Cherry shrimp
Neocaridina davidi · family Atyidae
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are small, peaceful freshwater shrimp from Taiwan, east China, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam. They are easy to keep and do well in a tank as small as 5 gallons, in a group of at least 6. The most important thing to know is that they only do well in a mature tank with stable water and no copper, because even a trace of ammonia or copper can be fatal.
Edited by Marin Hale · last reviewed October 29, 2026 · How we check facts
What can live with a cherry shrimp?
Verdicts against every species in our database, from our compatibility rules. How verdicts work
| Verdict | Species | Why | Tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good match | Another cherry shrimp | No problems found: water, size, fins and temperament all check out. | 5 gal+ |
| Good match | Ember tetra | No problems found: water, size, fins and temperament all check out. | 10 gal+ |
| Good match | Pygmy corydoras | No problems found: water, size, fins and temperament all check out. | 10 gal+ |
| Maybe | Betta fish | Betta fish eat baby shrimp and may pick off adults. Dense plants and moss help a colony survive. | 5 gal+ |
| Maybe | Guppy | Cherry shrimp prefer softer water (4–8 dGH) than guppies (9–20 dGH). | 10 gal+ |
| Maybe | Neon tetra | Neon tetras eat baby shrimp and may pick off adults. Dense plants and moss help a colony survive. | 10 gal+ |
| Maybe | Zebra nerite snail | Cherry shrimp prefer softer water (4–8 dGH) than nerite snails (10–18 dGH). | 5 gal+ |
| Avoid | Angelfish | Angelfish will hunt and eat cherry shrimp. | — |
| Avoid | Common goldfish | Common goldfish will hunt and eat cherry shrimp. | — |
| Avoid | Fancy goldfish | Cherry shrimp prefer softer water (4–8 dGH) than fancy goldfish (8–18 dGH). | — |
| Avoid | Tiger barb | Tiger barbs will hunt and eat cherry shrimp. | — |
Setup and care
| Heater | Usually no heater needed: cherry shrimp are fine from 64°F to 83°F, so most homes work. Add one if your room drops below 64°F. |
|---|---|
| Feeding | Biofilm, algae and detritus |
| Substrate | PH neutral (inert) substrate or aquatic plant medium |
| New tanks | Add only to an established, cycled tank. Not for a brand-new setup. |
| Males vs females | Females are larger, with wider tails and richer, more opaque color; males smaller and less colorful |
| Breeding | 20-30 eggs hatch in 2-3 weeks as tiny copies of adults; females may abandon eggs if stressed or first-time |
- Do not remove molts, shrimp eat them
- Stressed females abandon eggs
- Even a trace of ammonia is fatal; intolerant of nitrite
- Copper is fatal; rinse new plants and avoid copper medications
- Babies and shrimp can be sucked into filter intakes; cover with foam
- Sudden temperature or water quality changes can be fatal
Care tips
- Add them only to a mature tank, with ammonia and nitrite undetectable and nitrate below 10 ppm.
- Do small water changes 1-2 times a week, since cherry shrimp are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and water chemistry.
- Avoid copper completely: rinse new plants and skip copper-containing medications and supplements.
- Cover filter intakes with foam or a sponge pre-filter so babies and adults don't get sucked in.
Questions
Do cherry shrimp need a heater?
Cherry shrimp tolerate 64-83°F, and 65-82°F is ideal. Whether you need a heater depends on whether your tank stays in that range, and it matters most that the temperature stays steady, since sudden changes can be fatal.
What do cherry shrimp eat?
Cherry shrimp are omnivores that graze on biofilm, algae and detritus. Leave molts in the tank, because the shrimp eat them.
What fish can live with cherry shrimp?
Ember tetras and pygmy corydoras are fine with cherry shrimp, and so are other cherry shrimp. Bettas, guppies and neon tetras eat baby shrimp and may pick off adults, so use them only with dense plants and moss, and guppies also prefer harder water. Zebra nerite snails also prefer harder water than cherry shrimp. Angelfish, common goldfish, fancy goldfish and tiger barbs will hunt and eat them, so avoid those.
How many cherry shrimp should I keep, and how big do they get?
Adults reach 1-1.5 inches, and you should keep at least 6 together. Don't go over 5 shrimp per gallon.
How can I tell male and female cherry shrimp apart, and do they breed easily?
Females are larger, with wider tails and richer, more opaque color, while males are smaller and less colorful. Females carry their eggs on their pleopods, and 20-30 eggs hatch in 2-3 weeks as tiny copies of the adults. Stressed or first-time mothers may abandon their eggs.
Sources
Each value is cross-checked across the references below. Where they disagreed, an editor chose a value and recorded why.
