If you are looking for freshwater shrimp, easy to care for and with vibrant colors - Cherry Shrimp is the perfect choice for Your aquarium tank.

Taking care of a Cherry shrimp tank is much simpler than you think. Cherry Shrimp is an "assistant" to actively support you in cleaning the aquarium. This article will give you more information about the origin of this shrimp and the primary care process you need to know.

What is Cherry Shrimp?

Neocaridina davidi (Neocaridina Davidi) is mainly found in freshwater lakes and streams of Taiwan, China, and other areas of Asia.

They can also be called Red Cherry shrimp, fire shrimp, or Sakura shrimp. The life expectancy of most cherry shrimp is about one to two years.

It is challenging to distinguish between males and females as they are young. But you will quickly recognise them as they grow through the development of the orange saddle on the abdomen - used to keep eggs during reproduction.

Cherry shrimp with bright colours is mainly due to many years of selected breeding from the original shrimp. The largest cherry shrimp size is about one or two inches; the female is usually more extensive than the male. The male has a thinner tail and is dimmer, while the females are often brighter than the males.

Although the most famous cherry shrimp is red, they have many colours. A cherry shrimp may be yellow, orange, green, purple, black, or any other colour.

Sapphire Blue Cherry Shrimp (Blue Dreams Cherry) 

They are excellent beginner aquarium shrimp, and they have fantastic colouration. The Blue Dream Shrimp is a popular choice for freshwater hobbyists because of its stunning blue colour and because it is relatively easy to care for and breed. They stand out beautifully against a dark substrate.

The Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina Heteropoda)

Also known as Red Cherry Shrimp or RCS, it is a dwarf freshwater shrimp native to Taiwan. Red cherry shrimp is a freshwater Shrimp that is incredibly peaceful and renowned for its algae-eating capabilities. Suitable for beginners and experienced aquarists. They are one of the hardest shrimp we keep in the shrimp room.

Green Jade Cherry Shrimp

Green Jade Cherry Shrimp is a great beginner aquarium shrimp with fantastic colouration. They will have a nice green colouring but may have brown or green stripes along the body. They are one of the hardest shrimp we keep in the shrimp room.

This shrimp is a scavenger very useful in planted and nano aquariums. The bulk of its diet is a biofilm, algae, and decaying plant matter, so it will work diligently to clean up the waste in any aquarium. 

Care for all kinds of cherry shrimp is identical to all shrimps Neon Yellow, Blue Velvet, Sapphire, Blue/Black Diamond, Chocolate, Snowball, and Rili Shrimp varieties. It is comparably durable as well.

Take care Cherry shrimp

Cherry shrimp are very active and often busy all day and night. They spend most of the time walking around the tank and looking for anything in your aquarium, including plants, moss, and other substrates.

Cherry shrimp are easy to reproduce. They have a solid and easy-to-care crust compared to other shrimp. They will hide in hidden corners to avoid predators.

How to set up cherry shrimp tanks

Your shrimp will feel the safest when provided with many areas to explore and hide from predators. The hidden places include raw plants, shrimp pipes, and dust-shaped aquatic plants. You can keep 10x cherry shrimp in a 5 to 10-gallon aquarium tank.

Water conditions for Cherry Shrimp

Red cherry shrimp is suitable for water temperatures about 77℉ - 81℉ (or 25℃ to 27℃). At higher temperatures, they will have faster growth and breed.

The highest temperature that cherry shrimp can withstand is 86℉ (or 30℃), but the water must be aerated into the tank. These shrimp can survive at a temperature lower than 77℉ but not fertility, and they will be at higher risk.

At least a week, you should change the water for cherry shrimp tanks. Shrimp is very sensitive to nitrite and ammonia, so you must ensure no these substances are in the water. They are also sensitive to chlorine and heavy metals, so you must remove chlorine from the water before putting shrimp into the tank. Preparing this water environment a few days earlier stabilizes the water.

Temperature affects their metabolism. They grow faster but have a shorter life expectancy at high temperatures. They live longer but breed less at low temperatures.

To enhance health, colour intensity, and egg hatching rate, the pH suitable for cherry shrimp must be 6.2 to 7.3. In addition, you should provide a dark and soft substrate to see their striking colours.

Use spare heaters to heat water. You should also check the water to see if there is any effect, ensuring the water is in the above parameters.

Remember, although these shrimp are healthy, they are still sensitive to foreign metal components in the water. They are just as susceptible to shock when changing the water as any other fish.

Adding cherry shrimp to your tank

Before adding the red cherry shrimp to your aquarium, you should expose the shrimp to the new water in the tank by adding new drops of water to the shrimp bag. If your shrimp are stable for 20-30 minutes, you can use a thin net and gently place them in the new tank (be careful to cover this process, as the shrimp can jump off the net).

Check your shrimp from time to time and make sure the filters are not sucking them in. Use a sponge filter with a gentle flow, which a cherry shrimp tank requires. You can also use air stones to increase oxygen in the shrimp.

Cherry Shrimp Food

They are omnivores that can eat almost any food in the tank. They can survive on the leftovers of other fish if they live in a community tank or on the tiny particles found in plants and algae.

They will be delighted with the specialised food for ornamental shrimp, such as algae pellets and vegetables you give them. However, remember to only feed them these in moderation. They can get sick if they overeat.

You should feed your shrimp a small amount of food daily if you keep them in a tank. Remove any leftover food particles left in the tank after a few hours without the shrimp eating.

Although they are known for eating algae and plants, they ensure enough protein in their diet as the young need it to grow, and the female uses it to make eggs.

Individuals can coexist with cherry shrimp.

Red cherry shrimp live harmoniously with the shrimp and fish in your community tank. You don't have to worry about them harming their fellows in the tank. Still, unfortunately, they will easily fall prey to larger fish.

Generally, higher-grade shrimp should be kept in a single species tank, while lower-grade shrimp can be controlled with other shrimp species in the tank.

How many cherry shrimp should be kept together?

Keep at least 10 Neocaridina shrimp if you plan to start a cherry shrimp community, and keep them in a cherry shrimp-only tank.

Suppose you mainly want to keep adult shrimp and don't care how many baby shrimp are born. In that case, some peaceful small fishes can live with them, such as freshwater snails, catfish (Cory and Otocinclus), small plecos, dwarf gouramis, and small tetras.

Natural breeding

Red cherry shrimp are easy to care for and always stand out in your aquarium. You may accidentally come across red cherry shrimp dancing and snapping their tails fast, which may be males chasing females during the breeding phase.

Just be sure to maintain good water quality and provide them with plenty of food. Your female shrimp will be pregnant continuously. They will lay eggs somewhere between 30 and 40 days. You can even see pregnant females splash fresh water on their eggs to provide them with oxygen. Young shrimp need a lot of shelter, and they will take a long time to mature.