Quick answer: Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi, also called red cherry shrimp or RCS) are small, hardy freshwater shrimp that grow to about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) and live 1 to 2 years. They do best in a cycled, planted tank of 5 gallons or more, at 68 to 78 F with pH 6.5 to 8.0, GH 4 to 10 and KH 1 to 8. They eat biofilm, soft algae and leftovers, breed easily, and come in many colors besides red. What most people get wrong is the water, not the shrimp. Sudden changes in temperature or hardness, copper, and adding them to a brand new tank cause far more deaths than anything else.
Cherry shrimp at a glance
| Detail | Cherry shrimp |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Neocaridina davidi (often sold as N. heteropoda) |
| Other names | Red cherry shrimp, RCS, neocaridina, neos |
| Origin | Taiwan and China. Aquarium strains are farm bred |
| Adult size | Females about 1.2 to 1.5 in (3 to 4 cm), males about 1 in (2.5 cm) |
| Lifespan | 1 to 2 years |
| Temperature | 68 to 78 F (20 to 26 C), tolerates about 59 to 86 F (15 to 30 C) |
| pH | 6.5 to 8.0 |
| GH | 4 to 10 dGH |
| KH | 1 to 8 dKH |
| TDS | 100 to 250 ppm |
| Minimum tank | 5 gal (19 L), 10 gal (38 L) or more is easier |
| Starting group | 10 or more |
| Diet | Omnivore. Biofilm, algae, leftovers, shrimp food |
| Temperament | Completely peaceful |
| Breeding | Very easy, live young, no larval stage |
| Care level | Easy, once the tank is stable |
Cherry shrimp vs Amano shrimp vs ghost shrimp vs crystal shrimp
| Shrimp | Size | Water | Breeds in freshwater? | Algae eating | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry shrimp | 1 to 1.5 in | Most tap water, pH 6.5 to 8.0 | Yes, easily | Good on biofilm and soft algae | Easy |
| Amano shrimp | 1.5 to 2 in | Most tap water | No, larvae need brackish water | Excellent | Easy |
| Ghost shrimp | 1.5 to 2 in | Most tap water | Sometimes, larvae are hard to raise | Fair | Easy |
| Crystal red and other Caridina | About 1 in | Soft, acidic water, usually RO | Yes, in the right water | Fair | Advanced |
| Bamboo shrimp | 2 to 3 in | Most tap water, needs flow | No | No, filter feeder | Moderate |
Here’s the honest part most cherry shrimp guides leave out. Cherry shrimp are hardy, but they hate change. A shrimp that would live happily at pH 7.8 can die after being dropped straight into pH 6.8, and a big water change with colder or softer water can kill several overnight. If you keep your water steady, add new shrimp slowly and never let copper near the tank, they’re one of the easiest animals in the hobby.
Cherry shrimp colors and grades
“Cherry shrimp” usually means the red line, but the same species comes in many colors.
| Red grade | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Cherry | Mostly clear, with patchy light red |
| Sakura | Redder, still patchy, clear legs |
| High Sakura | More solid red, some color on legs |
| Fire red | Nearly solid red, including the legs |
| Painted fire red | Deep, opaque red that looks painted on |
| Bloody Mary | Very deep red with a glassy look, males colored too |
Other colors: blue dream, blue velvet, yellow (golden back), orange sakura, green jade, black rose, chocolate, and “rili” types with clear sections.
Don’t mix colors in one tank. They’re the same species and will interbreed. After a few generations, the babies drift back toward the wild brown or clear color. Keep one color per tank if you want them to stay bright.
Color fades? Stress, a pale substrate and a bare tank make shrimp lose color. Dark substrate, plants and stable water bring it back.
How to tell male and female cherry shrimp apart
| Feature | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Larger, up to about 1.5 in | Smaller, about 1 in |
| Color | Deeper, more solid | Paler, more see-through |
| Body shape | Rounder, with a deeper underside | Slimmer and straighter |
| Saddle | Yellow or green patch behind the head when ready to breed | None |
Cherry shrimp tank setup
Tank size. 5 gallons is the practical minimum. A 10 gallon tank or larger stays more stable and gives a colony room to grow.
Cycled and mature. Add shrimp only to a fully cycled tank, ideally one that has been running for a month or more with some biofilm on surfaces. Our how to cycle a fish tank guide shows how.
Filter. A sponge filter is ideal. If you use a hang-on-back or canister filter, cover the intake with a sponge so babies don’t get sucked in.
Plants and moss. Plants give biofilm to graze on and cover for babies and molting shrimp. Java moss, flame moss, anubias and hornwort are great choices. See our low light plants list for more.
Substrate. Any inert gravel or sand works. Dark colors show off red shrimp best.
Lid. Shrimp sometimes climb out, especially when water quality drops.
No copper. Copper kills shrimp even in small amounts. Check fish medications and fertilizers before using them in a shrimp tank.
Water parameters
| Parameter | Ideal range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 68 to 78 F (20 to 26 C) |
| pH | 6.5 to 8.0 |
| GH | 4 to 10 dGH |
| KH | 1 to 8 dKH |
| TDS | 100 to 250 ppm |
| Ammonia and nitrite | 0 ppm |
| Nitrate | Under 20 ppm |
Water changes. Change 10 to 20 percent weekly, using dechlorinated water at the same temperature. Small, regular changes are safer for shrimp than big, rare ones.
How to acclimate cherry shrimp
- Float the bag for 15 to 20 minutes to match the temperature.
