Eggplant Shrimp Care Guide - Setup, Feeding & Breeding

Eggplant Shrimp are a striking colour morph of the popular Neocaridina davidi, displaying deep purple, burgundy, blue-black or aubergine tones reminiscent of their namesake. Colour intensity varies between individuals and can change with age, mood, background and water conditions. Some specimens have a translucent finish, while others are densely coloured across most of the body.

These small freshwater shrimp are peaceful, busy scavengers that spend much of their time walking over plants, wood, rocks and substrate in search of edible films and particles. Their constantly moving pleopods and delicate antennae give them a lively presence despite their tiny size.

In nature, Neocaridina davidi inhabit shallow, slow-moving freshwater environments where algae, microorganisms and decaying plant matter collect on submerged surfaces. Their flattened bodies and small claws are well suited to grazing rather than hunting, and they pose no threat to healthy fish or plants.

Eggplant Shrimp are a cultivated aquarium variety rather than a separate wild species. Like other Neocaridina, they are hardy for their size and reproduce readily when settled, making them popular with both community aquarium keepers and aquarists interested in selective colour breeding.

Eggplant Shrimp are a selectively bred colour variety of Neocaridina davidi, a species native to freshwater streams, pools and lowland waterways in Taiwan and parts of southern China in Asia.

A colony of Eggplant Shrimp can be kept in an aquarium of at least 20 litres, although a longer tank around 45 cm wide offers greater stability and grazing area. Use a mature, fully cycled setup with gentle filtration protected by a sponge or pre-filter, and provide mosses, fine-leaved plants, driftwood, rocks and other textured surfaces for biofilm and shelter. A dark, fine-grained substrate can help their colours stand out. Avoid copper-based medications and sudden changes in water chemistry, as shrimp are particularly sensitive to these stresses.

Adults reach a maximum of about 3 cm (1.2 inches). Females are usually larger and more robust than males, reaching around 3 cm, while males commonly remain closer to 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1 inch).

Eggplant Shrimp graze naturally on algae, biofilm, microorganisms and decomposing plant material. Supplement the aquarium with a quality shrimp food or algae wafer, along with occasional blanched vegetables such as spinach, courgette or carrot. Small amounts of leaf litter, such as Indian almond or beech leaves, can provide both grazing surface and food as they break down. Remove uneaten food promptly to protect water quality.

Eggplant Shrimp can share an aquarium with peaceful nano fish such as small rasboras, ember tetras, celestial pearl danios and otocinclus, as well as snails and other peaceful dwarf shrimp. Most fish will eat newly hatched shrimplets if given the opportunity, so breeding colonies do best in a species-only setup or with exceptionally calm tankmates. Avoid large fish, dwarf cichlids, loaches, bettas with a strong hunting instinct and other species known to prey on shrimp.

Eggplant Shrimp breed readily in a mature, stable aquarium when well fed and kept in a mixed-sex group. Females carry 20–40 eggs beneath the abdomen for around three to four weeks, after which they release fully formed miniature shrimp. The young require no separate larval stage and can be raised in the same tank, provided tankmates cannot eat them and the aquarium contains plenty of biofilm and fine-leaved cover.

Females are larger, broader-bodied and generally more strongly coloured, with a deeper abdomen shaped to carry eggs. Males are smaller and slimmer, often with more translucent colouration, and females may show a pale saddle of developing eggs behind the head before spawning.