Red Back Fire Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Choose the Red Back Fire Shrimp for deep red colour that breeds true

The Red Back Fire Shrimp is a red line of Neocaridina davidi, the freshwater dwarf shrimp sold as the cherry shrimp. It has been bred to the “Fire” grade, so the body is a warm, nearly solid red rather than the patchy, see-through red of a basic cherry shrimp. Along the top of the abdomen the red deepens into a darker band, the “red back” of its name, which sets off the brighter flanks below. The legs are banded red and clear, the tail fan is red edged with pale blue-white, and the eyes are black. Over green moss it is one of the most striking dwarf shrimp you can keep.

It is also one of the easiest. Red Back Fire Shrimp are cherry shrimp in every way that matters for care: they cope with the medium-hard water most UK keepers have, they spend the day picking biofilm and algae from every surface, and a settled group breeds steadily without help. That combination of strong colour and simple care is why red Neocaridina are so often the first shrimp people keep.

Decide whether it suits your tank

See every cherry shrimp line in our shop, our Neocaridina category and the whole freshwater shrimp category to compare colours.

Know what one purchase supplies

Each purchase quantity is one live Red Back Fire Shrimp. The only option is “Standard”: the line is not sold by size, so shrimp go out at whatever size is available on the day, usually young adults, and sex is not chosen. The photographs show the colour line, not your shrimp. Expect differences in how dark the back band is and how solid the red is, and expect males and young shrimp to look lighter than mature females.

Build the group you need

• Single shrimp: to add to a group of the same line you already keep.
• Six: a sensible starting colony; OATA sets five as the minimum and Practical Fishkeeping six, as shrimp kept alone or in twos and threes stay stressed and hidden.
• Up to a dozen: Neale Monks suggests buying six to twelve adults and letting the colony grow to what the tank supports; more shrimp also widen the gene pool.

Our delivery page explains how live shrimp are packed and sent. Use the stocking calculator if the shrimp will share space with fish.

Read the Fire grade and the red back

Wild cherry shrimp are drab. Wikipedia describes the species, native to Taiwan, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam, as greenish-brown to mottled brown, and lists red as one of many colours fixed in aquariums. Red comes from pigment cells called erythrophores, and what you see is a combination of the colour of the shell and the colour of the flesh beneath. Breeders then grade red shrimp by how much of the body is coloured and how opaque that colour is. The Shrimp Farm’s grading guide sets out the usual ladder:

Place the shrimp on the grading ladder

“Red back” is a trade description added to the Fire grade: it marks shrimp with a noticeably darker red line along the top of the body. It is not a formal standard, so different breeders draw the line in different places. Sex matters too. The Shrimp Farm points out that males are smaller and less bright than females, so a male may sit a grade lower than his sisters from the same batch.

Give the colony a settled, planted home

How small can a cherry shrimp tank be? OATA says about 10 litres for a small group, Practical Fishkeeping says 15 litres can work if well planted and filtered, and The Shrimp Farm puts the floor at 19 litres for a colony. We suggest 20 litres or more. Neale Monks reckons on about two dozen cherry shrimp in 20 litres with good filtration, and more water buffers you against the sudden temperature changes Practical Fishkeeping names as a common killer, especially in small tanks.

The tank must be fully cycled before any shrimp arrive. Practical Fishkeeping is blunt: even a trace of ammonia is fatal, and a new tank lacks the micro-organisms that young shrimp need, which is why breeding often fails in fresh set-ups. Our nitrogen cycle guide walks through cycling from scratch.

Plan the tank by function

Practical Fishkeeping’s shrimp introduction suggests sand for Neocaridina and warns that builders’ sand may hold limestone. Red shrimp on dark sand in front of green plants give the strongest contrast.

Keep water values inside the overlap

There is no single agreed set of numbers for cherry shrimp. OATA’s freshwater shrimp sheet gives 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18 dGH and 3–15 dKH. The Shrimp Farm’s red cherry care page gives 18–29.5°C, pH 6.2–8.0, GH 4–8, KH 3–15 and TDS 150–250. Practical Fishkeeping’s introduction gives 18–26°C, pH 6.5–8, 8–18 dGH and 5–15 dKH, and Neale Monks accepts 5–15 dGH with middling values best for breeding. The ranges overlap comfortably; the bigger risk is change, not the exact figure.

Compare the published ranges

Dechlorinated UK tap water suits most cherry shrimp; Practical Fishkeeping says tap water low in nitrate and phosphate can be used for Neocaridina. Because hardness differs so much from one region to the next, test your own and check it against the plan with our water matcher. Very soft water may need a calcium supplement for healthy moults, and hot-tap water should never be used because of the copper risk. The water chemistry guide covers testing.

