Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp Care Guide - Setup, Feeding & Breeding

Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp are a selectively bred colour form of Neocaridina davidi, recognised by a deep blue to charcoal body pattern interrupted by translucent or paler sections. Their colour and transparency vary between individuals, and the exact appearance depends on the quality of the line and the shrimp’s age, mood and surroundings.

These small freshwater crustaceans spend much of their time walking over plants, wood, rocks and other surfaces while using their fine appendages to graze on microscopic growth. They are peaceful, active in daylight and especially entertaining to watch in groups, constantly picking through their surroundings for edible particles.

In the wild, Neocaridina davidi inhabits shallow streams, pools and slow-moving waterways across parts of East Asia. It is adapted to freshwater environments containing vegetation, leaf litter, stones and abundant biofilm, which provide both food and shelter.

Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp are not a naturally occurring species or colour variety. They are the result of selective breeding within the hardy Neocaridina davidi aquarium shrimp trade, and offspring may show a mixture of blue, black, translucent and patterned traits rather than breeding perfectly true.

Neocaridina davidi is native to freshwater habitats in Taiwan and parts of mainland China in East Asia. Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp are selectively bred aquarium colour morphs rather than a distinct wild population.

A group can be housed in an established aquarium of at least 20 litres, with a footprint around 40 × 25 cm or larger being preferable to a tall, narrow tank. Use a fully cycled, stable freshwater setup with gentle filtration protected by a sponge pre-filter, and provide mosses, fine-leaved plants, driftwood, rocks and leaf litter for grazing and refuge. Fine inert gravel or sand is suitable, and open surfaces should be balanced with dense cover for moulting shrimp and juveniles. Avoid copper-based treatments and sudden changes in water chemistry.

Adults usually reach about 2.5–3 cm (1–1.2 in). Females are generally larger and more robust than males, with females occasionally approaching 3.5 cm (1.4 in), while males commonly remain around 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1 in).

These omnivorous grazers feed naturally on biofilm, algae, microorganisms and decaying plant material. In the aquarium, offer a varied diet of quality shrimp pellets or wafers, blanched vegetables such as spinach, courgette or nettle, and occasional protein-rich foods. Small amounts are important because uneaten food can quickly pollute a small aquarium, while leaf litter and established surfaces provide valuable continuous grazing.

Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp are best kept with peaceful nano fish and other non-aggressive invertebrates. Suitable companions can include small rasboras, ember tetras, otocinclus, pygmy corydoras, snails and other compatible Neocaridina varieties, although mixing colour strains may produce less predictable offspring. Avoid large or predatory fish, fin-nippers, cichlids, bettas with a strong hunting instinct and most loaches, as they may eat adult shrimp or their young.

Blue Rili Carbon Shrimp breed readily in mature freshwater aquariums when healthy adults are kept together. Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen, where they are fertilised and fanned until hatching after roughly three to four weeks. The young emerge as fully formed miniature shrimp and need biofilm, algae and fine powdered food to thrive. They do not require brackish water for breeding, but newly hatched shrimp are easily eaten by fish and benefit from a densely planted nursery environment.

Females are larger, deeper-bodied and usually more strongly coloured than males. Mature females have a broader abdomen for carrying eggs and may show a yellowish or greenish saddle behind the head, whereas males are slimmer and often more translucent.