Product Details

Bloody Mary Shrimp – Neocaridina spp.

The Bloody Mary Shrimp is a deep red captive-bred dwarf shrimp, prized for its rich, glassy crimson colour and peaceful grazing behaviour. As a Neocaridina strain, it is generally hardy compared with many specialist shrimp, making it a strong choice for planted aquariums, shrimp colonies and calm nano communities. Like all dwarf shrimp, it still needs a mature, stable aquarium, safe tank mates and copper-free care.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Bloody Mary Shrimp
Other Names: Bloody Mary Neocaridina, Red Bloody Mary Shrimp, Deep Red Neocaridina, Red Cherry Shrimp strain
Scientific Name: Neocaridina spp., usually Neocaridina davidi colour strain
Invertebrate Type: Dwarf Freshwater Shrimp
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Bloody Mary Shrimp are domesticated aquarium strains and do not occur as a natural wild population. The commonly kept domestic shrimp behind most colour morphs is Neocaridina davidi, a freshwater atyid shrimp native to parts of East Asia and widely distributed through the ornamental aquarium trade. Recent ecological summaries list N. davidi as native to China, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, and now established in several countries outside its native range due to aquarium-related introductions.

In the aquarium, they should be given a mature planted setup with mosses, fine plants, leaf litter, wood, biofilm and gentle filtration. These surfaces provide grazing, shelter and security for moulting shrimp and shrimplets.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Bloody Mary Shrimp have a small, curved dwarf-shrimp body with long antennae and delicate walking legs. Their colour is usually deep red to wine-red, often appearing more translucent and evenly coloured through the body than standard Cherry Shrimp. Females are usually larger, deeper-bodied and more intensely coloured than males.

Adults usually reach around 2–3 cm, with large females sometimes slightly bigger. Neocaridina davidi colour morphs are widely reported at around 3–4 cm at maturity, though aquarium strain size varies with sex, age and conditions.

Aquarium Suitability:

This shrimp is ideal for planted nano aquariums, shrimp-only colonies and peaceful community tanks with very gentle fish. It needs a fully cycled aquarium with stable water and plenty of grazing surfaces. Sponge filters or protected filter intakes are strongly recommended to prevent young shrimp being pulled into filtration.

Bloody Mary Shrimp are not suitable for immature tanks, copper-treated aquariums, aggressive fish communities, or tanks with loaches, puffers, crayfish, large cichlids or other shrimp-eating animals.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 20–30 litres for a small colony, with 40 litres or more preferred for stability. Shrimp-specific care sources commonly recommend at least 5 gallons, with 10 gallons being easier for beginners because larger volumes are more stable.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 18–25°C
pH: 6.5–8.0
Hardness: Moderately soft to hard; GH and KH should be present for healthy moulting
Additional Notes: Stability is more important than chasing exact numbers. General Neocaridina care references commonly recommend cycled aquariums with mineral content present, and one shrimp-care source gives ideal general Neocaridina targets around GH 9–11, KH 4–6 and pH 7.0–7.6. Avoid ammonia, nitrite, sudden TDS swings, copper, aerosol contamination and large rushed water changes.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Invertebrate

Bloody Mary Shrimp are peaceful and safe with plants, snails and other gentle invertebrates. Suitable tank mates include nerite snails, ramshorn snails, small peaceful rasboras, tiny tetras, Otocinclus and other calm micro fish, though breeding success is best in a shrimp-only aquarium.

Avoid pufferfish, loaches, angelfish, large tetras, cichlids, bettas that hunt shrimp, crayfish, crabs and any fish large enough to pick off adults or shrimplets. Adult shrimp may survive with small fish, but babies are likely to be eaten in most community tanks. Keep in groups, ideally 10 or more, so they settle and graze naturally.

Feeding:

Bloody Mary Shrimp are omnivorous grazers. They feed throughout the day on biofilm, soft algae, aufwuchs, detritus and fine organic matter. Supplement with quality shrimp pellets, algae wafers, spirulina foods, blanched courgette, spinach, nettle, mulberry leaves, Indian almond leaves and powdered baby shrimp foods.

Feed lightly, as overfeeding can quickly damage water quality in shrimp tanks. Remove uneaten vegetables before they spoil.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This is an active, peaceful grazing shrimp that spends much of its time picking over moss, plants, substrate, wood, glass and filter sponges. Healthy shrimp moult as they grow and may hide briefly while the new shell hardens. Females carry eggs beneath the body until fully formed shrimplets hatch, with no special brackish larval stage needed in normal freshwater aquarium care; N. davidi is widely kept and bred in freshwater.

Care Notes:

Add only to a mature, fully cycled aquarium. Drip acclimation is strongly recommended, especially when moving shrimp between water with different TDS or hardness. Avoid copper medications, non-shrimp-safe plant treatments, pest snail killers and sudden large water changes. Provide mineral content for healthy moulting and plenty of hiding places after moults. Do not mix different Neocaridina colour strains if you want to preserve the Bloody Mary line, as interbreeding can produce mixed or wild-type offspring.

Recommended For:

Beginner to intermediate

Availability:

Common to occasional / Captive-bred colour strain

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the shrimp you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, colour depth, red shade, transparency, grade and markings can occur between individual shrimp.