10 × Assorted Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi Mix)

Meet the assorted Cherry Shrimp

The Assorted Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) is a small freshwater crustacean in the Atyidae family. WoRMS recognises Neocaridina davidi as the accepted species name. It is native to Taiwan, east of China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam, where it inhabits inland lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Adults reach approximately 4 cm, so plan around that length for each mature shrimp. This group suits an intermediate keeper who can provide established biological filtration, measured water quality, grazing surfaces and careful tank-mate screening.

A Wikipedia overview of Neocaridina davidi describes the species as omnivorous. Its wild-type colour is mottled brown, while selective breeding has produced red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white and clear forms. This pack brings together assorted aquarium colours rather than one named colour line.

Keep the shrimp at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18 dGH, with ammonia and nitrite at 0 mg/l. OATA's freshwater-shrimp sheet gives these figures as broad group guidance rather than a species-specific optimum. Keep changes gradual and judge the aquarium by measurements rather than assuming that any tap water or room temperature will suit them.

Use a mature, filtered aquarium starting at 20 litres for this small group. That is Tropical Fish Co's cautious planning policy, above OATA's general 10-litre screen for small shrimp; it is not a permanent shrimp-per-litre formula. Account for substrate, hardscape, equipment, every companion and possible population growth. Keep at least five shrimp together, provide cover and established grazing surfaces, and protect any filter inlet that could trap small shrimp.

Decide from the adult animal

• Adult planning length: approximately 4 cm.
• Starting aquarium policy: a mature, filtered 20-litre aquarium, made larger whenever fish or other livestock share it or the population grows.
• Social plan: at least five shrimp; this pack contains ten.
• Main compatibility limit: avoid fish able to fit a shrimp in their mouth and species known to be predatory.

Understand the pack before planning

One purchase supplies a pack of 10 live assorted Cherry Shrimp. The pack is a colour mix, not ten examples of one fixed strain and not a promise of a particular colour count. Plan feeding access, shelter and filtration for all ten animals from the start rather than treating the group as a single stocking unit.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This 10 × Assorted Cherry Shrimp listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

The gallery images are representative of this type of animal rather than photographs of the exact animal supplied, so colours can look slightly different from the live animal.

A mixed-colour group works best for a keeper whose priority is varied appearance and shrimp behaviour. It is not the right starting point when preserving one named colour line is the aim, because the colour mix does not promise that later generations will retain a particular appearance. The absence of a promised sex ratio also means the pack must not be treated as a guaranteed breeding group.

Check the decisive requirements

The pack of ten already exceeds OATA's group figure of at least five, but group size is only one part of the decision. Confirm that the filter is mature, ammonia and nitrite measure zero, the aquarium can remain within the planned temperature and chemistry ranges, and every shrimp can reach shelter and food. With fish or other livestock, increase space according to the complete adult community rather than applying a shrimp-per-litre shortcut.

Plan space around adult growth

Plan for each shrimp to reach approximately 4 cm. Size the aquarium, feeding access and equipment safety for that adult length from the start. Plan every companion, filter guard and feeding area around shrimp of that adult length.

Start with a mature, filtered 20-litre aquarium for the pack, then increase the plan for fish, other livestock or population growth. Our complete Cherry Shrimp care guide explains why 20 litres is a cautious house policy rather than a biological minimum. OATA's lower 10-litre figure is a general screen for a group of small shrimp. Neither figure supports a permanent number of shrimp per litre.

Work through the real volume

1. Begin with the aquarium's actual water volume. Substrate, wood, rock and equipment reduce the water held by a nominally 20-litre aquarium.
2. Reserve grazing and feeding space. Ten shrimp need surfaces and food access that remain usable after plants are trimmed or hardscape is cleaned.
3. Add every companion to the plan. Fish and other livestock increase waste, feeding competition and the space needed for separation.
4. Allow for juveniles without assuming they will appear. A mixed, non-sex-guaranteed pack may or may not produce offspring, but the aquarium still needs headroom if juveniles survive.

A larger water volume generally gives more room for equipment, feeding and gradual change, but volume cannot compensate for an immature filter or poor testing. A 20-litre aquarium with measurable ammonia is not ready, while a larger aquarium still needs established biological filtration and protected intakes.

Use footprint as well as litres when comparing aquariums. Shrimp graze and feed on surfaces, so wood, plants, rock and accessible substrate all contribute useful area. Keep some routes open for inspection and maintenance. Dense cover should not prevent you from checking the filter inlet, finding recurring uneaten food or seeing whether all ten shrimp can reach feeding areas.

Keep water stable and measured

Keep the aquarium at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18 dGH. Maintain carbonate hardness within 3–15 dKH, ammonia at 0 mg/l and nitrite at 0 mg/l. Nitrate should not exceed 20 mg/l above the normal tap-water level. These figures come from OATA's freshwater shrimp and snail guidance.

