Chocolate Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Decide if this shrimp suits your aquarium

The Chocolate Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) is a freshwater shrimp in the Atyidae family. It is a dark aquarium colour form of a species native to Taiwan, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam. Adults reach about 4 cm, so plan the aquarium and its companions around that length rather than the smaller dispatch size. This shrimp suits an intermediate keeper prepared to provide mature filtration, measured water, established grazing surfaces and a carefully screened community.

WoRMS accepts Neocaridina davidi in the family Atyidae. The species summary for Neocaridina davidi describes an omnivorous freshwater shrimp from lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, with mature animals approximately 3–4 cm long. Those natural-history details explain the adult planning size and feeding biology; aquarium routines need tighter decisions about filtration, food and water testing.

Start with a mature, filtered aquarium of 20 litres under the Tropical Fish Co cautious planning policy for a small group. The OATA freshwater shrimp and snail guidance advises at least five social shrimp and gives 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18°dH for the group. These are planning values, not a species-specific optimum. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, provide cover and protect any filter intake that could trap small shrimp.

Read the complete Cherry Shrimp Care Guide when planning filtration, grazing area, population growth and protected equipment together.

Choose the dispatch size shown on the page

One purchase supplies one Chocolate Cherry Shrimp in the size chosen from the live size selector. The choices are 1–1.5 cm and 2–2.5 cm. These labels describe the shrimp's dispatch length and do not change the adult planning size of about 4 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size.

Choose between the two dispatch sizes according to the planned aquarium rather than treating the larger choice as an adult animal. Both sizes need mature biological filtration, zero measured ammonia and nitrite, appropriate food, sheltered grazing surfaces and companions screened against the same adult community. Account for the complete group and every other animal instead of calculating capacity from the small arrival length.

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

Some gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. They show the listed type of animal rather than guaranteeing the exact markings of the individual supplied, so natural colour and pattern can vary.

Chocolate identifies the named colour line, while individual living animals should be assessed by their condition as well as colour. Do not use a picture, dispatch size or depth of brown to infer sex, reproductive status or maturity. Behaviour and appearance can also change during settling or moulting, so begin with measured water and direct observation rather than an assumption based on the gallery.

Plan the purchase as a group

• Purchase unit: one live shrimp for each purchase quantity.
• Dispatch choices: 1–1.5 cm or 2–2.5 cm.
• Adult planning length: about 4 cm.
• Social plan: build towards at least five shrimp under OATA's advice for social freshwater shrimp.
• Space plan: begin at a mature, filtered 20-litre aquarium under the store's cautious policy, then allow for companions and possible population growth.

The cherry shrimp collection can be used to compare named colour forms, but related colours are not a compatibility recommendation and should not be assumed to reproduce true to either name when mixed.

Plan the aquarium around the adult size

Plan for an adult length of about 4 cm. The species account places mature Neocaridina davidi at approximately 3–4 cm, so the upper end is the practical figure for space, equipment and companion screening. OATA uses approximately 3 cm when illustrating smaller popular shrimp in its broad freshwater invertebrate sheet; keep 4 cm as the single adult planning length for this identified species.

The 1–1.5 cm and 2–2.5 cm choices are dispatch sizes. A smaller arrival still needs an aquarium planned for the same adult length and the same full community. Do not use its initial length to justify a temporary aquarium that falls short of the mature, filtered 20-litre starting policy.

Use volume as headroom, not a stocking formula

Tropical Fish Co starts planning a small group at 20 litres. OATA's general screen is at least 10 litres for a group of small freshwater shrimp, but the store policy uses the larger figure to provide more room for equipment, grazing surfaces, feeding and change. With fish or other livestock, plan a larger aquarium around all adult occupants.

Measure the usable aquarium rather than relying only on its nominal label. Substrate, wood, plants and equipment reduce the water volume while contributing surfaces and shelter. Footprint also matters because the group needs access to food and grazing areas. A 20-litre figure is therefore a cautious starting point, not a promise that every community with that volume will be suitable.

• Count every adult companion when assessing the biological load.
• Reserve accessible surfaces where the shrimp can graze and feed.
• Leave room to inspect and maintain the filter and protected intake.
• Allow for juvenile survival rather than assuming the population will remain fixed.
• Keep headroom for maintenance errors, extra feeding and warmer weather.

A permanent shrimp-per-litre calculation hides filtration, feeding competition, water stability, usable area and future population change. Make each of those decisions separately.