- Neocaridina davidi (en.wikipedia.org)
- Frequently asked questions on Neocaridina shrimps (www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk)
- Freshwater Shrimp Care Guide (www.aqueon.com)
- A Guide for Keeping Freshwater Shrimp (buceplant.com)
- GBIF taxonomy record
- Wikidata entry
Where each value comes from (20 facts)
| Fact | What each source says |
|---|---|
| Native to | en.wikipedia.org: “a freshwater shrimp native to Taiwan, east of China, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam” practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “Wild Neocaridina shrimp mostly originate from South-East Asia, living in streams and ponds” |
| Water type | en.wikipedia.org: “is a freshwater shrimp native to Taiwan” |
| Diet | en.wikipedia.org: “They are omnivores, and their natural habitat in these regions include inland water bodies” buceplant.com: “Shrimp are omnivorous scavengers that will eat practically anything.” |
| Lifespan | en.wikipedia.org: “reach maturity in 30 days, and may live 1–2 years” practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “Neocaridina shrimp rarely live longer than 12 to 18 months” buceplant.com: “They live for about 1.5-2.5 years and can get up to a max size of 1.25-2 inches.” |
| Adult size editor decision | en.wikipedia.org: “At maturity, the shrimp are approximately 3–4 cm in length.” buceplant.com: “They live for about 1.5-2.5 years and can get up to a max size of 1.25-2 inches.” |
| Temperament editor decision | en.wikipedia.org: “N. davidi are non-aggressive shrimp that are timid” |
| Safe with plants | en.wikipedia.org: “feed on biofilms, algae, and detritus; they do not eat vascular plants” |
| Telling males from females | en.wikipedia.org: “Males are typically smaller and less colorful than females. Females are typically larger, have wider tails for carrying eggs” |
| Feeding | en.wikipedia.org: “They are omnivores and feed on biofilms, algae, and detritus” aqueon.com: “feed only what they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes, once or twice a day.” |
| Breeding type | en.wikipedia.org: “the female lays her eggs and affixes them to her swimmerettes, or pleopods” practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “placed along the female’s abdomen among her swimming legs (pleopods) where she will carry them until ready to hatch” |
| Breeding | en.wikipedia.org: “Females produce between 20–30 eggs at a time, which take 2–3 weeks to hatch. However, they may abandon their eggs if stressed” practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “No special steps are needed to get neocaridina to breed. if you can keep them alive and healthy they will breed.” aqueon.com: “Red cherry shrimp and certain other Neocaridina, for example, can quickly develop into large colonies with no assistance from the aquarist.” buceplant.com: “They will indiscriminately mate, and the offspring will often be a drab brown or clear color.” |
| pH | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “Most species of Neocaridina do best in medium to hard water, with a pH of 6.5-8.0.” buceplant.com: “pH 6.5-8.0” |
| Temperature | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “most will tolerate as low as 18°C/64°F. They will tolerate even lower for short periods” buceplant.com: “Temperature 65F-84F” |
| Smallest tank | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “popular in nano and pico aquariums as small as 15 l/3.3 gal. Anything less is not really suitable” buceplant.com: “It's recommended to not go any smaller than a 5 gallon aquarium, like the UNS 45S, unless the tank is heavily planted.” |
| Group size editor decision | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “I prefer to keep them in groups of at least six, as in smaller numbers they can become shy.” |
| Care level | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “Most are hardy and comparatively easy to keep.” buceplant.com: “They are known for being one of the hardiest shrimp out there, and are a go-to for beginners” |
| Mature tank only | practicalfishkeeping.co.uk: “they should only be stocked in well established aquariums with fully ‘cycled’ filtration.” aqueon.com: “never place dwarf freshwater shrimp in a newly set up aquarium!” buceplant.com: “Make sure your tank is established before introducing your shrimp.” |
| Substrate | aqueon.com: “Substrate should be pH neutral (inert) or an aquatic plant medium.” buceplant.com: “if you’re getting a Neocaridina species, you should probably stay away from soils and add an inert substrate like sand or gravel” |
| Hardness (GH) editor decision | buceplant.com: “GH (General Hardness) 4-8dGH” |
| Carbonate hardness (KH) | buceplant.com: “KH (Carbonate Hardness/Total Alkalinity) 3-15dKH” |
Editor decisions (4)
- Sources give 1.2–2 in as maximum sizes; most adults are 1–1.5 in, with females larger than males.
- Wikipedia: non-aggressive and timid. Uncontroversial.
- Practical Fishkeeping: groups of at least six, as small groups hide.
- Buce Plant gives 4–8 dGH, the range most shrimp keepers aim for.