Green Fire Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Meet the Green Fire Shrimp, a green form of the cherry shrimp

The Green Fire Shrimp is a selectively bred green colour line of Neocaridina davidi, the small freshwater shrimp the hobby calls the cherry shrimp. The shrimp in our photographs is a bright lime green with a slightly translucent body, fine dark speckling and clear legs and antennae. It is the same species as the red, yellow and blue cherry shrimp, so it shares their easy care, their appetite for biofilm and their readiness to breed in a mature aquarium.

According to Wikipedia's species account, Neocaridina davidi is native to Taiwan, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam, and the wild form is a mottled brown. Practical Fishkeeping explains that the common name "cherry shrimp" comes from the first coloured variant bred in aquaria, the red cherry, and that breeders have since produced yellow, blue, brown, black, orange and green forms.

Decode the names on the label

Because green trade names are used loosely, we describe exactly what the photographs show rather than relying on the name. If you already keep our Green Jade Shrimp, treat the two as the same species that will interbreed.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase quantity supplies one live Green Fire Shrimp. Shrimp are not sexed at this size. Colour strength varies with age, diet, stress and the colour of the substrate, so a newly arrived shrimp is often paler than it will be once settled; the photographs show the colour form, not the individual you will receive.

Order a group, not a single shrimp

• Minimum group: OATA recommends keeping shrimp in groups of at least five; Practical Fishkeeping's author suggests at least six.
• Breeding colony: a group of that size will almost certainly contain both sexes, and Practical Fishkeeping notes that six shrimp can multiply to around a hundred quickly.
• Adult size: OATA puts the smaller shrimp species at about 3 cm, and Wikipedia gives adult Neocaridina davidi as about 3–4 cm; females are the larger sex.

Set the aquarium up and let it mature before ordering, then check our delivery and live arrival information so the shrimp go straight into a ready tank.

Size the tank for a growing colony

OATA's shrimp and snail care sheet gives a minimum of 10 litres for a small group, with more space needed if fish share the tank. Practical Fishkeeping's Neocaridina FAQ says tanks as small as 15 litres can work if they are well planted and filtered. We recommend 20 litres or more as a starting point, because larger volumes hold their temperature and water quality more steadily, and a successful group will keep growing.

Run a three-point space check

1. Volume: 20 litres or more for a starting group of five to ten; work out real volume with our tank volume calculator.
2. Surface area: count plants, moss, wood and stones as grazing area; shrimp use every surface, not just the floor.
3. Future numbers: plan for the young. A colony that doubles needs the same water quality spread across twice the waste.

Fill, filter and mature the aquarium before any shrimp go in. OATA asks for zero ammonia and nitrite before introducing livestock, and adding animals too quickly to an immature filter causes "new tank syndrome".

Set up grazing surfaces and cover

Green Fire Shrimp spend the day picking at surfaces. Wikipedia describes the species as an omnivore that feeds on biofilm, algae and detritus and does not eat vascular plants, so plants are safe and useful. Practical Fishkeeping recommends sand as the best substrate, because the shrimp love sifting through it for food.

Give every part of the tank a job

Keep the aquarium away from draughts, radiators and direct sunlight, as OATA advises, and run the lights on a regular day and night cycle.

Match water values for Green Fire Shrimp

Neocaridina are forgiving, but they do best in stable, medium-hard water. The two UK sources below agree closely, and Practical Fishkeeping adds that although most tolerate about 18°C and up to 28°C, they live longest and breed best at 21–26°C.

Read the sources side by side

The planning range uses Practical Fishkeeping's best-breeding temperatures and the hardness band where both sources agree. A heater is not always needed: Practical Fishkeeping notes that room temperature is fine for these shrimp, but if your room drops below about 18°C in winter, a small heater keeps them steady.

Very soft water is the most common mismatch. Practical Fishkeeping warns that shrimp in soft water may need calcium supplements, because calcium is needed for moulting. Compare your tap water with our water matcher before you buy.

Treat copper as a hard limit

OATA describes shrimp as very sensitive to copper, dying even at low levels. Check every medicine, plant fertiliser and water treatment for copper and for an invertebrate-safe label before it goes into the tank. Practical Fishkeeping adds that trace amounts in foods and fertilisers are usually harmless unless other sources add to them, so avoid stacking products.

Filter gently and keep the water stable

Shrimp need clean water but not strong currents. Practical Fishkeeping's author prefers air-driven sponge filters because they make a perfect grazing ground for the young shrimp. If you use a power filter, cover the intake with a fine sponge so baby shrimp cannot be drawn in.

Follow a weekly maintenance routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate weekly, plus pH and hardness, as OATA recommends.
2. Change 25% of the water at least once a week, siphoning solid waste from the substrate.
3. Match the temperature of the new water and treat it with a tap-water conditioner.
4. Add the new water slowly so hardness and temperature do not swing suddenly.
5. Rinse sponges in removed tank water, never under the tap.

Our shrimp-keeping guide covers filter choice and water changes for every kind of dwarf shrimp.

Feed small amounts and leave the moults

A mature tank feeds shrimp all day through biofilm and soft algae, so added food is a supplement. OATA describes shrimp as mainly herbivorous grazers and suggests algae wafers or shrimp pellets two or three times a week, leaving the food in for at least 30 minutes and avoiding overfeeding. Our green algae wafers break down into pieces small shrimp can share.

