Bloody Mary Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

14 October 2026

Bloody Mary Shrimp are a selectively bred red color form of the freshwater Neocaridina davidi complex, valued for their deep, often opaque red coloration. They are small, peaceful scavengers suited to mature planted aquariums with stable chemistry and abundant biofilm. The trade name does not guarantee a formally distinct taxon, and exact lineage cannot be confirmed from the supplied images alone. They are generally manageable for beginners when water quality, acclimation, and mineral balance are handled carefully.

Taxonomy and identification

Bloody Mary is a commercial color-form name rather than a separate species. It is generally applied to a selectively bred red line of Neocaridina davidi, a small freshwater shrimp in the family Atyidae. Color intensity and body opacity vary with genetics, age, sex, background, lighting, and condition. The supplied images show a strongly red shrimp, but they cannot confirm the exact cultivated line.

Natural habitat

Neocaridina davidi is associated with shallow freshwater habitats in East Asia, including streams, ponds, and other slow-moving or still waters. In aquaria, it benefits from gentle circulation, plants, mosses, wood, leaf litter, and other surfaces that support microorganisms and provide shelter. A mature, biologically stable aquarium is preferable to a newly established setup.

Water parameters and aquarium setup

Maintain stable, clean water rather than chasing a precise target. A practical range is 20–26 °C and pH 6.5–8.0, with moderate general hardness and sufficient calcium and magnesium for shell formation. Avoid ammonia and nitrite, keep nitrate low, and prevent abrupt changes in temperature, pH, conductivity, or mineral content. Use a sponge filter or protect an intake with fine pre-filtration. Plants, moss, and shaded hiding places improve security and grazing opportunities.

Feeding

These shrimp graze continuously on biofilm, algae, microorganisms, and decomposing plant material. Offer small amounts of a quality shrimp food or algae-based wafer, supplemented occasionally with blanched vegetables or dried botanicals from aquarium-safe sources. Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food before it decays. Juveniles depend especially on biofilm and fine natural foods, so avoid keeping the aquarium excessively sterile.

Tank mates

The safest companions are other peaceful Neocaridina of compatible water requirements, snails, and very small non-predatory fish, although fish may eat newly hatched young. Avoid large, aggressive, highly predatory, or persistent fin-nipping species. Different Neocaridina color forms can interbreed, and mixed lines may produce less predictable or wild-type coloration in later generations.

Molting and mineral needs

Shrimp periodically shed their exoskeleton to grow. A recently molted individual may hide because its new shell is soft and vulnerable. Provide cover, stable temperature, good oxygenation, and adequate dietary minerals. Do not remove a normal shed exoskeleton immediately; shrimp often consume it and recover valuable minerals. Sudden deaths around molts commonly indicate unstable conditions, unsuitable hardness, contaminants, or stress rather than a need for excessive mineral supplementation.

Breeding

Breeding is straightforward in a stable, established aquarium. Females are usually larger and broader-bodied, while males are typically slimmer. After mating, a female carries fertilized eggs beneath her abdomen and fans them until they hatch. The young hatch as miniature shrimp and require no brackish or marine larval stage. Dense moss, leaf litter, and sponge filtration improve juvenile survival. Use a separate breeding colony if preserving a particular red line is important, because offspring may vary in color and quality.

Shrimp info

Size: 2–3 cm
Difficulty level: Beginner
Temperature : 20–26 °C
pH: 6.5–8.0

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