Bloody Mary - Neocaridina spp

Bloody Mary Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. “Bloody Mary”)

The Bloody Mary Shrimp is a striking captive-bred freshwater shrimp, prized for its deep translucent blood-red colouration, peaceful nature and excellent algae-grazing behaviour. Unlike standard Red Cherry Shrimp, which often carry more colour in the shell, Bloody Mary Shrimp are known for their rich red body tissue, giving them a deeper wine-red appearance when well bred and well kept. Hardy, active and easy to breed in the right conditions, this variety is a fantastic choice for shrimp tanks, mature planted aquariums and peaceful nano community setups.

Common Name:
Bloody Mary Shrimp. Also commonly referred to as Bloody Mary Neocaridina, Red Wine Shrimp, Bloody Mary Cherry Shrimp or Red Neocaridina Shrimp.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Neocaridina davidi var. “Bloody Mary”
Previously seen in older references as Neocaridina heteropoda.

Maximum Size:
Around 2.5–3 cm, with females usually growing larger and fuller-bodied than males.

Water Type:
Freshwater

Origin / Natural Habitat:
The Bloody Mary Shrimp is a captive-bred colour strain. The wild form of Neocaridina davidi is native to parts of East Asia, including Taiwan, China, Korea and nearby regions, where it occurs in freshwater streams, rivers, ponds and vegetated waterways. The Bloody Mary strain was selectively bred for its intense red colouration and does not occur naturally in the wild.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 18–26°C
pH Range: 6.5–8.0
Hardness: moderately hard water preferred
GH: around 6–10 dGH is a good practical target
KH: around 2–8 dKH is suitable, provided conditions are stable

Temperament:
Very peaceful. Bloody Mary Shrimp are safe with other dwarf shrimp and calm nano fish, but they should not be kept with predatory, aggressive or highly curious fish that may pick at or eat them.

Diet:
Omnivorous grazer and scavenger. It should be offered a varied diet including biofilm, algae, shrimp pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables, leaf litter, botanicals, powdered shrimp foods and occasional protein-rich foods in small amounts. They will graze constantly, but should not be expected to survive only on leftover fish food.

Minimum Tank Size:
A practical recommendation is at least 20–40 litres for a small colony, with larger aquariums offering better stability and more grazing surfaces.

Behaviour & Activity:
This is an active dwarf shrimp that spends much of the day grazing across plants, moss, wood, rocks, substrate and aquarium glass. In a settled colony, females may carry eggs beneath the body, with young shrimp hatching as tiny fully formed shrimplets rather than going through a free-swimming larval stage. They are most confident in groups and do especially well in mature planted aquariums with mosses, fine-leaved plants and plenty of hiding places.

Aquarium Category:
Community Invertebrate
This species is peaceful and suitable for shrimp-only aquariums or very calm freshwater community setups. Suitable tank mates include small peaceful rasboras, micro tetras, Otocinclus, small Corydoras, peaceful snails and other non-aggressive nano fish. Avoid puffers, loaches, large cichlids, angelfish, bettas with strong hunting behaviour, large gouramis and any fish likely to eat small shrimp or shrimplets.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Best kept in a mature, stable aquarium with established biofilm, gentle filtration and no sudden swings in temperature, pH or hardness. Use a sponge filter or cover filter intakes to prevent shrimplets being pulled in. Avoid copper-based treatments, as copper can be dangerous to shrimp and other invertebrates. Stable water is more important than chasing perfect numbers, and new shrimp should be acclimated slowly to reduce moult stress. To preserve strong red colour, avoid mixing Bloody Mary Shrimp with other Neocaridina colour strains, as offspring may revert towards wild-type brown or mixed colours.

Suitable for:
Beginner to intermediate shrimp keepers

Availability:
Common / occasional in trade, usually as captive-bred stock

All images are a visual representation of the animal you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.