Fire Red Shrimp

The Fire Red Cherry Shrimp is the higher quality version of the regular Cherry Shrimp. These guys have been selectively bred for the darker red through generations of culling. 

The Fire Red Shrimp is the most popular choice for freshwater shrimp hobbyists thanks to its availability, affordability, beautiful bright red coloration, and ease in care.  Fire Red Shrimp make a striking and dynamic addition to a freshwater aquarium, and will stand out beautifully against a dark substrate. These shrimp are very active as they scavenge the tank, cleaning up waste and left over food. They love to feed off of naturally occurring biofilm and algae, especially in a planted tank. For this reason, they can be quite low maintenance; in fact, they can even help keep your tank clean! Fire Red Shrimp can withstand a pretty wide range of water parameters, and their life expectancy can be up to 2 years if they are kept well. These shrimp are eager breeders, making them a great choice for beginners to freshwater shrimp breeding. Fire Red Shrimp are not an aggressive species, and this combined with their versatility makes them a good option as tank companions.

The Fire Red Shrimp is a product of the selective breeding of the Red Cherry Shrimp for the most vibrant and complete red coloration possible. Fire Red Shrimp are available in a range of colors, described as grades. The most opaque and full coverage red colorations are the most desirable grades. The range of grades listed from least to most desirable are as follows: Sakura (mostly red body with some spots or stripes, especially in lower body and legs), Fire Red Low Grade (almost completely red body and legs with only very small cracks or holes in the carapace, lower body, and legs, but the red color may be translucent or appear orange), Fire Red High Grade (completely red with no cracks or holes on body or legs, slightly translucent red or dark orange appearance) and Painted Fire Red (solid dark red coloring throughout the body and legs with no translucence). Sexing Fire Red Shrimp becomes difficult at the higher grades, as both males and females have the potential to be completely red. Fire Red Shrimp males are generally lighter in color than females, and exhibit lower color grades. Female Fire Red Shrimp have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once the shrimp are fully-grown the males will be smaller than the females.

Fire Red Shrimp are tolerant to a fairly wide range of water parameters, making them excellent for pairing with other species. As long as the shrimp are acclimated properly to your chosen parameters and are not subjected to extreme changes in temperature or acidity, they are adaptable and resilient. They will tolerate soft or hard water. The ideal water parameters are 70°-85° F with 7 to 7.5 pH. However, as mentioned, you may keep them outside of these parameters as long as the shrimp are protected from extreme or frequent fluctuations.

Fire Red Shrimp will accept a wide variety of foods, and in planted tanks may be able to survive off of scavenged biofilm and algae. If there are too many shrimp in your tank for the available algae and biofilm, or not enough plants to produce it, you can supplement their diet with algae tablets, blanched vegetables, or any other shrimp food. However, it is very important not to overfeed your shrimp, as this can be harmful to their health and even result in death. Increased waste from overfeeding your shrimp can impact your nitrogen cycle and increase tank maintenance, as well as harm your tank’s inhabitants. Feeding shrimp once per day is usually enough, especially if biofilm and algae are available. If shrimp are not responding to food, or leave food uneaten for more than a day, remove the food and decrease feeding. Especially in mature planted tanks, your shrimp may not need supplemental feeding very often.

Like most Neocaridina shrimp, Fire Reds are eager breeders given comfortable water parameters and a sufficient food source. Once the shrimp reach maturity, and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding. When female shrimp have eggs available for fertilization, they will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy. Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as their parents, and will molt frequently during their early life stages. Leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimp fry will consume them for extra minerals like calcium that will help their growth. Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide they may not breed.

Fire Red Shrimp are a great addition to any shrimp hobbyist’s aquarium, whether it is long established or just beginning. These shrimp are easy to care for and make a great match with many other species of fish and shrimp. If you want to enjoy a beautiful shrimp that will proliferate readily and help with your tank maintenance, the Fire Red Shrimp is a great choice.