Blue Dream Shrimp - Neocaridina spp

Blue Dream Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. “Blue Dream”)

The Blue Dream Shrimp is a stunning captive-bred freshwater shrimp, prized for its rich blue colouration, peaceful behaviour and excellent algae-grazing activity. This selectively bred Neocaridina strain is one of the most popular ornamental dwarf shrimp varieties in the aquarium hobby, offering a beautiful contrast against planted aquariums, dark substrate, mosses and natural hardscape. Hardy, active and easy to breed in the right conditions, Blue Dream Shrimp are a fantastic choice for peaceful nano aquariums, shrimp tanks and mature planted community setups.

Common Name:
Blue Dream Shrimp. Also commonly referred to as Blue Dream Neocaridina, Blue Velvet Shrimp, Blue Cherry Shrimp or Blue Neocaridina Shrimp, although different blue strains may vary in depth of colour and grading.

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

Maximum Size:
Around 2.5–3.5 cm, with females usually growing larger and fuller-bodied than males.

Water Type:
Freshwater

Origin / Natural Habitat:
The Blue Dream 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 is found in freshwater streams, rivers, ponds and vegetated waterways. Captive-bred Blue Dream Shrimp have been selectively bred for stronger blue colour and are now widely kept in planted aquariums around the world.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 18–25°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. Blue Dream 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 regularly carry eggs under the body, with young shrimp hatching as tiny fully formed shrimplets rather than free-swimming larvae. 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 blue colour, avoid mixing Blue Dream 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.