Choose stable values within those ranges and avoid abrupt changes. A reading inside the range is only useful when ammonia and nitrite are also zero, the temperature is steady and recent maintenance has not caused a sudden chemistry shift. Use the same tests consistently so trends are easier to recognise.

Make the measurements actionable

UK tap-water chemistry varies, so test rather than relying on a postcode or a description such as hard or soft. Our guide to understanding aquarium water values explains what each measurement means, while the water matcher helps compare measured aquarium values with the planned range.

Do not chase a reading by changing several things together. If a value moves unexpectedly, check the test procedure, temperature, recent top-ups, water changes, substrate, rock and treatments. Correct the cause gradually and remeasure. This approach is safer than repeatedly adjusting pH or hardness without knowing why it changed.

Mature the filter before adding shrimp

Use a mature biological filter and confirm ammonia and nitrite remain at 0 mg/l before adding the pack. Maturity is a measured biological condition, not a fixed number of days. The filter must contain enough beneficial bacteria to process the planned waste load, and the aquarium must remain stable when fed and maintained.

The RSPCA explains the role of biological filtration: bacteria convert toxic ammonia to nitrite and then to the safer nitrate. OATA's freshwater aquarium setup guidance also supports cycling, regular testing and gradual stocking. Use the test results, not the aquarium's age or appearance, to decide whether it is ready.

Build a shrimp-safe layout

• Protect the filter inlet. Fit a fine guard or suitable sponge where an intake could trap small shrimp or juveniles.
• Create established grazing surfaces. Aquarium-safe wood, rock, plants and other structures give the shrimp places to browse.
• Provide cover. Live plants are useful, while suitable artificial plants, caves and ornaments can also provide shelter.
• Retain maintenance access. Leave enough room to inspect the intake, remove recurring waste and clean around equipment.
• Secure the aquarium. Use a suitable cover while keeping ventilation and cables unobstructed.

Biofilm helps create established grazing surfaces, but it does not replace a complete feeding plan or water testing. An aquarium can look mature while still producing ammonia or nitrite. Likewise, clear water can contain harmful dissolved waste, so visual clarity is not a substitute for measurements.

Add livestock gradually whenever a community is being built. Every increase in animals and feeding requires the biological filter to process more waste. Before increasing the load, confirm that ammonia and nitrite remain zero and that the existing inhabitants feed and behave normally. Our guide to preparing and maturing a shrimp aquarium gives a practical setup sequence for the period before livestock arrives.

Feed an omnivorous grazing shrimp

Use an appropriate complete sinking shrimp food as the nutritional base, then provide suitable variety according to the food manufacturer's directions and the needs of the whole community. Neocaridina davidi is omnivorous and will graze biofilm and some soft growth, but natural grazing alone is not a complete household feeding plan.

Offer a portion that all ten shrimp can reach without leaving recurring excess to decay. Food must remain accessible long enough for shrimp to gather and feed, but any repeated leftovers mean the next portion should be reduced. Uneaten food breaks down into waste, so feeding decisions must be tied to ammonia, nitrite and nitrate trends.

Use observation to set the portion

• If every shrimp gathers and food disappears without recurring residue, continue monitoring at the same portion.
• If food remains after the group has stopped feeding, remove the excess and reduce the next portion.
• If faster companions block access, change the feeding position or community plan rather than simply adding more food.
• If the group grows or juveniles appear, reassess access, grazing area, filtration and water-test trends before increasing food.
• If ammonia or nitrite rises, stop treating feeding as an isolated issue and check biological filtration, stocking and maintenance.

Spread food across more than one accessible point when competition prevents part of the group from feeding. Keep each point visible enough to check for leftovers. Hiding food deep in inaccessible hardscape makes it difficult to distinguish grazing from accumulating waste.

Do not judge nutrition from colour intensity alone. This is an assorted-colour pack, and inherited colour, lighting, substrate, stress, health and image processing can all alter how a shrimp appears. A pale-looking individual does not automatically need colour-enhancing food. Check behaviour, feeding access, body condition and measured water quality together.

Grazing on established surfaces does not show that the aquarium contains enough balanced nutrition. Established surfaces support natural browsing between meals; complete shrimp food supplies the nutritional base. Keep the two roles separate when adjusting the routine.

Maintain water without damaging filtration

Carry out a 25% partial water change at least once every week. Test ammonia and nitrite at least weekly, monitor nitrate, and treat replacement tap water with a conditioner that removes chlorine or chloramine before adding it to the aquarium. Match the replacement water carefully enough to avoid an abrupt temperature or chemistry change.

