Algae shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Algae shrimp are a hard-working cleaning crew for the aquarium.
- wild form of Neocaridina davidi
- easy to maintain
- prolific
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Important data
Product description & details
The algae shrimp is the wild form of Neocaridina davidi, which originally comes from Asia and is found in Taiwan, China and Korea. It represents the original form of the different color variants that have been bred through selection, like the Red Fire shrimp. The basic color of the body is transparent. The shell may have isolated colored pigments – usually brown or black. However, slightly bluish, reddish, yellowish or greenish animals can also be found. Even if it is not as brightly colored as the cultivated varieties, the extremely variable algae shrimp can always cause surprises regarding colors. It is important to know that the so-called “algae shrimp” does not eat more algae than other Neocaridina variants. Thanks to its natural colors, the algae shrimp forms the perfect cleaning team for (natural) aquariums in which colorful shrimp are not desired or are not the focus.
Care in the aquarium
Neocaridina davidi is a robust and undemanding species that can be kept in an aquarium of 10 liters or more. It prefers clean and well-filtered water. Due to its ability to adapt to a wide range of water parameters, it is ideal for keeping in soft to hard tap water as well as in remineralized osmosis water. What is particularly important is that the temperature of the water does not exceed 26°C for long periods of time, even in summer. In order for this sociable dwarf shrimp to feel safe, it should be kept in a group of at least 10 animals and in a well-planted aquarium. The plants, but also roots, stone structures or shrimp tubes offer it protection and places of retreat. The algae shrimp can be socialized well with snails, but also with peaceful, small fish.
Feeding
As a classic leftover recycler, the algae shrimp feeds on biofilm and algae growth as well as detritus (dead plant material, carrion, leftover food). In the aquarium it can be fed with special types of shrimp food, leaves, algae powder and occasionally frozen food. Ideally, there are always brown autumn leaves in the aquarium, which represent ideal permanent food for the animals.
Sexual characteristics and breeding
Sex determination is usually not possible in young animals, but only in sexually mature animals. Juveniles and males have a narrower underside of the abdomen, while sexually mature females have a wider underside that covers the swimming legs like a “skirt”. This widening of the abdomen serves to protect the eggs, which the female carries and cares between her swimming legs until they hatch. Beforehand, the eggs are also clearly visible as a bright egg spot on the female’s neck. As with most dwarf shrimp, female Neocaridina adults are slightly larger than males. All Neocaridina shrimp reproduce in fresh water and breeding in the aquarium is usually easy. After being berried for around 3 to 4 weeks, the female releases around 20-30 fully developed, transparent shrimplets, which initially feed on microorganisms present in the aquarium and can be fed with dust food.