Mature the aquarium before the shrimp arrives

Use a mature biological filter and confirm that ammonia and nitrite remain at zero before introducing the shrimp. Maturity is demonstrated by the filter processing the intended load and by measured water results, not by a fixed number of days. If either ammonia or nitrite is detectable, postpone livestock introduction and continue testing while the filter develops.

The RSPCA explains the biological filtration process: beneficial bacteria convert toxic ammonia to nitrite and then to the safer nitrate. Shrimp still require ammonia and nitrite at zero, so a running filter is not enough on its own. Test results show whether the biological process is working for the aquarium's load.

Follow the OATA freshwater aquarium setup guidance for cycling, regular testing and gradual stocking. Add livestock slowly because the beneficial bacterial population must respond whenever waste and feeding increase. Adding too much too quickly can produce new tank syndrome, with ammonia or nitrite rising faster than the filter can process it.

Prepare surfaces, shelter and equipment

• Grazing area: include established aquarium-safe wood, rock, plants or other structured surfaces where biofilm can develop.
• Cover: provide sheltered areas throughout the aquarium rather than concentrating all cover in one corner.
• Filter intake: fit a fine guard or suitable sponge wherever a small shrimp could be trapped.
• Maintenance access: leave enough open space to inspect equipment and remove waste.
• Secure top: use an appropriate cover while maintaining safe access for cables and ventilation.

Biofilm supports natural grazing, but an old-looking surface is not proof that the aquarium is biologically safe. Test the water and provide a complete food as well. The freshwater shrimp setup guide gives a practical sequence for preparing and maturing a first aquarium before livestock is introduced.

Use a first-week checkpoint

After introduction, observe whether every shrimp can reach sheltered surfaces and food. Continue measuring ammonia and nitrite rather than assuming a mature filter cannot be affected by added livestock. If either rises above zero, stop increasing the population, reduce avoidable waste and restore stable filtration before making another stocking decision.

Keep water measured and stable

Keep the aquarium at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18°dH, with carbonate hardness at 3–15°dKH. OATA sets these values for freshwater shrimp and snails as a group rather than as an optimum for this colour form. Within that planning range, prioritise measured stability and gradual change over repeatedly adjusting the aquarium towards the middle.

Maintain ammonia and nitrite at zero. Nitrate should not exceed 20 mg per litre above the normal tap-water level. Test at least weekly and compare results over time so that a rising trend is noticed before behaviour or feeding changes become severe.

Compare both sides of a transfer

Measure the aquarium's temperature, pH and hardness, and obtain the holding-water values before transfer. Compare the numbers directly rather than assuming all UK tap water is similar. Rock, substrate, top-ups, water treatment and household softening can alter the water that reaches the aquarium.

Use the aquarium water chemistry guide to understand GH, KH, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before acting on a test. The water matcher helps compare measured aquarium values with the planning range. A test result only becomes useful when it leads to a specific decision about transfer, maintenance or compatibility.

Use a heater only when measured room and aquarium temperatures cannot remain stable within the chosen range. In a cool room, use a correctly sized, guarded and thermostatically controlled heater. A warm room needs an overheating plan instead of additional heat. Decide from measurements, not the season or postcode.

Feed an omnivorous grazer without fouling the water

Use an appropriate complete sinking shrimp food as the nutritional base. Neocaridina davidi is an omnivore in nature and also grazes biofilm and soft growth in the aquarium. Grazing is useful enrichment and a continuing food source, but do not rely on visible algae or biofilm as the complete diet.

Follow the food manufacturer's portion guidance, then adjust by observing access, leftovers and water-test trends. OATA advises feeding freshwater shrimp and snails two or three times a week. Pellets or wafers should remain accessible for at least 30 minutes so the shrimp have time to feed, but recurring excess should be removed before it breaks down and releases waste.

Judge the next portion from what happened

Established grazing surfaces help between feeds, especially where wood, rock and plants provide sheltered areas. Keep those surfaces accessible when trimming plants or rearranging the aquarium. Do not scrub every established surface at the same time, but continue routine waste removal and water testing.

Feeding cannot compensate for an immature filter, detectable ammonia or unsuitable companions. If feeding interest falls, measure temperature, ammonia and nitrite, inspect the equipment and compare the behaviour of the affected shrimp with the rest of the group before changing foods repeatedly.

Maintain the filter without removing its bacteria

At least once every week, make a partial water change of 25%. Use a siphon where appropriate to remove solid waste from accessible substrate, and treat replacement tap water with conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine before adding it to the aquarium. Match the replacement water closely enough to avoid an abrupt change in the conditions the shrimp experience.