Build one measured feed

• Portion: an amount the group clears within a few hours; start smaller than you think.
• Placement: drop food in one open spot so you can see whether it is being eaten.
• Clean-up: remove what is left the same day, because uneaten food breaks down into toxic waste.
• Species tanks: Practical Fishkeeping notes that shrimp without fish must be target fed, as there are no leftovers from fish meals.

Leave shed skins in the tank. Wikipedia explains that the shrimp eat their old exoskeletons to recover nutrients, so moults should not be removed.

Introduce shrimp slowly and watch the first week

Shrimp react badly to sudden changes in water chemistry, so take longer over acclimatisation than you would for most fish. OATA's method is to turn the lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then add tank water to the bag gradually over at least 30 minutes before releasing the shrimp.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

OATA advises monitoring closely for the first week. A few shrimp hiding is normal; shrimp swimming frantically or lying on their sides is a reason to test immediately.

Understand moulting and health signs

Shrimp grow by shedding their exoskeleton. OATA notes that shrimp moult frequently and that a shed skin can look like a dead shrimp, and Wikipedia adds that juveniles moult more often than adults. A healthy colony grazes steadily, carries eggs regularly and shows good colour.

Match each sign to a first action

OATA lists exoskeleton damage, white spots, lesions, changes in colour and feeding, and unusual swimming as signs to watch. Test the water before anything else.

Keep one colour per aquarium

Every cherry shrimp colour is the same species. Practical Fishkeeping is direct about it: the different forms all crossbreed, so never keep several Neocaridina varieties together. Mixed colonies produce off-colour young and revert to plain brownish shrimp after a few generations.

Protect the green line

• Keep Green Fire Shrimp in their own aquarium if you want green young.
• Keep red, yellow or blue colours such as our Super Red Sakura Shrimp, Yellow Cherry Shrimp or Blue Dream Shrimp in separate tanks.
• Expect some off-colour young even in a pure line; Practical Fishkeeping notes this happens within a single variety too.
• Move the palest or brownest young to another tank if you want to keep the colony a strong green.

Browse every colour in our cherry shrimp range or the Neocaridina shrimp category to plan one colour per tank.

Choose shrimp-safe tank mates

OATA's rule is simple: do not keep shrimp with fish that can fit them in their mouths, or with predatory species. Practical Fishkeeping adds that shrimp fare, and breed, better in a dedicated shrimp tank, but names snails, other dwarf shrimp and small Otocinclus, Corydoras and plecs as relatively safe companions.

Screen companions with this table

Even small fish will pick off newborn shrimp, so dense moss and plants decide how many young survive in a community tank. See all shrimps and crustaceans for more invertebrate companions.

Breed a green colony

Green Fire Shrimp breed readily in fresh water with no special set-up. Wikipedia describes a visible "saddle", the developing ovary on the female's back, as a sign that she is ready to mate. After mating, she carries about 20–30 eggs on the swimmerets under her tail until they hatch.

Know the breeding timeline

Never release shrimp or their young into ponds, rivers or drains. Wikipedia records Neocaridina davidi as invasive in warmed waterways in Germany, Poland, Japan and the United States, from released aquarium shrimp. Our cherry shrimp care guide and cherry shrimp buying guide cover colony management in more depth, and the wider freshwater shrimp category lists every species we keep.

Answer Green Fire Shrimp buying questions

How many Green Fire Shrimp should I buy?

Start with at least five, as OATA recommends, or six as Practical Fishkeeping suggests. A group of that size almost always contains both sexes and settles faster.

Can I keep them with red cherry shrimp?

Not if you want green young. All cherry shrimp colours are the same species and interbreed, and mixed colonies drift back to brownish shrimp within a few generations.

Do Green Fire Shrimp need a heater?

Not if your room stays above about 18°C. They tolerate 18–28°C, but Practical Fishkeeping says they live longest and breed best at 21–26°C, so a small heater helps in a cold room.

What size tank do they need?

OATA's minimum is 10 litres for a small group, and Practical Fishkeeping says 15 litres can work if well planted. We recommend 20 litres or more for a stable start.

What should I feed them?

Biofilm and algae in a mature tank, plus algae wafers or shrimp food two or three times a week, removed if not eaten. Leave their shed skins in the tank.

Are Green Fire Shrimp the same as Green Jade Shrimp?

Both are green colour lines of Neocaridina davidi, and trade names for green lines overlap. They will interbreed, so keep them in the same tank only if you are happy with mixed green offspring.

Why is my new shrimp pale?

Colour varies with age, diet, stress and substrate colour. Newly moved shrimp are often paler and usually colour up once settled in stable water.

Which fish are safe with them?

OATA says avoid any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth. Practical Fishkeeping names snails, other dwarf shrimp and small Otocinclus, Corydoras and plecs as relatively safe, but a shrimp-only tank raises the most young.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — water values, tank size, feeding, maintenance, acclimatisation, copper and moulting.
• Wikipedia: Neocaridina davidi — names, native range, size, diet, moulting, breeding, lifespan and invasive populations.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Frequently asked questions on Neocaridina shrimps — temperatures for long life and breeding, tank size, group size, copper and lifespan.
• Practical Fishkeeping: An introduction to shrimp — colour forms, crossbreeding and reversion, water hardness, substrate and filtration.
• OATA: How to care for tropical algae eaters — cherry shrimp size, group size and gentle flow.