In a warm room a heater is optional, but it smooths out night-time drops. Practical Fishkeeping adds that higher temperatures speed growth and breeding but shorten life, and that warm water may need extra aeration.

Filter softly and keep maintenance routine

Newborn cherry shrimp are about 1 mm long, so filter intakes are a real hazard. Practical Fishkeeping recommends air-driven sponge filters or Hamburg mat filters and suggests fitting fine foam or a stocking over any power-filter intake; The Shrimp Farm makes the same point about strong filters pulling up young. OATA’s maintenance advice is a 25% water change at least weekly with conditioned water, weekly testing, and rinsing filter media only in removed tank water.

Work through the weekly sequence

1. Take readings first: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature.
2. Condition the replacement water and match its temperature.
3. Siphon debris from open areas and check the bucket for young shrimp.
4. Pour the new water in slowly, over a plant or a dish.
5. Rinse sponges in old tank water only when flow falls.
6. Write the readings down to spot slow drifts.

Feed little and lift out leftovers

Red Back Fire Shrimp graze constantly. Wikipedia lists biofilm, algae and detritus as the natural diet and notes that cherry shrimp do not eat vascular plants, so a planted tank is safe. Treat prepared food as a supplement. OATA suggests two or three feeds a week left in for at least 30 minutes; The Shrimp Farm uses a good shrimp food as the staple with blanched vegetables, frozen foods and sinking foods for variety. Practical Fishkeeping notes that a shrimp-only tank needs target feeding, because there are no fish scraps.

Measure one shrimp meal

• Small sinking food: a few Caridina nano sticks or a piece of green algae wafer.
• One feeding place: the same clear patch each time, so the colony learns where to go.
• Thirty minutes: check most shrimp have found it.
• A few hours: remove anything left.
• Moult support: Practical Fishkeeping recommends foods with seaweed or added calcium and iodine.

Wikipedia notes that carotenoids from food are thought to supply pigment; algae and spirulina granules in the rotation help the red stay deep.

Introduce the shrimp gently

Abrupt changes kill shrimp, so take your time on arrival. OATA’s floating-bag routine is the minimum: lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then mix in small amounts of tank water over at least 30 minutes and release the shrimp with as little bag water as possible. Practical Fishkeeping’s drip method is gentler still: pour the shrimp and their water into a container and drip tank water in through airline at one to two drops a second for about an hour, until the volume is three or four times what you started with.

1. Turn the tank light off and keep the room dim.
2. Float the unopened bag for 10 minutes.
3. Transfer shrimp and water to a clean container and set up the drip.
4. When the volume has tripled, net the shrimp across with a fine net.
5. Discard the container water down the drain.

Follow a first-week plan

Read moults and early warning signs

An empty shell on the substrate is usually good news. OATA reminds keepers that shrimp moult often and the cast skin can look like a body; Practical Fishkeeping adds that a dead shrimp is never see-through and a moult is never coloured, which makes the difference easy to spot with a red line. The Shrimp Farm says young shrimp moult every few days and adults about once a month. Problems with moulting usually point to hardness or mineral shortfalls.

Match each sign to a response

Do not expect a long life from any single shrimp. Practical Fishkeeping says 12–18 months is typical, Wikipedia one to two years and The Shrimp Farm up to about two years in good conditions; a breeding colony replaces itself.

Breed Red Back Fire Shrimp and keep the colour

No special trigger is needed. After a moult the female releases pheromones and the males become very active; mating follows, and the eggs are fertilised as they pass out and are carried under her tail. Wikipedia gives 20–30 eggs per batch and about two to three weeks to hatching, Practical Fishkeeping three weeks to a month. The young hatch fully formed at about 1 mm and feed on biofilm and fine particles. Practical Fishkeeping notes that shrimp can breed monthly in a well-kept tank.

Spotting a pregnant female takes a closer look in this line. The Shrimp Farm notes that Fire-grade shrimp are so opaque that eggs and saddle are hard to see. Instead, look under the tail for a cluster of eggs and watch for the female fanning them. Wikipedia describes females as larger, with wider tails for carrying eggs.

Keep the red back strong

• Keep the line pure: every Neocaridina davidi colour interbreeds, and Practical Fishkeeping notes that crosses slide back towards brown within a few generations.
• Cull gently: move pale or patchy young to another tank and keep breeding from the shrimp with the darkest back and most even red.
• Protect the young: moss and fine plants give cover, and a mature tank gives food.
• Start the fry right: Practical Fishkeeping suggests finely powdered spirulina alongside natural biofilm.