Use a siphon where practical to remove solid waste from accessible substrate. Do not strip every surface clean at the same time: the aim is to remove accumulating waste while preserving useful grazing areas and a stable biological system. Check beneath feeding points, around hardscape edges and near the filter intake, where excess food or debris can gather.

Clean the filter safely

1. Check the filter for reduced flow or blockages during routine maintenance.
2. If the media needs cleaning, remove some aquarium water during the partial water change.
3. Rinse the media lightly in that removed aquarium water.
4. Do not rinse it under the tap, because chlorine or chloramine may kill beneficial bacteria.
5. Reassemble the filter and confirm normal flow before finishing the maintenance session.

Clean the media only by that light rinse, so fewer beneficial bacteria are lost. The established bacterial population is part of the aquarium's waste-processing capacity. After any substantial maintenance, recheck ammonia and nitrite and observe the group rather than assuming that clear water means the system is stable.

Use a simple weekly record for temperature, pH, hardness where relevant, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and the amount of food repeatedly left behind. A sequence of readings is more useful than one isolated number. For example, nitrate rising each week while ammonia and nitrite remain zero points towards reviewing feeding, stocking and water-change effectiveness; detectable ammonia or nitrite calls for an immediate review of filtration and livestock load.

Change one manageable factor at a time wherever animal welfare allows. If feeding, filter cleaning, water chemistry and decor are all altered together, the cause of a later change becomes difficult to identify. A steady routine makes unusual behaviour or test results easier to recognise.

Respond to health and moulting changes

Check temperature, ammonia and nitrite immediately when behaviour, feeding or appearance changes. Then review nitrate, pH and hardness in context, inspect filtration and heating, and consider recent maintenance, new livestock, plants, decor, aerosols, foods and treatments. Compare the affected shrimp with the rest of the group before changing several parts of the aquarium.

Act on specific warning signs

An empty exoskeleton can resemble a dead shrimp, and hiding may accompany moulting. Neither observation alone identifies a health problem. Check whether the shell is hollow, locate the animals where possible and assess the aquarium before reaching a conclusion.

Protect these invertebrates from copper. Freshwater shrimp are very sensitive to copper and will die if exposed even to low levels. Read the complete current label and every invertebrate warning before adding any medicine or treatment. Do not use a product unless its exact instructions are compatible with shrimp.

A white mark or changed behaviour does not identify one disease or justify automatic medication. Prioritise measurements and equipment checks, record what changed and avoid combining treatments. Seek suitably qualified aquatic or veterinary help when signs persist or are severe, taking your recorded observations and water readings with you.

Receive and acclimatise the pack carefully

Arrange for someone to receive the parcel in person, then follow the current Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy. The shrimp are hand-bagged in pure oxygen and placed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it. A licensed live-animal courier carries the parcel.

Follow the arrival sequence

1. Receive the parcel in person. Live animals must not be left unattended.
2. Start filming before the parcel is opened. Film every delivery from the sealed parcel onward, with the outer box visible.
3. Open it in one continuous take. Show the shrimp still inside the sealed bag so their condition is recorded before anything is disturbed.
4. Inspect the bag on the day it arrives. Keep the shrimp inside it while completing the first condition check.
5. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing. Acclimatise slowly and do not pour the bag water into the aquarium.
6. Report an arrival problem the same day. Keep the order number and continuous unboxing video ready for a Live Arrival Guarantee claim.

Before delivery day, confirm that the aquarium is mature and filtered, with ammonia and nitrite at zero and temperature inside the planned 17–27°C range.

After release, observe whether the shrimp can reach cover and settle onto established surfaces. Keep the planned routine steady instead of making several immediate changes to food, decor and water chemistry. Acclimatise gradually, then add any further livestock slowly once the shrimp have settled.

For a claim, the continuous recording must begin with the parcel still sealed, show it being opened and show the animals still inside the sealed bag. Contact us the same day with the order number and video if an arrival problem has occurred.

Screen every tank mate before mixing

Avoid fish that can fit these shrimp in their mouth and avoid species known to be predatory. OATA gives both restrictions for freshwater shrimp. No fish is guaranteed safe with these shrimp, and newly hatched shrimplets face even greater risk, so decide whether the goal is an attractive mixed display or the greatest possible juvenile survival.

The Tropical Fish Co guide assesses Cherry Shrimp as peaceful. They are peaceful, but their own temperament does not remove the risk posed by a companion. Screen the complete adult community rather than relying on a broad peaceful label.

Use five checks for every proposed pairing

1. Mouth size and hunting: reject fish able to swallow the shrimp and species known to be predatory.
2. Water overlap: every animal must suit the chosen 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18 dGH plan.
3. Feeding access: shrimp must be able to reach complete food without faster companions taking it all.
4. Territorial behaviour: cover must remain accessible when other animals claim parts of the aquarium.
5. Outcome: a display community can accept a different level of juvenile predation risk from a shrimp-only project.

