If you’re into your crustaceans, the Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda or davidi) is probably on your ‘to buy’ list.
Fans of invertebrates who enjoy the hobby of keeping an aquarium and the myriad inhabitants that you can observe and learn about often choose some shrimp in their setup.
Why is the Cherry Shrimp such a population choice? For one, they are a vibrant red. Looking like teensy little lobsters (of the cooked variety), they look like an animated version of something you’re used to seeing on your plate if you’re a consumer of seafood. Terrifying? Not really, and they’re really useful too.
The name Cherry conjures up images of red, but they do appear in other colors too, which is perhaps a little confusing for some. More on that later.
Rabid eaters of algae, these little scooting critters will help keep your tank nice and clean and have ample personality to make your tank that little bit more exciting.
Also known in the trade as Sakura Shrimp or Fire Shrimp, these shrimp are easy to care for. But if they get ill, they need some serious TLC best left to someone with a little more experience than a complete newcomer to the hobby.
Native to Taiwan, they’re freshwater shrimp who look fantastic in tanks, are easy to spot despite their diminutive size compared to other dwarf shrimp, and they make entertaining inhabitants.
Let’s get under the shell of this fascinating species to consider for your aquatic community.
Origins In The Trade
Relatively new to the hobby, these shrimp were introduced in the 1990s and then went wildly popular once they entered the US in 2003. They are more specifically known as Red Cherry Shrimp when you go to source them.
They were selectively bred in Taiwan for a red mutation form of this dwarf shrimp, as red doesn’t naturally occur in the wild. The bright red would likely just advertise itself as food for many predators’ thoughts.
Once the red variety was established in captivity, the Taiwanese traders released them to market, and the adoring hobbyists haven’t looked back. Their entertaining antics will keep you occupied and always wondering what they are up to.
Cherry Shrimp Behavior
If you decide to have some Cherry Shrimp, you can expect them to behave like little saints in the tank. Exceptionally peaceful and non-aggressive is how we would best describe their behavior.
The majority of their time is spent searching for and consuming algae on all surfaces of your tank landscape. The exception is probably the smooth glass sides of your tank, which their mouths are not designed for, so that’s where your other bottom feeder friends step in.
For such a tiny little creature, they are incredibly active and always on the go. And they are not just active in the daytime; they stay pretty busy at nighttime too. Consider them a 24/7 cleaning crew who take the odd break but have an exceptional work ethic!
They normally walk along the substrate going about their business, but they do need hiding spaces to feel secure if they ever feel threatened.
If you spot what looks like a dead shrimp on the substrate floor or floating in the water, it’s usually just an exoskeleton which is a byproduct of the shrimp molting. They need to shed old shells as they grow healthy new ones.
Don’t be tempted to remove these as debris because your shrimp will usually consume it, or as it breaks down, it contains vital minerals that the shrimp require in order to develop healthy new exoskeletons.
It’s useful to know that work best and feel most secure with a group of their kind; 10 or more works well. If you don’t, they will tend to be shyer and hide from other tank mates. They will tend to avoid fish in the tank as they are quite fragile and can be on the receiving end of fish nipping.
Cherry Shrimp Lifespan
Normally you can expect Red Cherry Shrimp to live for 1 – 2 years, but the most dangerous part of having them is acquiring them. They can get a little shell-shocked in transition to new water parameters that aren’t exactly the same as their current dwelling.
So be forewarned that you may lose a few as you acquire them due to stress. Once they acclimate, they are very hardy!
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Cherry Shrimp Appearance
As we’ve mentioned before, these are tiny little invertebrates. Males usually reach up to 1 inch in length, while females are slightly larger at 1.5 inches.
They look like any other shrimp in shape, but the sought-after genetically selected type (and most popular variety sold) are the red-colored ones.
Coloring is so important that they are graded in terms of vibrancy for color quality.
Within the red variety, there are different color names which include:
- Cherry – mostly translucent with some red areas on the exoskeleton
- Sakura – translucent with more red patches than cherry
- Fire – entire body is red with no translucent parts
- Painted Fire – the most expensive and sought after type, entire body and legs are red
In the wild, these shrimp are naturally translucent with tiny dots of brown to rusty red.
Because of commercial breeding practices and selective breeding, it’s possible to also find this species of shrimp in blue, purple, yellow, green, black, white, brown, and ghost which is completely transparent.
Cherry Shrimp Habitat And Tank Requirements
In the wild, these tiny shrimp need a densely planted area as a habitat. Plenty of places to hide from predators and soft substrates they can burrow into is their preferred living quarters.
Tank Conditions
These freshwater shrimp are hardy once settled into their microclimate. No heaters are required for these little guys who do well if you keep your home at a steady and moderate room temperature.
They must have densely planted live vegetation in the tank as a source of food, and biofilm and moss should be a part of your plan as they find it useful to groom themselves as well as hide in.
Java Moss works well as well as other rooted plants that shed materials which the shrimp will enjoy eating.
No heavy or powerful filtration is needed. Cherry Shrimp have a low bioload and don’t produce much waste.