Test ammonia and nitrite at least weekly and keep both at zero. Review nitrate alongside its normal tap-water level, keeping the aquarium result from exceeding that baseline by more than 20 mg per litre. Record the values so that a gradual rise can be acted on rather than missed between isolated tests.

Check the filter during each routine

• Inspect the inlet guard or sponge for blockages that reduce flow.
• Confirm that the intake protection remains secure after cleaning.
• If the filter media needs cleaning, do not run it under the tap.
• Rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the partial water change.
• Return the media promptly and confirm that the filter is operating normally.

Chlorine or chloramine can kill the beneficial bacterial population established in the filter media. Cleaning media in removed aquarium water reduces bacterial loss while allowing accumulated debris to be cleared. Do not replace all mature media simply because it looks stained; base maintenance on flow, blockage and the filter manufacturer's instructions.

If a result changes after maintenance, check the replacement water, temperature, filter operation and recent cleaning method before changing several variables at once. A written record of tests, feeding and maintenance makes that comparison more reliable.

Respond promptly to health and moulting changes

Observe normal activity, colour, hiding, breathing, appearance, body condition and feeding so that a change has a useful point of comparison. A shed exoskeleton can resemble a dead shrimp, and hiding may accompany moulting, but neither observation alone identifies a health problem. Check the animal, the rest of the group and the measured aquarium conditions together.

Use a measured response

1. Measure temperature, ammonia and nitrite immediately.
2. Review nitrate, pH and hardness alongside recent results.
3. Check filtration, intake protection, heating and water movement.
4. Review recent maintenance, food, plants, decorations, aerosols and treatments.
5. Compare the affected shrimp with the activity and feeding of the rest of the group.
6. Record clear photographs and seek suitably qualified aquatic or veterinary help when signs are severe or persist.

Watch for increased inactivity, restlessness, unusual movement, hiding more than normal, a darker or paler appearance, altered breathing effort, white spots, lesions, abnormal growths, exoskeleton damage, missing appendages, swelling, weight change or reduced interest in food. These signs justify investigation; they do not identify one disease or one treatment by themselves.

Protect the shrimp from copper

Freshwater shrimp are very sensitive to copper and will die if exposed even to low levels. Always ensure that any treatment added to the aquarium is safe for invertebrates. Read the exact current label and every invertebrate warning before use, and identify the problem before treating.

Do not calculate a universal safe copper concentration from a product used for another animal or from one experiment. If a label does not clearly cover the intended animal and aquarium, do not add the treatment while compatibility remains unclear. Consider how medication will affect every invertebrate in the system as well as the filter.

Water quality remains the first check during any health change. A medicine cannot correct detectable ammonia, nitrite, blocked filtration, abrupt temperature change or recurring excess food, and adding products without a diagnosis can complicate the original problem.

Receive and acclimatise the shrimp carefully

The shrimp is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it. A licensed live-animal courier carries the parcel. Be present at the delivery address because live animals cannot be left unattended, then open and inspect the parcel on the same day.

Follow the arrival sequence

1. Be present to receive the parcel.
2. Start filming before the parcel is opened, showing the parcel still sealed and the outer box visible.
3. Open it in one continuous take and show the shrimp still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the shrimp.

These steps preserve a clear view of the animal's condition while supporting a slow temperature transition. Before release, the destination aquarium should already be mature, filtered and within the planned range, with ammonia and nitrite at zero. Those aquarium checks belong before arrival rather than being attempted while the shrimp remains in its transport bag.

For a Live Arrival Guarantee claim, tell Tropical Fish Co on the same day with the order number and the continuous unboxing video. The video must begin with the sealed parcel, show it being opened and show the shrimp inside the sealed bag. Read the delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy for the full receiving and claim terms.

Observe the first settling period

After release, check activity, hiding and feeding against the rest of the group without diagnosing from one behaviour. Continue regular ammonia and nitrite tests because added livestock and feeding increase the load processed by the biological filter. Increase the population slowly and do not combine arrival with several avoidable changes to food, equipment or water chemistry.

If behaviour or appearance changes, begin with measured temperature, ammonia and nitrite, then inspect filtration and recent maintenance. This sequence produces clearer decisions than immediately changing food, pH and equipment together.

Screen every fish companion before mixing

Avoid fish able to fit the shrimp in their mouth and avoid species known to be predatory. OATA applies both exclusions to freshwater shrimp, so they remain unconditional even where a fish is described as peaceful. A peaceful temperament does not answer whether the fish hunts small invertebrates or can swallow an adult shrimp.

