Green Jade Shrimp Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Green Jade Shrimp are a selectively bred Neocaridina colour variety prized for their rich green body colour. Their shells may range from pale mint and translucent green to deeper jade, with the strongest colour usually seen in well-bred females. Individual markings can vary, and some shrimp show a slightly darker back or subtle variations in tone.

Green Jade Shrimp are a selectively bred colour form of Neocaridina davidi, a species native to freshwater habitats in Taiwan and parts of southern China in Asia. The green jade colour does not represent a separate wild species and has been developed through aquarium breeding.

A small colony should be kept in an established aquarium of at least 20 litres, with a footprint of around 30 by 25 cm or larger. Use a gentle sponge filter or protect the intake of another filter, and include live plants, moss, driftwood, rocks and other textured surfaces for grazing and shelter. A fine inert or shrimp-safe substrate is suitable, while stable water quality and mature biofilm are more important than elaborate decoration. Keep the aquarium securely covered because shrimp may climb out of open systems.

Females reach up to about 2.5 cm (1 inch), while males are usually smaller at around 2 cm (0.8 inches).

Green Jade Shrimp graze naturally on algae, microorganisms and biofilm growing on aquarium surfaces. Supplement this with a quality shrimp food containing minerals and plant matter, along with occasional algae wafers or small portions of blanched spinach, courgette or leafy greens. Remove uneaten food promptly, and avoid medications or additives containing copper, which can be harmful to shrimp.

Green Jade Shrimp are peaceful and can be kept with other calm nano species such as ember tetras, small rasboras, otocinclus catfish, pygmy corydoras and small freshwater snails. They can also live with other Neocaridina colour morphs, although mixed-colour breeding may produce less predictable or wild-type offspring. Avoid large, boisterous or predatory fish, including bettas, angelfish, cichlids and many larger barbs, as they may eat adult shrimp or their young.

Green Jade Shrimp breed readily in established freshwater aquariums when healthy adults are well fed. Females carry clusters of eggs beneath their abdomens, where they are regularly fanned until they hatch after roughly three to four weeks. The young emerge as fully formed miniature shrimp, so there is no separate larval stage. Provide plenty of biofilm-covered surfaces and avoid fish that will eat the babies; young shrimp develop their green colour as they mature.

Females are generally larger and deeper-bodied than males, with a broader abdomen and a more intense, opaque colour. Mature females may also display a visible saddle behind the head or carry eggs beneath the abdomen; males are usually slimmer and more translucent.