Red Cherry Shrimp ( Neocaridina davidi ) are one of the most popular freshwater aquarium shrimp in the world, prized for their bright red coloration, peaceful temperament, and exceptional hardiness. They are an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced aquarists because they are easy to care for, readily breed in freshwater, and help clean aquariums by eating algae, biofilm, and leftover fish food.
Our standard Red Cherry Shrimp offer an affordable way to start or expand a thriving shrimp colony while still displaying attractive red coloration. Although they have more natural color variation than our premium Grade AA Red Cherry Shrimp , they are the same species and require the same simple care. They're ideal for planted aquariums , community tanks with compatible tank mates, and hobbyists looking for healthy, active shrimp at a great value.
Every Red Cherry Shrimp is carefully acclimated and inspected before shipping to ensure you receive healthy livestock backed by The Shrimp Farm's years of experience raising freshwater shrimp. Whether you're building your first shrimp tank or growing an established colony, these hardy Neocaridina shrimp are one of the easiest and most rewarding freshwater invertebrates to keep.
Reviewed by The Shrimp Farm Team based on our experience keeping, breeding, and shipping Red Cherry Shrimp.
Red Cherry Shrimp are one of the best freshwater shrimp for hobbyists of all experience levels. Their hardy nature, peaceful temperament, and vibrant red coloration make them a favorite for planted aquariums, community tanks, and dedicated shrimp colonies.
Yes! Red Cherry Shrimp are widely considered one of the best freshwater shrimp for beginners . They are hardy, adaptable, and forgiving of small fluctuations in water parameters, making them an excellent choice for first-time shrimp keepers. Once their aquarium is fully cycled and stable, Red Cherry Shrimp are easy to care for and often thrive with minimal maintenance.
Here are a few reasons why they're so beginner friendly:
For the best success, we recommend starting with a fully cycled aquarium of at least 5 gallons , maintaining stable water parameters, and avoiding aggressive fish that may prey on shrimp. With proper care, Red Cherry Shrimp quickly become one of the easiest and most rewarding freshwater invertebrates to keep.
✅ Healthy, Carefully Inspected Shrimp – Every Red Cherry Shrimp is carefully inspected before shipping to help ensure you receive healthy, active livestock.
✅ Expertly Packed & Shipped – We use proven packing methods and insulated packaging to help your shrimp arrive safely and in excellent condition.
✅ Shrimp Specialists – Freshwater shrimp are our passion. We've spent years breeding, raising, and shipping Neocaridina shrimp to hobbyists across the United States.
✅ Excellent Customer Support – Whether you're new to shrimp keeping or an experienced aquarist, our knowledgeable team is here to answer your questions and help you succeed.
✅ Great Value & Quality – Our Red Cherry Shrimp offer an affordable way to start or expand a thriving shrimp colony without sacrificing health or quality.
✅ Perfect for Planted Aquariums – Our shrimp are raised with the needs of planted tanks and freshwater shrimp keepers in mind, making them an excellent choice for community aquariums.
✅ Fast Nationwide Shipping – We carefully package and ship live shrimp throughout the continental United States so they arrive ready to settle into their new home.
BACKED BY THE SHRIMP FARM'S LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEE!
Choosing the right Cherry Shrimp grade depends on your goals, budget, and desired coloration. Standard Red Cherry Shrimp are an excellent choice for beginners and breeding projects, while higher-grade varieties offer deeper, more consistent red coloration for display aquariums. All of these shrimp are the same species ( Neocaridina davidi ) and require nearly identical care.
No matter which grade you choose, all Cherry Shrimp are peaceful, excellent algae eaters, easy to breed, and make outstanding additions to freshwater planted aquariums.
Red Cherry Shrimp are one of the easiest freshwater shrimp to breed because they reproduce entirely in freshwater without any special equipment. In a healthy, well-established aquarium, they often breed naturally with very little intervention.
For the best breeding success:
Healthy females become "berried," carrying 20–40 eggs beneath their abdomen for about 3–4 weeks before tiny, fully formed baby shrimp hatch. With proper care, a small group of Red Cherry Shrimp can quickly grow into a thriving colony.
Red Cherry Shrimp ( Neocaridina davidi ) are one of the easiest freshwater shrimp to care for, making them an excellent choice for beginners and experienced aquarists alike. They thrive in stable, well-established aquariums with plenty of live aquarium plants , mosses, and biofilm to graze on. Once their basic needs are met, Red Cherry Shrimp are hardy, active, and will often reproduce naturally in freshwater.
A 5-gallon aquarium is the recommended minimum for Red Cherry Shrimp. Larger tanks provide greater water stability, making it easier to maintain healthy water parameters and support a growing shrimp colony.
For the healthiest Red Cherry Shrimp, aim for stable water conditions:
Consistency is more important than chasing perfect numbers. Avoid sudden changes in temperature or water chemistry.
Red Cherry Shrimp are natural scavengers and excellent algae eaters. They'll spend most of the day grazing on:
Supplement their diet with a quality shrimp food several times per week, along with occasional blanched vegetables or protein-rich treats to promote healthy growth, successful molts, and breeding.
Red Cherry Shrimp thrive in planted aquariums that provide natural grazing surfaces and plenty of hiding places.
For best results, include:
A mature aquarium with established biofilm provides an ideal environment for both adult shrimp and newly hatched shrimplets.
Red Cherry Shrimp are peaceful and do best with other non-aggressive aquarium inhabitants.
Good tank mates include:
Avoid large or aggressive fish, as they may eat adult shrimp or baby shrimplets.
