Blue Dream Shrimp

Common Name: Blue Dream Shrimp
Scientific Name: Neocaridina Davidi "Blue Dream"
Genus:  Neocaridina
Wild Origin: Asia (Selective Breed)
Adult Size: 1.25in

**Note: All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No additional insulation is needed for your livestock.

The Blue Dream Shrimp is a fan-favorite for a reason: its stunning, deep sapphire-blue coloration is nearly unrivaled. These freshwater shrimp are selectively bred for a rich, dark, and opaque blue that remains consistent across the entire body. Historically descending from the Black Carbon and Chocolate lines, they bring a sense of depth and luxury to any shrimp aquarium, providing a gorgeous contrast against light-colored sands or bright green carpeting plants.

As members of the Neocaridina genus, they are exceptionally hardy, making them the perfect choice for hobbyists who want high-end color without the difficulty of sensitive Caridina species. They are active, social, and function as a highly efficient clean-up crew, spending their time grazing on biofilm and algae to keep your shrimp tank pristine. 

Check out our guide on the different substrates that can help achieve ideal water parameters for these shrimp: Best Substrate for Shrimp

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank-raised specimen
  
• Opaque, midnight-blue pigmentation that "pops" in any aquascape.
• Very resilient and tolerant of various water types and temperatures.
• Shrimp are excellent scavengers and will happily feed on biofilm, decaying plant matter, and algae
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after placing an order to properly prepare live animal shipments

Recommended Water Parameters
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. We encourage you to do thorough research before committing to keeping any livestock.

• Temperature Range: 65-80°F
• pH: 7.2-7.6
• TDS: 250-300 ppm
• GH: 4-8
• KH: 3-15

Recommended Tank Size
5+ gallons, minimum. Tank size is relative and various factors should be considered when determining tank size. Because they are social and breed readily, a 10-gallon tank is ideal for supporting a growing and thriving colony.

Diet
Algae, biofilm, diatoms, decaying plant matter, spirulina powder, bee pollen, plant-based shrimp pellets/wafers, blanched vegetables

Breeding
Sexing these shrimp can be somewhat difficult until the shrimp begin to mature. Females have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once the shrimp are fully grown, the males will be smaller than the females.

Blue Dream Shrimp are eager breeders given comfortable water parameters and a sufficient food source. Once the shrimp reach maturity, and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding.

When female shrimp have eggs available for fertilization, they will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy. Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as adult shrimp and will molt frequently during their early life stages. Leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimp fry will consume them for extra minerals like calcium that will help their growth.

Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide, they may not breed.

Check out our blog article to learn how to breed freshwater shrimp.