Probably the most kept of any shrimp except maybe ghost shrimp is the common Red Cherry Shrimp. These guys are a great addition to the algae eating shrimp series. They are named for the coloration of their body. Their body makeup consists of a normal shrimp composition with coloration of red all throughout the body, hence red cherry shrimp. Mostly their underbellies will show an opaque cream color. They are known by most aquarists as Red Cherry Shrimp or Cherry Red Shrimp, or just Cherry Shrimp and have a scientific name of neocaridina denticulata sinesis.

The red cherry shrimp is easily obtainable throughout the US, Canada, and Europe and is why they are a very common species in freshwater planted. The cherry shrimp is native to Asia and is easily breed in captivity throughout the world. Main breeding of this species occurs in the Taiwan area however. They are a very docile species of shrimp and can be kept with other shrimp of same temperament. They are a great clean-up crew for most community tanks as they will devour algae and even filter feed from the substrate of the tanks.

The red cherry shrimp as any shrimp is very susceptible to ammonia levels and should be kept in a planted tank that is stable enough to hold ammonia and nitrite levels to minimal or none. A planted tank is ideal for the cherry shrimp as they prefer to hang out on aquatic plants as this is a natural defense mechanism they have adapted. Normal water conditions apply to these shrimp species. They are very adaptive to levels as long as the levels remain stable throughout water changes. The ideal ranges for these shrimp are medium to hard water and slightly acidic although again they can adapt and live in soft to hard and acidic to alkaline waters. They are best breed in waters that are not very acidic however. Normal tank temperatures for this species are around 68 to 78 but nothing over 80 degrees.

Red Cherry Shrimp - picture by Dragon Goby

In the aquarium they are best suited for planted community tanks with less aggressive fish. Due to their size they do not make good tank mates for larger and more aggressive fish which will view them as a meal. The best tank mates for these guys will be your smaller tetra varieties like cardinals, neons, glolight tetra, danios, or various other small tetra species. A heavily to moderately planted tank will be best as it provides then adequate places to hide reducing the overall stress they will go through. The plants do not necessarily need to be real but if fake provide them with plenty of leafy plants to hang on. Normal lifespan for these shrimp in aquarium settings with ideal water perimeters is around 2 years. As for breeding, cherry shrimp will breed readily in a stable established tank with proper perimeters. Eggs are held by the female generally for 15-30 days and her underbelly will show a yellowish tint when carrying.

In conclusion the red cherry shrimp is a great addition to any planted tank. They are a great part of any cleanup crew and will readily devour algae and uneaten fish pellets or debris in the gravel. They are very easily kept and require plants for hiding. Due to the non-aggressive nature and easy keeping the red cherry shrimp is a perfect fish for most community tanks.

Related Articles

Amano shrimp- Information about Amano shrimp
Amano Algae Eating Shrimp - An article about the algae eating Amano shrimp
Apple snail - An introduction to apple snails.
Aquarium crabs - A guide to aquarium crabs
Black Mystery Snail - An introduction to the Black Mystery Snail
Breeding Crayfish - basics too crayfish breeding
Breeding of Red Clawed Mangrove Crabs - How to breed red clawed crabs
Freshwater shrimp - Information about Freshwater shrimp
Ghost shrimp - Information about Ghost shrimp
Malaysian Rainbow Shrimp - Information on how to keep and breed this shrimp species.
Red Cherry Shrimp - A guide to this Algae eating shrimp.
Red clawed lobsters - A short overview of red claw lobsters (crayfish)
Red Nosed Shrimp - information on keeping this shrimp in aquarium.
Snails: Friend or Foe in the Aquarium? - The biology of snails. Their advantages and disadvantages in an aquarium. How to keep them in check.