Red Cherry Shrimp, (Neocaridina heteropoda var. ‘red’)

Scientific name: Neocaridina heteropoda var. ‘Red’
Common name: Red Cherry Shrimp
Difficulty level: Easy
Origin: Taiwan
pH: 6.2-8.0
Temperature: 18-29.5 °C
gH: 4-8
kH: 3-15
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): 150-250

Cherry Shrimp Requirements:
As with all dwarf shrimp, a large aquarium is not needed to keep Red Cherries and a setup of at least 10L should be more than enough to sustain a colony. Some aquarists choose to keep them in even smaller tanks, but these will be a lot more difficult to keep stable and are less suitable for beginners. All aquariums, including Yellow Cherry shrimp tanks, should be filtered and cycled. A sponge filter or a regular filter with a pre-filter sponge is recommended for when keeping dwarf shrimp, as their fry are very small and can easily get sucked up by powerful filters. A heater is usually not a necessity if the setup is located in a heated room, although you can choose to go for one if you want to make sure the temperature remains stable. All shrimp will feel safest (and thus display bright coloration and behave naturally) when plenty of hiding places are present in their aquarium. This can be anything from live plants to special shrimp tubes.

Red Cherry Shrimp Water Quality:
Cherry shrimp, especially the lower and less heavily selectively bred grades, are not too demanding when it comes to water quality and will do well in a wide range of water parameters. Just be sure to never introduce them into an uncycled tank, as they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites, and keep water values as stable as possible. Water quality can be tested using a liquid test kit; test regularly to make sure everything is still in order. Be sure to do regular water changes to keep nitrates in check.

Red Cherry Shrimp Requirements:
As with all dwarf shrimp, a large aquarium is not needed to keep Red Cherries and a setup of at least 10L should be more than enough to sustain a colony. Some aquarists choose to keep them in even smaller tanks, but these will be a lot more difficult to keep stable and are less suitable for beginners. All aquariums, including Red Cherry shrimp tanks, should be filtered and cycled. A sponge filter or a regular filter with a pre-filter sponge is recommended for when keeping dwarf shrimp, as their fry are very small and can easily get sucked up by powerful filters. A heater is usually not a necessity if the setup is located in a heated room, although you can choose to go for one if you want to make sure the temperature remains stable. All shrimp will feel safest (and thus display bright coloration and behave naturally) when plenty of hiding places are present in their aquarium. This can be anything from live plants to special shrimp tubes.

Red Cherry Shrimp Water Quality Cherry shrimp, especially the lower and less heavily selectively bred grades, are not too demanding when it comes to water quality and will do well in a wide range of water parameters. Just be sure to never introduce them into an uncycled tank, as they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites, and keep water values as stable as possible. Water quality can be tested using a liquid test kit; test regularly to make sure everything is still in order. Be sure to do regular water changes to keep nitrates in check.

Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates:
Cherry shrimp, like other dwarf shrimp, are very peaceful and vulnerable. They will never harm any tank mates but will easily fall prey to hungry fish. If you keep higher and more expensive grades it might be a good idea to set up a single species aquarium, though peaceful inverts like other shrimp and small snails are always a possibility. Aquarists who keep lower grade Yellow Cherry shrimp and don’t mind losing some of their stock can keep them with some peaceful tank mates. The shrimp should usually breed quickly enough to sustain the population despite regular casualties provided there are enough hiding places.

We suggest suitable tank mates like – Micro Rasbora, Celestial Pearl Danios, Emerald Dwarf Rasbora, Endler Guppy, Pygmy Cory Catfish, Oto Catfish, Ember Tetra, Sparkling Gourami, Chocolate Gourami, Dwarf Pencilfish, Kubotai Rasbora, Coral Red Pencilfish and Purple Pencilfish.