Of all the color varieties of Neocaridina davidi out there, blue is probably the most confusing to beginning shrimp keepers. There is a bunch of different blue varieties available, some with multiple common names (blue dream, blue fairy, blue jelly, blue rili, blue velvet ... ahhh!). On top of that, you'll find that each exists in various hues and levels of color coverage, which affects the shrimp's desirability and the price it can fetch.
Is your head spinning yet? We're here to help. This article discusses the various grades of blue dream shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. "Blue Dream"), which should hopefully help you identify your shrimp as a blue dream and determine where it falls on the scale.
Like with all Neocaridina davidi varieties, including the immensely popular red cherry , aquarists created the blue dream shrimp through selective breeding of a brownish wild type shrimp. The resulting blue specimens are not created equal: they can vary from a deep, dark and opaque blue color to light and splotchy, as well as everything in between.
Shrimp with entirely opaque coloration are more difficult to produce than ones with translucent patches. This is because the process involves continuous selective breeding and removal of all but the best colored shrimp. Why would a breeder do this? Well, it's simply a matter of preference.
The shrimp hobby as a whole views more opaque, evenly and deeply colored shrimp as more visually pleasing, and therefore, as more desirable. In short, we consider them to be a higher grade/higher quality. Because these shrimp are harder to come by than their less nicely colored counterparts, they fetch a higher price.
So, how do you know where your blue dream shrimp falls on this scale? The chart below can help you figure out the grade of an individual shrimp or your colony as a whole.
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Blue dream shrimp are a relatively popular Neocaridina davidi variety. Although not all aquarium stores will carry them, some will, or they might be able to order a few for you. An easier way to obtain your starter colony is to buy online. The Shrimp Farm sells high-quality, homebred blue dream shrimp and ships them right to your doorstep with live arrival guarantee. You can get your colony here !
Quiz answer: This is a medium-grade blue dream shrimp. Note the striped and not fully opaque legs.