Blue Jelly Shrimp Care Guide - Setup, Feeding & Breeding

Blue Jelly Shrimp are a translucent blue colour form of the hardy dwarf shrimp Neocaridina davidi. Their bodies may range from pale sky blue to a deeper bluish-grey, with the intensity influenced by genetics, age, diet and background. The semi-transparent shell can reveal the internal organs and, in females, developing eggs beneath the abdomen.

These small crustaceans are active and constantly inquisitive, spending much of their time grazing on biofilm, soft algae and tiny particles across the substrate, plants and hardscape. They are peaceful toward other shrimp and rarely trouble tankmates, making their gentle movements an appealing contrast to more boisterous aquarium inhabitants.

In nature, Neocaridina davidi occupies shallow freshwater habitats with plentiful plant growth, leaf litter, stones and submerged wood. Its specialised limbs allow it to pick microscopic food from almost every surface, while its hard outer shell is periodically shed as it grows.

Blue Jelly Shrimp are usually sold as a selectively bred aquarium strain. Their colour may become less consistent over successive generations if they are allowed to interbreed freely with other Neocaridina colour varieties, and offspring can range from vivid blue to paler or wild-type shades.

Neocaridina davidi is native to freshwater streams, pools and rivers in Taiwan and parts of mainland China in East Asia. Blue Jelly Shrimp are a selectively bred colour variety rather than a distinct wild species, developed from captive Neocaridina davidi stock.

A colony should have at least 20 litres of mature, stable freshwater, with a larger aquarium preferable for a growing population. A practical minimum footprint is approximately 30 × 25 cm, with more floor area providing additional grazing surfaces. Use fine inert gravel or sand, gentle filtration with a sponge prefilter, and plenty of Java moss, other fine-leaved plants, driftwood, rocks and leaf litter. Dense cover gives young shrimp places to graze and hide, while open surfaces allow the adults to forage.

Females reach up to about 3 cm (1.2 inches), while males usually grow to around 2.5 cm (1 inch).

Blue Jelly Shrimp graze naturally on biofilm, algae and microorganisms growing on aquarium surfaces. Supplement this with a quality shrimp or algae-based pellet, occasional blanched vegetables such as courgette or spinach, and small amounts of specialist powdered food for young shrimp. They also benefit from mineral-rich foods that support healthy moulting, but excess food should be removed so it does not pollute the water.

Blue Jelly Shrimp are best kept with peaceful, small tankmates such as adult Otocinclus, small rasboras, ember tetras, celestial pearl danios, pygmy Corydoras and other compatible Neocaridina shrimp. Snails such as nerites and ramshorn snails are also suitable. Most fish will eat newly hatched shrimp, and larger, aggressive or highly predatory species—including cichlids, bettas, gouramis, larger barbs and many loaches—can reduce the colony or consume adults.

Blue Jelly Shrimp are straightforward to breed in a mature freshwater aquarium. When females are ready, they develop visible eggs beneath the abdomen and release pheromones that attract males. After mating, the female carries 20–40 fertilised eggs until they hatch as fully formed miniature shrimp, usually after around three to four weeks. The young need no special larval stage and can grow on biofilm, algae and finely powdered foods, provided the aquarium is stable and free from predators.

Females are generally larger and have a broader, more rounded abdomen. They often show a visible saddle behind the head when developing eggs and carry fertilised eggs beneath the abdomen; males are smaller, slimmer and usually less intensely coloured.