No fish is guaranteed safe with adult Chocolate Cherry Shrimp, and adult coexistence says even less about newly hatched juveniles. If maximum juvenile survival is the goal, use a shrimp-only aquarium. Removing fish predation does not remove water-quality, feeding, equipment, crowding or health risks, so the aquarium still needs mature filtration, cover and a protected intake.

Screen the complete adult community

Tank-mate uncertainty remains because behaviour varies and no named fish is guaranteed shrimplet-safe. Screen the planned adult fish rather than relying on labels such as community fish, nano fish or peaceful fish. Keep a separation plan ready if behaviour changes after introduction.

Freshwater shrimp are generally compatible with many aquarium inhabitants only after those exclusions and checks have been applied. Add livestock gradually so the filter can respond to increased waste and feeding. With fish or other animals present, plan more than the 20-litre starting point used for a small shrimp group.

Plan the group around your goal

Plan a group of at least five Chocolate Cherry Shrimp. OATA advises that social shrimp should generally be kept in groups of at least five, while the store's cautious starting policy uses a mature, filtered 20-litre aquarium for a small group. Increase numbers slowly so filtration, feeding access and grazing area can respond.

Choose the aquarium plan according to the result you want. A mixed display, a single-colour line and a setup focused on juvenile survival create different companion and separation decisions. None removes the need for measured water, complete food, cover and maintained filtration.

Understand the reproductive biology without expecting a result

Chocolate Cherry Shrimp are not livebearers. A female carries eggs externally beneath the abdomen, and the young hatch as benthic juveniles rather than passing through the prolonged saline planktonic stage associated with Amano Shrimp. This direct development permits the life cycle to continue in freshwater, but it does not promise a surviving colony.

Support possible juveniles with mature filtration, established grazing surfaces, suitable food, cover and protected intakes. Fish predation, feeding competition, equipment and water quality still affect the outcome. Do not plan a colony around a promised sex mix, breeding date, egg count or monthly growth rate.

When preserving the named chocolate line matters, keep it separately from other colour forms and confirm that this goal takes priority over a mixed display. Colour does not change the basic requirements for mature filtration, measured water, group planning or companion screening.

Answer common buyer questions

How big does Chocolate Cherry Shrimp get?

It reaches about 4 cm as an adult. The 1–1.5 cm and 2–2.5 cm choices are dispatch lengths, so plan the aquarium and companions around the 4 cm adult size.

What size aquarium does Chocolate Cherry Shrimp need?

Start with a mature, filtered 20-litre aquarium under Tropical Fish Co's cautious policy for a small group. OATA gives at least 10 litres as its general screen for small freshwater shrimp; neither figure is a permanent shrimp-per-litre formula.

How many should I keep together?

Plan at least five. OATA's group guidance advises that social freshwater shrimp should generally be kept in groups of at least five, with numbers increased slowly so filtration and feeding capacity can respond.

Does it suit beginners?

This shrimp has an intermediate store care rating because success depends on mature filtration, measured zero ammonia and nitrite, gradual changes, appropriate food, protected equipment and carefully screened companions.

What does Neocaridina davidi eat?

It is an omnivore that grazes biofilm and soft growth. Use an appropriate complete sinking shrimp food as the nutritional base, follow the manufacturer's portion guidance and remove recurring excess before it fouls the water.

What temperature and pH does this shrimp need?

OATA's freshwater shrimp and snail guidance gives 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18°dH for the group. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and make changes gradually.

Is Chocolate Cherry Shrimp aggressive or likely to nip fins?

It has a peaceful store temperament rating. Compatibility risk usually runs towards the shrimp: avoid predatory fish and fish able to fit it in their mouth, and screen every community for hunting and feeding competition.

Which animals can it live with?

It can live with other members of a planned shrimp group. No fish is guaranteed safe, especially for juveniles, so screen adult mouth size, predatory behaviour, feeding competition, water overlap and usable cover before mixing.

How does Chocolate Cherry Shrimp arrive alive?

Start filming the sealed parcel before opening it or floating the bag. Be present to receive it, show the sealed bag in one continuous take, then float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the shrimp.

Consult the public references

• World Register of Marine Species: Neocaridina davidi — accepted name and family.
• Wikipedia: Neocaridina davidi — native range, habitat, omnivorous biology and mature length.
• OATA: freshwater shrimp and snails — group water values, social care, feeding, maintenance and compatibility.
• RSPCA aquarium environment guidance — biological filtration and waste processing.
• OATA freshwater aquarium setup guidance — cycling, testing and gradual stocking.