In fact, airstones work well for oxygenation, but nothing like curtains that will be too disruptive. Filters have to have sponges or mesh that will prevent your shrimp from being sucked in.
Substrate should be of a darker variety, and gravel or other rocky substrates often works a treat. Driftwood works well, and pebbles to cover and sit in and around the substrate help recreate their habitat in the wild.
These shrimp will have more intense coloring based on their environment, so if you use darker plants and substrate, they will amplify their pigments for a more vivid appearance.
Water changes should be done as needed. Any spikes in ammonia can easily kill off your shrimp, so monitor regularly to avoid a devastating event in your tank.
Water conditions should be noted, tested regularly, and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6.2 – 8.0
- Water hardness 4 – 8 dGH
- Temperature between 65 – 75ºF (18 – 24ºC)
- Lighting should suit your plant life, as the shrimp have no specific requirements
Tank Size
The minimum tank size needed is 5 gallons for a group of around 5 – 6 Cherry Shrimp. If you add more, add another 2 gallons for every three you add. If you want a colony, your starting point should be no less than 20 gallons.
In terms of tank shape, you want to aim for a long and low tank so that the water height stays relatively shallow, which is what they are more accustomed to in nature.
Choosing Tank Mates For Cherry Shrimp
Being a peaceful but shy invertebrate of a tempting tiny size to eat for most fish, you’ll need to ensure you don’t try and pair these shrimp up with anything that is going to stress them out or encourage predation.
Even smaller fish can and will bully your little Cherries, so it’s important to choose wisely when considering who they can live with harmoniously.
Avoid anything large, aggressive, or known for nipping, as they will only exacerbate the problem. Unless you’re breeding these shrimp as a food source, and really there are so many more species of shrimp that are less interesting you could do that with, keep to the golden rule of small and uber-peaceful.
Some excellent fish to include as tank mates for these little lobster-lookalikes are:
- Tetras
- Corydoras
- Dwarf Gouramis
- Honey Gourami
- Sparkling Gourami
- Sea Snails
- Rasboras
- Small Places
- Other dwarf shrimp species like Ghost or Amano Shrimp
Remember that you should aim for a group of 10 minimum of your Cherries to begin like as they like living amongst their own kind. Keep more females than males, and you should have a colony soon enough.
How To Feed Cherry Shrimp
Like most shrimp, Cherry Shrimp are omnivores who are not fussy about what they consume. Usually, it’s about not overfeeding them. If they look content, they have enough food, but if you see them racing around without settling to graze, you probably need to supplement.
Your tank will naturally provide the algae and biofilms they require if you have supplied enough dense vegetation as recommended. You can also feed them live or freeze-dried daphnia.
Shedded exoskeletons will offer added nutrients, and you can add algae wafers as well as blanched vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, collard greens, and zucchini, too for some variety.
Don’t forget to remove uneaten veggies to avoid water fouling if they don’t finish it all.
Cherry Shrimp Common Health Issues
There are a few diseases that might affect your Cherry Shrimp that are different from the usual ones you see for freshwater fish.
Bacterial infections can happen on their shells which you will notice by darkened pitting on the exoskeleton. Saltwater baths can help this, but you have to be very careful and time these baths.
If they develop internal bacterial infections, there isn’t any treatment for them. They will usually be visible as they get paler or their flesh turns white and appears to rot. Not the most pleasant of experiences for the shrimp or for you!
Fungal infections that look like white cottony tufts on the body of the shrimp are easily identifiable. This is probably the one that most resembles Ich for fish, but it is not the same thing and should not be treated as such. Medication can resolve this, however.
If you spot a white crust around your shrimp’s mouth, it’s usually indicative of a serious protozoan-based infection that can spread to the entire shell and will kill your shrimp. You’ll need to follow specific instructions on doing salt baths to remedy this using a hospital tank, which you can easily how to do online.
Under no circumstances use any medication that contains copper, or you will kill your shrimp. It’s important to note this here as they have zero tolerance.
How To Breed Cherry Shrimp
If you have Cherry Shrimp, and they aren’t a group of all one sex, you shall have Cherry Shrimp breeding. Quite simply, they need no helping hand doing so.
Because they need a colony to thrive, you need them to breed, but it’s all about keeping the population under control, so they don’t grow exponentially.
You can spot eggs under females’ tails when they are trying to attract males to fertilize them, and if they do get fertilized, the female will hide until they hatch.
By keeping some other fish in the tank, many of the fry will be consumed before you can even see them. Some will successfully hide until they grow to a decent size.
Or you can keep a breeding population in a separate tank so that you can ensure some survive as need be.
Cherry Shrimp are a vibrant and wonderfully easy alternative to an algae cleaning crew for your tank, provided you have the right tank mates in mind so that they can thrive.
They work really well with other smaller, tiny fish and can provide you with a lot of entertainment too.
Keep the water parameters steady, keep ammonia spikes at bay, and you’ll have some vibrant little specimens that will work anywhere in the home.
They’re the perfect cherry on top!
