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Blue Pearl shrimp are the pale blue selective line of Neocaridina palmata - the sister species to Snowball shrimp. Soft baby-blue coloration with translucent body. Hardy and easy to breed, but the color is much subtler than Blue Velvet or Blue Dream (which are Neocaridina davidi). Best appreciated against dark substrate and dense planting.
Native range: Captive-bred from N. palmata. Aquarium specimens enter the trade primarily through captive-bred sources - selective breeding programs in Taiwan, Germany, the United States, and Indonesia produce the color-line specimens you find at LFS and online vendors. Wild-caught stock of any shrimp species is increasingly rare and often less hardy than captive-bred lines.
Tank size: 5 gallons is the practical minimum. Shrimp bioload is low - colonies of 50+ adults thrive in 10-gallon tanks with adequate biofilm and filtration. Water parameters: pH 6.5-8.0, temperature 65-78°F, hardness 6-15 dGH. Filtration should be sponge-filter or matten-filter based to prevent shrimp and shrimplets from being sucked into intakes. Avoid HOB filters with strong suction unless modified with sponge pre-filters.
Substrate: depends on species. Neocaridina tolerate any inert substrate (gravel, sand, or planted aquarium soil). Caridina (CRS, Taiwan Bee) require active substrate (ADA Amazonia, Fluval Stratum) that buffers pH down to 5.5-6.8 and maintains soft water. Sulawesi shrimp require buffered alkaline substrate or crushed coral additives.
Plants: Java moss, Christmas moss, Subwassertang, and other fine-leaved species are essential - they provide grazing surface area for biofilm (the primary shrimp food) and cover for shrimplets. Heavy planting dramatically improves colony health and breeding rates.
Blue Pearl Shrimps eat biofilm continuously and supplement with periodic protein/algae feedings. Primary diet: Biofilm, algae, veggies, pellets. Feed sparingly - shrimp can survive on biofilm alone in mature tanks for weeks. Over-feeding is the primary cause of water quality problems in shrimp tanks. Best feeding practice: small amount once every 2-3 days, removed within 2-4 hours if uneaten.
Supplemental foods worth rotating: Indian almond leaf (for tannins + grazing surface), mulberry leaf, blanched spinach/zucchini/cucumber (small pieces, removed after 24 hours), snowflake food, mineral stones (Montmorillonite clay), and species-specific commercial foods like Bacter AE, Shrimp Cuisine, or Borneo Wild biofilm enhancers.
Safe: Other Neocaridina (separate color), otocinclus, small peaceful fish.
Avoid: Predatory fish, copper meds, Snowball shrimp (cross-breed).
Adult shrimp can defend against most very small fish, but shrimplets (newly-hatched, sub-3mm) are essentially defenseless and will be eaten by anything fish-shaped. Species-only tanks produce the most prolific colonies; community tanks with fish work but reduce shrimplet survival rate significantly.
Easy. 20-25 eggs per clutch, white-tinted (unlike Blue Velvet eggs which are blue-tinted). Breeding triggers across most shrimp species: stable parameters, biofilm-rich environment, varied diet, moderate temperatures (slightly warmer than maintenance temperature often triggers breeding cycles). Female shrimp signal readiness by carrying eggs under the tail (called "berried" - eggs visible as a clutch of small spheres). Male shrimp pursue females immediately after molting.
Pale color hard to see; cross-breeding; molt failures.
Blue Pearl shrimp are the pale blue selective line of Neocaridina palmata - the sister species to Snowball shrimp. Soft baby-blue coloration with translucent body. Hardy and easy to breed, but the color is much subtler than Blue Velvet or Blue Dream (which are Neocaridina davidi). Best appreciated against dark substrate and dense planting. Native range: Captive-bred from N. palmata.
Tank size: 5 gallons is the practical minimum. Shrimp bioload is low - colonies of 50+ adults thrive in 10-gallon tanks with adequate biofilm and filtration. Water parameters: pH 6.5-8.0, temperature 65-78°F, hardness 6-15 dGH. Filtration should be sponge-filter or matten-filter based to prevent shrimp and shrimplets from being sucked into intakes. Avoid HOB filters with strong suction unless modified with sponge pre-filters.
The Blue Pearl Shrimp is rated beginner difficulty on this care sheet. It needs a tank of at least 5 gallons and a temperature of 65-78°F. Adults reach about 1.0-1.5 inches and live 1.5-2 years. Blue Pearl shrimp are the pale blue selective line of Neocaridina palmata - the sister species to Snowball shrimp. Soft baby-blue coloration with translucent body.
Blue Pearl Shrimps eat biofilm continuously and supplement with periodic protein/algae feedings. Primary diet: Biofilm, algae, veggies, pellets. Feed sparingly - shrimp can survive on biofilm alone in mature tanks for weeks. Over-feeding is the primary cause of water quality problems in shrimp tanks. Best feeding practice: small amount once every 2-3 days, removed within 2-4 hours if uneaten.
Safe: Other Neocaridina (separate color), otocinclus, small peaceful fish. Avoid: Predatory fish, copper meds, Snowball shrimp (cross-breed). Adult shrimp can defend against most very small fish, but shrimplets (newly-hatched, sub-3mm) are essentially defenseless and will be eaten by anything fish-shaped. Species-only tanks produce the most prolific colonies; community tanks with fish work but reduce shrimplet survival rate significantly.
The Blue Pearl Shrimp reaches about 1.0-1.5 inches as an adult and lives 1.5-2 years with good care. Adult shrimp can defend against most very small fish, but shrimplets (newly-hatched, sub-3mm) are essentially defenseless and will be eaten by anything fish-shaped.
20-25 eggs per clutch, white-tinted (unlike Blue Velvet eggs which are blue-tinted). Breeding triggers across most shrimp species: stable parameters, biofilm-rich environment, varied diet, moderate temperatures (slightly warmer than maintenance temperature often triggers breeding cycles). Female shrimp signal readiness by carrying eggs under the tail (called "berried" - eggs visible as a clutch of small spheres).
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