Black Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Meet the Black Cherry Shrimp, a dark cherry shrimp line

The Black Cherry Shrimp is a dark colour line of Neocaridina davidi, the hardy freshwater shrimp sold in many colours as the cherry shrimp. In our photographs the shrimp is a deep, dark cherry red heavily peppered with near-black pigment, with lighter, speckled legs and long fine antennae. Dark lines vary from shrimp to shrimp in how dense that pigment is, so some individuals look closer to wine-red and others closer to charcoal. Either way, a group of dark shrimp moving over green moss makes a smart, understated display, and it is as easy to keep as any cherry shrimp.

Wikipedia's account of the species explains where the colour comes from. Black shrimp carry black melanophores, or brown melanophores over bluish flesh; chocolate shrimp carry dark brown melanophores, with red or yellow pigment cells adding to the shade. The wild shrimp, from Taiwan, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam, is a mottled greenish-brown, and Practical Fishkeeping's introduction to shrimp lists black and brown among the colours breeders have developed from it.

Place it among the dark shrimp we sell

All of these are the same species and will interbreed, so choose one dark line per tank.

Understand what you are buying

One purchase quantity supplies one live Black Cherry Shrimp, unsexed at sale size. Wikipedia notes that females are larger, more richly coloured and more opaque than males, so the darkest shrimp in a group are usually females, and a male of the same line can look noticeably paler. The Shrimp Farm's grading guide makes the same point for red cherry shrimp: males often grade a step lower than their sisters. A newly moved shrimp also loses colour for a while, so the photographs show the colour form rather than the individual you receive.

Start with a group sized for breeding

• At least six: OATA asks for five or more, and Practical Fishkeeping's Neocaridina FAQ six, because smaller groups become shy.
• Room to grow: Neale Monks, in a Practical Fishkeeping answer, reckons a 20-litre tank could hold about two dozen cherry shrimp, and suggests buying 6–12 adults and letting numbers settle.
• Adult size: about 3–4 cm according to Wikipedia; about 3 cm for cherry-type shrimp according to OATA.

Read our live delivery information and order once the aquarium is fully cycled.

Furnish the tank so the dark colour shows

OATA's minimum for a group of small shrimp is 10 litres, and Practical Fishkeeping's FAQ accepts about 15 litres if the tank is well planted and filtered. We recommend 20 litres or more, because a bigger volume holds its temperature and water quality steadier, and a colony that breeds needs the room.

Use this furnishing checklist

Place the aquarium away from radiators, draughts, loud noise and direct sunlight, as OATA advises, and give it a regular day and night lighting cycle.

Hit the water values cherry shrimp like

Every colour of cherry shrimp has the same needs. The sources below differ a little on hardness, so we give each one and a planning range in the middle.

Higher temperatures speed growth and breeding but shorten life, the FAQ notes, and warm water holds less oxygen, so add aeration if the tank runs near the top of the range.

Prepare water-change water the shrimp-safe way

1. Draw from the cold tap only; the FAQ names hot tap water as a source of copper poisoning.
2. Treat with a conditioner that removes chlorine or chloramine, as OATA advises.
3. Bring it to tank temperature before it goes in.
4. If your supply is very soft, add a calcium supplement, which the FAQ recommends for healthy moulting.

Our water matcher shows quickly whether your tap water suits cherry shrimp as it is.

Run a gentle filter and a fixed routine

Air-driven sponge filters and Hamburg mat filters are the FAQ's suggestions for shrimp, and Practical Fishkeeping's introduction adds that a sponge doubles as a grazing ground for young shrimp. On a power filter, cover the intake with fine foam or a stocking and reduce the flow.

Work through the weekly sequence

1. Test ammonia and nitrite; while the tank is new, add nitrate, pH and hardness, as OATA advises.
2. Remove about 25% of the water, siphoning debris from the sand surface.
3. Refill slowly with prepared water so nothing changes suddenly.
4. Clean sponges only in removed tank water, and never at the same time as a big gravel clean.

The FAQ lists ammonia spikes after cleaning the filter among the common causes of losses, which is why the filter and the substrate are best cleaned on different weeks. Our guide to shrimp keeping explains the routine in more detail.

Feed small amounts for good moults

In a mature tank, Black Cherry Shrimp spend the day picking biofilm, algae and detritus from every surface; Wikipedia notes they do not eat vascular plants. OATA suggests algae wafers or shrimp pellets two or three times a week, left in for at least 30 minutes, and warns that uneaten food breaks down into toxic waste. The FAQ adds that foods with calcium and iodine, often seaweed-based, help shrimp moult cleanly.

Measure each meal

In a shrimp-only tank there are no fish leftovers, so target feed small amounts rather than relying on scraps.

Introduce new shrimp without shocks

OATA's floating method works for cherry shrimp: turn the lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then add tank water gradually over at least 30 minutes before netting the shrimp into the tank and discarding the bag water. If your water is very different from ours, Practical Fishkeeping's introduction describes a drip at one to two drops a second for about an hour.

