Photo: FishManHari · CC0
Freshwater · Beginner · 5+ gal
Neocaridina davidi
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are beginner invertebrates if the tank is cycled and copper-free. A starter colony of 10+ needs about 5 gallons; 10 gallons is easier. They need minerals for molting, not a second fish-page clone.
| Water type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Care level | Beginner |
| Minimum tank | 5 gallons |
| Temperament | Peaceful invertebrates. Adults ignore fish; shrimplets get eaten in almost any community. Colony shrimp, not a cleanup crew that replaces water changes. |
| Diet | Biofilm grazers first. A cycled, planted tank grows their main food. Supplement with a sinking veg wafer or shrimp pellet a few times a week. Use small pieces and pull leftovers. They are not janitors for overfeeding. |
| Temperature | 65–80 °F |
| pH | 6.5–8 |
| Hardness / salinity | GH roughly 6–8 (°dGH) with some KH present. They molt and fail in very soft, mineral-poor water. Stable parameters beat chasing a perfect pH number. |
Neocaridina davidi is the red cherry shrimp sold in every shop that keeps invertebrates. Adults are about an inch. Start with at least ten so the colony can bounce back from early losses and so you see them instead of hunting one lonely shrimp. Five gallons is the floor for that starter group; ten gallons gives more biofilm surface and more room for plants and molting hides.
Temps in the mid-70s °F look and breed best. They tolerate roughly 65–80°F, but a hot desk tank shortens lifespan and a cold basement slows them down. A heater on a shrimp 10 is still normal in air-conditioned houses. Finish the cycle before you buy. Ammonia spikes kill shrimp as fast as they kill fish.
Shrimp shed their shells as they grow. Soft, mineral-poor water (very low GH) is a common reason for failed molts and sudden die-offs after a water change that strips hardness. Aim for roughly GH 6–8 with some KH so pH does not swing overnight. Test GH/KH if your tap is RO, rainwater-soft, or unknown.
Copper kills them. Some ich meds, plant fertilizers, and old copper pipes leach enough to wipe a colony. Read labels. A chloramine-capable dechlorinator is enough for tap water. You do not need a copper-based parasite cocktail in a shrimp tank. If you treat ich elsewhere on the site, keep that chemistry out of this tank.
Biofilm on plants, glass, and wood is the staple. A sinking veg wafer or dedicated shrimp food a few times a week fills gaps when the glass is clean. Uneaten food fouls a nano faster than it feeds shrimp. They are not a reason to skip vacuuming and weekly water changes.
Adult cherry shrimp can share a planted tank with otos, small rasboras, honey gouramis, and many tetras. Shrimplets still get eaten, plan on that if you want a growing colony. Bettas sometimes ignore adults and sometimes hunt them; treat it as a gamble. Goldfish and cichlids treat shrimp as snacks.
Red cherry, sakura, fire red, and painted grades are the same species with different color intensity. Mixing grades washes color toward wild-type brown over generations if you breed freely. Buy one grade if color matters to you. Blue, yellow, and other Neocaridina morphs share the same care. This page is the red cherry care baseline, not a 40-morph shopping list.
Gentle filtration (sponge or baffled HOB), a lid, moss or fine plants for shrimplet cover, and stable water beat gadgets. Dim to moderate light helps biofilm without cooking the tank into algae soup. See the aquarium LED light notes for photoperiod.
A few listings we would open for this species. Skip anything you already own that still works.
hygger sponge filter, small
Gentle flow and a foam intake shrimp can graze without getting sucked into an open HOB. Right-sized for a 5–10 gallon colony tank.
Needs an air pump, airline, and a check valve. Squeeze the sponge in old tank water only. Skip this if a baffled hang-on-back already holds ammonia at zero and the intake is shrimp-safe.
See this listingAPI GH & KH test kit
Molting needs minerals. This liquid kit measures general and carbonate hardness so you know whether tap water supports shrimp or needs remineralizing.
Freshwater ranges on the card matter most here. If you already own an in-date GH/KH kit, you do not need another. Pair with the freshwater master kit for ammonia and nitrite.
See this listingTetra PlecoWafers, 3.03 oz
Sinking veg wafers are an easy biofilm backup when the glass is clean. Break off a small piece a few times a week and pull what is left after a few hours.
Not a wood substitute and not a free pass to overfeed. Skip dumping a whole wafer into a 5-gallon. Blanched zucchini still works in rotation if your shrimp take it.
See this listingFive gallons for a starter colony of about ten. Ten gallons is easier and more stable. Smaller bowls are harder to keep mineral-stable and copper-free.
Failed molts often point to low GH, big parameter swings, or copper. Test GH/KH, match new water to the tank, and skip copper meds and copper-heavy fertilizers.
Sometimes with a calm betta in a planted tank with lots of moss cover. Many bettas hunt shrimplets and some hunt adults. Treat it as a gamble, not a default stocking plan.
No. They graze biofilm and leftover scraps. They still add waste. Test, change water, and feed lightly like any other stocked aquarium.
Freshwater · Beginner
Trichogaster chuna
Honey gouramis (Trichogaster chuna) are small, peaceful labyrinth fish for a planted 10-gallon solo or a 20-gallon pair or community. They are not dwarf gouramis. Shops often mislabel orange dwarfs as honey.
Min. tank: 10 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Betta splendens
Bettas are labyrinth fish that breathe from the surface, but they still need a heated, filtered aquarium, not a vase. A 5-gallon tank is a minimum for a single male.
Min. tank: 5 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Harlequin rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) are peaceful midwater schoolers with a black triangle on the rear body. Plan six to ten in a planted 20-gallon; a 10 is a tight floor for six, not a comfortable home.
Min. tank: 20 gal
Care notes →_01.png){kind=link}