copper and to ammonia/nitrite spikes; acclimate slowly.

Diet

Omnivorous grazer feeding on biofilm, soft algae, detritus and leaf litter. Offer blanched vegetables and a light dusting of prepared shrimp food a few times weekly.

Tankmate compatibility

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Full tank-mates guide with reasons →

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Saddle and berryStrong · at 12–18 mm body length — under 10 mm nothing shows
The ovaries show through the shell behind the head as a pale yellow or green patch shaped like a saddle. Those are unfertilised eggs, and their appearance is what tells you she is mature. Once she is carrying, they move under the tail and are fanned by her swimmerets.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Cherry Shrimp need?: A Cherry Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 19 litres (5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 30 cm (11.8 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Cherry Shrimp need?: Cherry Shrimp does best at 15–30 °C (59–86 °F), pH 6.5–8 and a general hardness of 4–14 °dGH.
What group size does a Cherry Shrimp need?: Cherry Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 10 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Cherry Shrimp suitable for beginners?: Yes — Cherry Shrimp is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature15–30°C

Optimal temp.20–26°C

pH6.5–8

Hardness (GH)4–14°d

Carbonate (KH)1–8°d

Adult size3.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 19 L

Min. tank length≥ 30 cm

Group size≥ 10

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~1.5 yrs

Try in the calculator