Blue Diamond Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
Blue Diamond Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
Blue Diamond Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are high-grade, freshwater dwarf shrimp highly prized for their intense, opaque, deep blue to nearly black coloration. Unlike Blue Dream shrimp—which originate from the red rili line—Blue Diamonds are selectively bred from the chocolate shrimp lineage. This distinct genetic background makes them highly stable, meaning they produce far fewer "culls" (off-color offspring) and retain their stunning dark jewel tones across generations.
Ideal Tank Parameters
Blue Diamonds are hardy and beginner-friendly, but they thrive best in stable, fully cycled water with a bit of hardness to support healthy molting:
Temperature: 68°F – 78°F (20°C – 26°C)
pH: 6.5 – 7.8
gH (General Hardness): 6 – 12 (at least 8 is ideal for structural health)
kH (Carbonate Hardness): 0 – 10TDS: 180 – 350 ppm
Water Quality: Strictly 0 ppm Ammonia, 0 ppm Nitrite, and Nitrates below 25 ppm.
Diet and Maintenance
Primary Food: They are excellent scavengers that constantly graze on natural biofilm and algae.
Supplements: Supplement their diet 2–3 times a week with high-quality shrimp pellets, spirulina, or blanched vegetables like zucchini and spinach.
Water Changes: Perform small, weekly water changes of 10% to 20% to avoid shocking the system.
Safety Warning: Never use copper-based medications or fertilizers in their tank, as copper is highly toxic to all invertebrates.
Tank Mates and Breeding
Safe Neighbors: Keep them with peaceful, micro-fish like Otocinclus, Pygmy Corydoras, or Ember Tetras. Avoid any fish large enough to fit a shrimp into its mouth.
Easy Breeding: In stable conditions, they breed naturally. Females carry eggs for about 30 days before releasing fully formed, miniature shrimplets. Provide live mosses (like Java Moss) to give newborns safety and plenty of surface biofilm to eat.
Genetic Purity: Do not house them with other Neocaridina colors (like Red Cherries or Yellow Enes) if you want to keep the line pure; cross-breeding will cause future generations to revert to a muddy, wild brown color.