- Pour the shrimp and their water into a clean container.
- Drip tank water in slowly, using airline tubing with a knot, for 1 to 2 hours, until the water volume has tripled.
- Net the shrimp into the tank. Don’t pour the shop water in.
Slow acclimation matters most when your water is very different from the shop’s.
What do cherry shrimp eat?
- Biofilm and soft algae on plants, wood, rocks and glass, their main natural food
- Shrimp pellets and wafers, 2 to 3 times a week
- Blanched vegetables such as spinach, zucchini or cucumber
- Dried leaves like Indian almond leaves, which grow biofilm
- Leftover fish food in community tanks
How much to feed. Feed only what they finish in about 2 hours, every day or two. Remove leftovers. Overfeeding causes planaria, scuds and detritus worm booms, and planaria eat baby shrimp.
Do cherry shrimp eat algae? Yes, soft green algae, diatoms and biofilm. They won’t clear tough algae like black beard algae.
Here’s a short clip from our AQUA PLANET 128 channel of cherry shrimp grazing on algae.
How many cherry shrimp per gallon?
Start with 10 or more in any tank, so you get both males and females.
- 5 gallon: start with 10, the colony can grow to 50 or more
- 10 gallon: start with 10 to 20, the colony can grow to 100 or more
- 20 gallon: start with 20 to 30
Shrimp have a tiny bioload, so a heavily planted tank can hold a lot of them. A rough guide is up to 5 to 10 adults per gallon in a mature, planted tank. If the colony gets too big, sell or trade the extras.
Cherry shrimp tank mates
| Good tank mates | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Otocinclus | Most cichlids, including dwarf cichlids |
| Pygmy corydoras and panda corydoras | Goldfish and large barbs like tiger barbs |
| Nerite, mystery, ramshorn and Malaysian trumpet snails | Loaches and puffers |
| Amano shrimp | Angelfish and large gouramis |
| Small, calm fish like galaxy rasboras and ember tetras, in a heavily planted tank | Scarlet badis, which hunt baby shrimp |
The honest rule: almost any fish that can fit a baby shrimp in its mouth will eat one. Small fish like galaxy rasboras, cherry barbs and bettas usually leave adults alone but pick off shrimplets. For the biggest colony, keep cherry shrimp alone or only with snails, otos and dwarf corydoras, and give them lots of moss.
Cherry shrimp breeding
In a stable tank, cherry shrimp breed on their own with no help.
- Saddled female. A yellow or green patch appears behind her head. These are developing eggs.
- Molt and mate. She molts, releases a scent, and males swim around frantically looking for her. Mating happens right after her molt.
- Berried female. She moves about 20 to 30 eggs (sometimes more) under her tail and fans them constantly.
- Incubation. Eggs hatch in about 3 to 4 weeks, faster in warmer water.
- Babies. Shrimplets hatch fully formed, about 1 to 2 mm long. There’s no larval stage. They hide in moss and graze biofilm.
- Maturity. Young shrimp start breeding in about 3 to 4 months.
Here’s a breeding colony in one of our tanks.
Female dropping eggs? Usually stress, a first-time mother, or a big water change. Keep the water steady.
Cherry shrimp molting
Cherry shrimp shed their shell to grow, every 3 to 4 weeks for adults and more often for babies. A clear, empty shell in the tank is normal. Leave it in, since shrimp eat it to reuse the minerals. If you’re not sure whether it’s a molt or a dead shrimp, see our shrimp molting guide.
Common cherry shrimp problems
Shrimp dying after being added. Usually poor acclimation, an uncycled tank, or a big difference between shop water and yours. Drip acclimate and only add shrimp to mature tanks.
Shrimp dying one by one. Check for copper, ammonia, nitrite, sudden temperature changes or big water changes.
White ring around the body, or stuck in an old shell. A failed molt. Usually GH too low or too high, or swings in water parameters. Test GH and keep it steady.
Shrimp swimming frantically. Often males chasing a female after a molt, which is normal. If it happens with no female and lasts, test the water.
Shrimp losing color. Stress, a pale or bare tank, or poor food. Add plants, a dark background and varied food.
No babies. No males in the group, fish eating the shrimplets, or planaria in the tank.
Babies disappearing into the filter. Add a sponge prefilter to the intake.
Cloudy water after adding shrimp food. Overfeeding. Feed less and remove leftovers. See our cloudy fish tank water guide.
FAQ
How long do cherry shrimp live?
About 1 to 2 years. A colony can last for many years because they breed so easily.
How big do cherry shrimp get?
Females grow to about 1.2 to 1.5 inches (3 to 4 cm), and males to about 1 inch (2.5 cm).
What do cherry shrimp eat?
Biofilm, soft algae, leftover fish food, shrimp pellets and blanched vegetables.
How many cherry shrimp per gallon?
Start with at least 10 in any tank. A mature, planted tank can hold up to 5 to 10 adults per gallon.
Do cherry shrimp eat algae?
Yes, they eat soft algae, diatoms and biofilm, but not tough algae like black beard algae.
Can cherry shrimp live with fish?
Yes, with small, peaceful fish. Most fish will still eat baby shrimp, so plant heavily if you want the colony to grow.
Do cherry shrimp need a heater?
Not always. They’re fine at room temperature between about 68 and 78 F. Use a heater if your room gets colder or the temperature swings.
Why are my cherry shrimp dying?
The most common causes are an uncycled tank, poor acclimation, copper, big water changes, and swings in temperature or hardness.