A shrimp-only aquarium removes fish predation, but it does not remove risks from water quality, food, crowding, equipment or treatments. Continue to protect intakes, test water and provide feeding access. If juveniles are a priority, dense usable cover and the absence of fish reduce one major risk without guaranteeing colony growth.

Do not use body size at purchase to predict a companion's adult mouth size or behaviour. Plan with the adult community and allow enough space for every animal after growth. Watch actual feeding and shelter access after introduction, because a pairing that shares water values may still create competition.

Before choosing companions, write down the aquarium's volume, measured water values, adult companion list and your aim for the shrimp. Those details allow a decision based on mouth size, predation, chemistry, feeding and cover rather than a universal tank-mate list.

Plan for colour and population changes

Treat this as an assorted display group rather than a guaranteed breeding project. The pack contains ten mixed-colour Neocaridina davidi, but its sex ratio is not promised. A particular pair, egg count, incubation time or rate of colony growth must not be assumed.

Females of this species carry eggs externally beneath the abdomen, and young hatch as benthic juveniles rather than passing through the prolonged saline planktonic stage associated with Amano Shrimp. That biology allows reproduction in freshwater, but it does not promise that this pack will breed or that juveniles will survive.

Match the setup to the intended result

If juveniles appear, reassess real water volume, grazing area, feeding access, filter capacity and maintenance rather than applying a fixed shrimp-per-litre ratio. Increase feeding only from observation and test trends; adding food without checking leftovers and waste can damage water quality.

Mixed colours may produce young whose appearance differs from the adults. Selective breeding created many aquarium colour forms, while the wild-type species is mottled brown. Do not interpret a later colour change as proof of illness without checking the individual's normal appearance, behaviour, feeding and water quality.

Keep a separation plan for compatibility problems or a project whose goals change. An aquarium planned for a mixed display may not serve a later single-line breeding aim, and a community built around adult coexistence may not protect tiny juveniles. Decide which outcome matters before choosing companions.

Answer common buyer questions

How big do 10 × Assorted Cherry Shrimp get?

They reach approximately 4 cm at maturity. Plan the aquarium, filter protection, feeding access and companions around that adult length rather than the size on arrival.

What size aquarium do these shrimp need?

Neocaridina davidi should start in a mature, filtered aquarium of 20 litres under Tropical Fish Co's cautious policy, then move to a larger plan for companions or population growth; this is not a shrimp-per-litre formula.

How many Neocaridina davidi should I keep together?

OATA's freshwater-shrimp guidance says to keep social shrimp in groups of at least five. This pack contains ten, so provide shelter, grazing area and feeding access for the whole group.

Are 10 × Assorted Cherry Shrimp suitable for beginners?

We assess them as intermediate because they require a mature filter, measured zero ammonia and nitrite, gradual change, protected intakes, appropriate food and careful screening of every tank mate.

What do Neocaridina davidi eat?

They are omnivorous grazers. Use an appropriate complete sinking shrimp food as the nutritional base, provide suitable variety according to the manufacturer and remove recurring excess before it decays.

What temperature and pH does this shrimp need?

Keep it at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18 dGH. OATA gives these as broad freshwater-shrimp guidance, with ammonia and nitrite at 0 mg/l.

Is this shrimp aggressive, and does it nip fins?

It is a peaceful shrimp. Compatibility still depends on whether companions may swallow or hunt the shrimp, compete for food or require different water.

Which animals can it live with?

Avoid fish able to fit the shrimp in their mouth and species known to be predatory. Screen every other pairing for adult mouth size, hunting, territory, feeding competition and shared water requirements; no fish is guaranteed shrimplet-safe.

How does this animal arrive alive in the UK?

Tropical Fish Co's policy uses pure-oxygen bags, an insulated poly box, a heat pack when weather calls for it and a licensed live-animal courier. Receive the parcel in person, film continuously from the sealed parcel, and float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing.

Check the care references

• WoRMS: accepted scientific name, authority and family.
• Wikipedia: native range, freshwater habitats, omnivorous natural history, selective colour forms and recorded mature length.
• OATA freshwater shrimp and snail guidance: group water values, group size, aquarium setup, feeding, maintenance, copper sensitivity and compatibility restrictions.
• OATA freshwater aquarium guidance: cycling, regular testing and gradual stocking principles.
• RSPCA aquarium welfare guidance: the function of biological filtration and waste conversion.
• Tropical Fish Co Cherry Shrimp Care Guide: cautious 20-litre planning policy, intermediate suitability assessment, feeding, protected intakes, breeding biology and community screening.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: packing, receipt, filming, bag floating and Live Arrival Guarantee procedure.