Tick off the first week

Dark shrimp can be hard to count on dark sand, so feeding time, when they gather in the open, is the best moment for a head count.

Diagnose losses quickly

A pale, hollow moult can look alarming beside dark shrimp, but Practical Fishkeeping's introduction gives a simple rule: a moult is never coloured and a dead shrimp is never transparent. For real losses, the FAQ's list of causes is the best checklist.

Use the cause-and-check table

OATA's list of warning signs adds white spots, lesions, damaged shells, colour changes, loss of appetite and unusual swimming. Test the water before any treatment, and never use a copper-based medicine in a shrimp tank.

Keep a dark line dark

Practical Fishkeeping is clear that every Neocaridina colour crossbreeds, and that crossed colonies revert to the brownish wild form within a few generations. Even a pure line throws some off-colour young, and the advice is to remove the poorer ones to keep the strain strong.

Manage the colony's colour

• Keep Black Cherry Shrimp as the only cherry shrimp colour in the tank; do not mix them with Black Rose, Rili or chocolate lines if you want a consistent look.
• Each time the colony grows, move the palest and brownest young to another tank.
• Keep your darkest females and males as breeders.
• Bee and tiger shrimp (Caridina) will not cross with them, says Neale Monks, but they prefer much softer water.

Browse every colour in our cherry shrimp range and all Neocaridina shrimp, planning one colour per aquarium.

Match companions to shrimp

OATA's rule is to avoid any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth, and any predatory species. Practical Fishkeeping's FAQ prefers snails and other dwarf shrimp as companions, rates Otocinclus as completely safe even with newborn shrimp, and calls smaller Corydoras and small plecs possibly safe.

Screen tank mates

Check any other fish with our tank mates checker, and see more clean-up crew in aquarium snails and shrimps and crustaceans.

Breed a dark colony

Black Cherry Shrimp breed readily with no special set-up, given a healthy group, stable water and food. Females usually spawn shortly after a moult. In translucent lines the developing eggs show as a saddle on the female's back, but in a dark shrimp that saddle can be hard to see; the eggs themselves are easy to spot once she carries them under her tail.

Breeding at a glance

Never release surplus shrimp outdoors. A peer-reviewed study in Aquatic Invasions found Neocaridina davidi established in a thermally polluted stream system in western Germany and suggested the species may tolerate much colder conditions. Our cherry shrimp care guide and cherry shrimp buying guide cover colony management, and the freshwater shrimp category lists every species we keep.

Answer Black Cherry Shrimp buying questions

Is a Black Cherry Shrimp the same as a Black Rose?

Both are dark lines of Neocaridina davidi and they interbreed. The names come from breeders and sellers rather than science, so compare the photographs rather than the names.

Why does my Black Cherry look reddish or brown?

Dark lines vary. Wikipedia explains that dark colour comes from melanophores layered with other pigment cells, so some shrimp show red or brown through the dark. Stress, a move and pale substrate also lighten them.

How many Black Cherry Shrimp should I buy?

Six or more. OATA asks for at least five and Practical Fishkeeping suggests six, because small groups become shy and a larger group widens the gene pool.

Will they breed with my red cherry shrimp?

Yes. Every cherry shrimp colour is the same species, and Practical Fishkeeping warns that crossed colonies revert to brownish shrimp within a few generations. Keep one colour per tank.

Do Black Cherry Shrimp need a heater?

Not in a warm room. They tolerate about 18–28°C, but Practical Fishkeeping says they live longest and breed best at 21–26°C, so heat a tank in a cool room.

Is tap water safe for them?

Usually, if it is medium-hard and treated with a conditioner. Use cold tap water only, because Practical Fishkeeping links hot tap water to copper poisoning.

How can I tell if a female is carrying eggs?

Look under the tail, where she carries 20–30 eggs on her swimmerets. The saddle on her back can be hard to see in a dark shrimp, but the eggs themselves are easy to spot.

How long do Black Cherry Shrimp live?

Wikipedia gives 1–2 years. Practical Fishkeeping says rarely more than 12–18 months, and that warmer water shortens life, so a steady, mid-range temperature helps.

Consult the care references

• Wikipedia: Neocaridina davidi — black and chocolate pigment cells, wild colour, size, diet, sexing, eggs and lifespan.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — group size, water values, feeding, acclimatisation, maintenance and health signs.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Frequently asked questions on Neocaridina shrimps — temperatures, tank size, filters, tank mates and causes of death.
• Practical Fishkeeping: An introduction to shrimp — colour forms, crossbreeding, dark sand, moulting and feeding.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Will my shrimp hybridise? — hardness, stocking and Neocaridina x Caridina.
• The Shrimp Farm: Grading red cherry shrimp — why males often look paler than females.
• Klotz, W., Miesen, F. W., Hüllen, S. & Herder, F. (2013). Aquatic Invasions 8: 333–339 — cherry shrimp established in a warmed German stream system.