Product Details

Orange Shrimp – Neocaridina spp.

Overview:

The Orange Shrimp is a bright captive-bred dwarf freshwater shrimp selected for warm orange, tangerine or pumpkin colouring. Peaceful, active and constantly grazing, it is a superb choice for planted nano aquariums, shrimp colonies and calm community tanks. As a Neocaridina strain, it is generally more forgiving than many specialist soft-water shrimp, but it still needs mature water, stable parameters, safe tank mates and copper-free care.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Orange Shrimp
Other Names: Orange Sakura Shrimp, Orange Cherry Shrimp, Orange Neocaridina, Tangerine Neocaridina
Scientific Name: Neocaridina spp., usually Neocaridina davidi colour strain
Invertebrate Type: Dwarf Freshwater Shrimp
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Orange Shrimp are domesticated aquarium strains and do not occur as a natural wild population. The domestic shrimp behind most colour morphs is usually Neocaridina davidi, a small freshwater shrimp native to parts of East Asia and selectively bred into many colours including red, orange, yellow, green, blue and clear forms. It is widely traded in the aquarium hobby and should never be released outdoors. (USGS, Wikipedia)

In the aquarium, they do best in mature planted setups with moss, fine plants, wood, leaf litter, biofilm and gentle filtration. These surfaces provide natural grazing, shelter and cover for newly moulted shrimp and shrimplets.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Orange Shrimp have the typical small curved body shape of dwarf Neocaridina, with long antennae and delicate walking legs. Colour may range from pale orange and translucent tangerine through to deeper orange Sakura-type colour. Females are usually larger, rounder and more strongly coloured than males, while males are often slimmer and paler.

Adults usually reach around 2–3 cm, with large females sometimes slightly bigger. Neocaridina davidi is commonly recorded at around 3–4 cm at maturity, though aquarium strain size varies with sex, age and conditions. (Wikipedia)

Aquarium Suitability:

This shrimp is ideal for planted nano aquariums, shrimp-only tanks and peaceful community setups with very gentle fish. A mature aquarium is important because shrimp graze constantly on biofilm, soft algae and fine organic growth. Sponge filters or covered filter intakes are strongly recommended, as tiny shrimplets can be pulled into standard filter inlets. General Neocaridina care guidance also recommends sponge filtration or protected intakes for shrimp safety. (The Shrimp Farm)

They are not suitable for immature tanks, copper-treated aquariums, aggressive fish communities, or tanks with loaches, puffers, large cichlids, crayfish 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 greater stability. Although the shrimp are tiny, a larger aquarium is easier to keep stable and provides more grazing surface for a growing colony.

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 sources describe them as adaptable, with common target ranges around pH 6.5–8.0, mineralised water and a fully cycled aquarium with no ammonia or nitrite. The Shrimp Farm lists ideal general Neocaridina targets around GH 9–11, KH 4–6 and pH 7.0–7.6, while orange-strain guidance also stresses a cycled tank and low nitrate. (The Shrimp Farm, The Shrimp Farm)

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Invertebrate

Orange Shrimp are peaceful and safe with plants, snails and other gentle invertebrates. Suitable tank mates include nerite snails, ramshorn snails, Otocinclus, very small peaceful rasboras, tiny tetras and other calm micro fish, although 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 baby shrimp are likely to be eaten in many community tanks. Keep in groups, ideally 10 or more, so they settle, graze and breed naturally.

Feeding:

Orange 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. Overfeeding is one of the easiest ways to damage shrimp water quality. Remove uneaten vegetable foods before they spoil.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This is an active grazing shrimp that spends much of its time picking over moss, plants, substrate, glass, wood 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 brackish larval stage needed in normal freshwater aquarium care; Neocaridina davidi breeds readily in freshwater when conditions are stable. (Wikipedia)

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, plenty of grazing surfaces and hiding places after moults. Do not mix different Neocaridina colour strains if you want to preserve the orange line, as interbreeding can produce mixed, lower-grade 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, orange shade, colour depth, transparency, grade and markings can occur between individual shrimp.