Pick companions that leave shrimp alone

OATA’s guidance is not to keep shrimp with fish that can fit them in their mouth or with predatory species. Practical Fishkeeping names otocinclus as completely shrimp-safe, even with newborns, and smaller Corydoras and small plecs as generally safe. Dwarf gouramis, smaller tetras and rasboras, cherry barbs and kuhli loaches may be kept with them only in densely planted tanks, and young will be lost. The Shrimp Farm suggests keeping higher grades like this one away from fish, and lists nerite snails and Amano shrimp among suitable invertebrate companions.

Screen every companion

Check any mix with our tank mates tool. Shrimp-safe companions we sell include the Golden Otocinclus, the Batik Nerite Snail and the Amano Shrimp.

Compare other red cherry shrimp lines

Our red Neocaridina run up the grading ladder. The Cherry Shrimp is the classic entry grade, the Sakura Red Shrimp and Super Red Sakura Shrimp sit in the middle, the Fire Red Shrimp is the even, opaque red without the darker back, and the Bloody Mary Shrimp is the deepest red of all. For a patterned look, the Red Rili Shrimp mixes red with clear sections. All interbreed, so keep one line per tank. Our cherry shrimp care guide and guide to buying cherry shrimp in the UK go further.

Never release shrimp, plants or tank water

Cherry shrimp can survive outside aquariums: Wikipedia records populations in thermally polluted waterways in Japan, the United States, Poland and Germany. OATA warns that releasing aquarium animals or plants into the wild is illegal, usually fatal to the animals and a risk to native wildlife. Rehome surplus shrimp through another keeper or a shop, and dispose of water, gravel and plant trimmings via the drain or household waste.

Answer Red Back Fire Shrimp buying questions

What is a Red Back Fire Shrimp?

A red colour line of Neocaridina davidi, the cherry shrimp, bred to the near-opaque “Fire” grade, with a band of deeper red running along the top of the body. “Red back” is a trade description rather than a formal standard, so the strength of the darker band varies.

How is it different from a Fire Red Shrimp?

Both are the same species at a similar colour grade. The Red Back Fire Shrimp is chosen for a darker red line along the back that contrasts with the brighter flanks; a plain Fire Red is more even all over. They interbreed freely, so keep one or the other in a tank.

How many shrimp does one purchase supply?

One live shrimp of the Standard option, sex not selected. Buy six or more to start a colony; OATA recommends at least five and Practical Fishkeeping at least six.

Is it a good first shrimp?

Yes. Red Neocaridina are among the easiest shrimp in the hobby. Give them a cycled, mature tank, dechlorinated water of medium hardness, no copper and no fish large enough to eat them.

Why are some of my shrimp paler?

Males are smaller and less colourful than females, so The Shrimp Farm notes a male can grade lower than a female from the same batch. Colour also fades with stress, a pale substrate or a recent move, and usually returns as the shrimp settle.

Can I see when a female is carrying eggs?

Less easily than in paler lines. The Shrimp Farm notes that Fire-grade shrimp are almost fully opaque, so the saddle is hard to see; look instead for eggs under the tail and for the female fanning them with her swimming legs.

What temperature and water does it need?

Practical Fishkeeping gives 21–26°C for the longest life and best breeding, with 18–28°C tolerated, and pH 6.5–8.0 in medium to hard water. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and hardness steady.

Can it live with crystal red or Amano shrimp?

Yes, if the water suits both. Neale Monks notes that Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp should not hybridise. Crystal reds want softer water than cherry shrimp, so Amano shrimp are the easier companion.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails — UK trade body care sheet: water values, tank and group size, feeding, acclimatisation, maintenance, copper, health signs and release.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Frequently asked questions on Neocaridina shrimps — temperatures for life and breeding, tank and group size, tank mates, filter intakes and causes of unexplained deaths.
• Practical Fishkeeping: An introduction to shrimp — Neocaridina water values, interbreeding of colour forms, substrate, filtration, drip acclimatisation, moulting and breeding.
• Practical Fishkeeping: Will my shrimp hybridise? (Neale Monks) — Neocaridina and Caridina do not hybridise; hardness for breeding, stocking a 20-litre tank and winter breeding.
• Wikipedia: Neocaridina davidi — names and synonyms, native range, size, lifespan, diet, how colour is produced, sexing, breeding figures and wild populations.
• The Shrimp Farm: Grading red cherry shrimp — the Cherry, Sakura, Fire Red, Painted Fire Red and Bloody Mary grades and how sex affects colour.
• The Shrimp Farm: Red cherry shrimp care — water values, minimum tank, filtration, adult size, lifespan, moulting rate and tank mates for red Neocaridina.
• Tropical Fish Co cherry shrimp care guide and delivery terms — our own set-up and live arrival guidance.