Red Cherry Shrimp are among the easiest freshwater shrimp to breed. Healthy females carry eggs beneath their abdomen until the babies hatch as fully formed miniature shrimp. Unlike many other shrimp species, Red Cherry Shrimp complete their entire life cycle in freshwater, making it easy to establish a self-sustaining colony.
Perform regular water changes of 10–20% weekly using dechlorinated water that closely matches the aquarium's temperature and water parameters. Small, consistent water changes are much safer for shrimp than large, infrequent ones.
With proper care, Red Cherry Shrimp can live 1–2 years , reproduce readily, and become one of the most colorful and rewarding inhabitants of any freshwater planted aquarium.
Red Cherry Shrimp have remained one of the most popular freshwater shrimp in the aquarium hobby for years, and for good reason. Many hobbyists start with this species because they're affordable, hardy, and easy to care for, but they often continue keeping them because they're active, fascinating to watch, and reproduce readily in a healthy aquarium.
One of the things owners appreciate most is how constantly active these shrimp are. Throughout the day, they'll graze on algae, biofilm, and other natural food sources while exploring plants, driftwood, rocks, and substrate. As your colony grows, you'll enjoy watching berried females carry eggs and tiny shrimplets appear throughout the aquarium.
Many aquarists also choose Red Cherry Shrimp as their first breeding project because they reproduce naturally in freshwater without requiring special conditions. With stable water parameters and a planted aquarium, it's common for a small group to develop into a thriving colony over time.
If you're looking for an affordable, beginner-friendly freshwater shrimp that's colorful, peaceful, and rewarding to keep, Red Cherry Shrimp are an excellent choice for almost any planted aquarium or shrimp-focused tank.
Adult Red Cherry Shrimp ( Neocaridina davidi ) typically grow to 1–1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) in length. Females are usually larger, rounder, and display deeper red coloration than males, which tend to be smaller and more translucent.
Red Cherry Shrimp have a very small bioload, but we recommend starting with at least a 5-gallon aquarium for stable water parameters. A healthy, well-maintained planted tank can support a surprisingly large colony as the shrimp reproduce naturally.
With proper care, Red Cherry Shrimp typically live 1–2 years . Maintaining stable water parameters, feeding a balanced diet, and performing regular water changes can help maximize their lifespan.
Red Cherry Shrimp grow quickly and usually reach breeding size in 2–3 months under ideal conditions. Once mature, healthy females can produce multiple batches of eggs each year.
Yes! Red Cherry Shrimp are one of the easiest freshwater shrimp to breed. They reproduce entirely in freshwater, and healthy females carry their eggs beneath their abdomen until fully developed baby shrimp hatch. No special breeding setup is required beyond stable water conditions and good nutrition.
Red Cherry Shrimp are a Neocaridina species and will breed with other Neocaridina color varieties, such as Blue Dream, Orange Sunkist, Yellow Golden Back, Green Jade, and Carbon Rili Shrimp. They will not breed with Caridina shrimp such as Crystal Red Shrimp or Taiwan Bees. If you want to preserve pure bloodlines and color, avoid mixing different Neocaridina varieties.
Red Cherry Shrimp may lose some of their vibrant coloration due to stress, poor water quality, frequent parameter changes, or light-colored substrate. Providing stable water conditions, high-quality nutrition, and a darker substrate often helps improve their natural red coloration.
Young Red Cherry Shrimp molt frequently as they grow, sometimes every few days. Adult shrimp typically molt about once every 3–6 weeks . Molting is a normal part of their growth, and leaving the shed exoskeleton in the aquarium allows shrimp to recycle valuable minerals.
Red Cherry Shrimp are omnivores and excellent algae grazers. They naturally feed on:
For optimal health, supplement their diet with high-quality shrimp foods several times per week along with occasional blanched vegetables and protein-rich treats.
A sponge filter is the best filtration choice for Red Cherry Shrimp because it provides gentle water flow and prevents baby shrimp from being drawn into the filter. Shrimp-safe hang-on-back filters with intake guards are another excellent option.
Live plants provide food, shelter, and breeding areas for Red Cherry Shrimp. Some of the best choices include:
Planted aquariums also encourage biofilm growth, which is an important natural food source.
Red Cherry Shrimp do well on nearly any aquarium substrate, but dark-colored substrates often enhance their red coloration by encouraging deeper pigmentation. The most important factor is maintaining stable water parameters rather than choosing a specific substrate type.
The best tank mates are peaceful species that are unlikely to prey on shrimp, including:
Avoid keeping Red Cherry Shrimp with large or aggressive fish that may eat adult shrimp or baby shrimplets.
Proper acclimation helps reduce stress and improves survival after shipping. We recommend slowly acclimating your shrimp using the drip acclimation method over 1–2 hours before introducing them to their new aquarium. This allows them to gradually adjust to differences in temperature and water chemistry.
Yes! Red Cherry Shrimp are excellent algae eaters and spend much of the day grazing on soft algae, biofilm, and other organic matter. While they won't eliminate every type of algae, they make an outstanding addition to any freshwater cleanup crew.
It depends on the individual Betta. Some Bettas ignore shrimp completely, while others view them as food. If you plan to keep Red Cherry Shrimp with a Betta, provide plenty of plants, mosses, and hiding places, and be aware that baby shrimp are especially vulnerable.
Not always. Red Cherry Shrimp are comfortable in temperatures between 65–80°F (18–27°C) . In homes where the aquarium stays within this range year-round, a heater may not be necessary. In colder environments, a heater helps maintain stable temperatures.