Blue velvet shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
easy careOverview
Blue velvet shrimp are a soft, luminous-blue colour form of Neocaridina davidi — the same hardy species as cherry shrimp, selectively bred for a gentler pastel blue than the deeper blue dream. They’re cheap, colourful, tough and useful cleanup crew, grazing algae and leftovers in a planted nano. For a low-effort splash of blue, they’re an ideal beginner shrimp. Their gentle pastel tone reads as almost pearlescent under good lighting, and because they share the cherry shrimp’s toughness, a first-time keeper can expect a thriving, self-sustaining colony within a few months.
Tank & water
A 19 litre (5 gallon) nano houses a starter colony, and they’ll happily fill something larger. Like all Neocaridina, blue velvets want stability:
- Stable, cycled water — cycle fully before adding shrimp; they’re sensitive to ammonia and nitrite.
- No copper — lethal to shrimp; check medication and fertiliser labels.
- A gentle or sponge filter — so shrimplets aren’t sucked in; see our filter picks.
- Plants and cover — moss and easy plants give grazing surfaces and hiding spots.
Feeding
Blue velvets are omnivores that graze biofilm and algae, so a planted tank feeds them much of the time. Supplement twice a week with a quality shrimp food, blanched vegetables or a biofilm booster — only a little, as excess food fouls water and fuels pest-snail booms. Feeding them well also deepens their colour over time, since a varied diet with quality shrimp food supports the pigments that keep the blue strong across generations.
Tankmates & breeding
Blue velvets are entirely peaceful but tiny, so most fish will eat shrimplets and some adults. For maximum breeding, keep them species-only or with very small, non-predatory fish. In stable conditions a colony breeds continuously, so numbers climb steadily with no intervention. Once established, a colony effectively renews itself, and you’ll likely have surplus shrimp to trade or move to another tank within a few months.
See the best shrimp tank and compare with cherry shrimp and deeper-blue blue dream shrimp.
Blue velvet shrimp — frequently asked questions
Are blue velvet shrimp the same as blue dream shrimp?
They're both blue colour forms of Neocaridina davidi, but blue velvet tends to be a softer, lighter blue while blue dream is a deeper, more solid blue. Care is identical — both are hardy, beginner-friendly shrimp that tolerate neutral tap water and breed readily.
Do blue velvet shrimp need special water?
No — like all Neocaridina they thrive in stable, neutral to slightly hard tap water, so no RO water or active soil is required. Just cycle the tank, keep parameters stable and keep all copper out of the system.
How fast do blue velvet shrimp breed?
Quickly, in a stable, well-fed tank. Females carry eggs under the tail for about a month before fully formed shrimplets hatch, and a healthy colony multiplies continuously with no intervention. Provide moss and plants for the young to hide in.
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