Guides
Shrimp keeping guides
27 guides for keeping Neocaridina davidi, published and reviewed by a keeper and checked against the evidence. Each one opens with the short answer and the first step at the tank.
Shrimp dying right now?
Check immediate oxygen, temperature and measured water hazards, stop a known continuing exposure when safe to do so, and preserve clear observations for qualified help. When you test, start with temperature, ammonia and nitrite: GH, KH and TDS cannot tell you whether the biofilter is working.
Open the first-step card Read the full guide: sick or dying shrimp
New to shrimp
The first colony course
7 guides, in the order a new keeper needs them, all before any shrimp arrive. Start with the readiness check; it is allowed to say not yet.
Setting up
Before any shrimp arrive.
- Cycling a tankHow to know a shrimp tank is cycled
- Substrate, plants and shelterWhat should a Neocaridina tank contain?
- Filters and airDo Neocaridina need a filter or air stone?
- Water numbers: GH, KH, TDS and pHGH, KH, TDS and pH without myths
- Testing your waterCan you trust an aquarium water test?
- How many shrimpHow many Neocaridina can a tank hold?
Bringing shrimp home
Choosing, receiving and settling new animals.
Everyday care
Feeding, water changes and routine checks.
- FeedingWhat and how much should Neocaridina eat?
- Water changesHow much water should you change in a shrimp tank?
- Ammonia, nitrite, nitrateWhat do ammonia, nitrite and nitrate numbers mean?
- TemperatureWhat temperature should Neocaridina be kept at?
- Algae and cleanupWill Neocaridina clean algae and waste from a tank?
- MoltingNeocaridina molting without the mineral myths
Something looks wrong
Look closely and record before naming a cause or reaching for a treatment.
- Sick or dying shrimpWhen a Neocaridina shrimp looks sick
- Hiding and swimmingWhy are my Neocaridina hiding or swimming around?
- Worms, hydra and other crittersIs this worm, hydra or other organism dangerous to shrimp?
- Copper and chemicalsIs copper safe for Neocaridina shrimp?
- Describe what you seeWhat am I looking at on a Neocaridina shrimp?
Breeding and colours
Babies, lines, colours and too many shrimp.
- BreedingWhy aren't my Neocaridina breeding?
- Male or female?Is my Neocaridina male, female or too young to tell?
- Growth and ageHow fast do Neocaridina grow, and how long do they live?
- Mixing coloursCan you mix Neocaridina colours?
- Selective breedingHow should Neocaridina be selectively bred?
- Too many shrimpWhat should I do when I have too many Neocaridina shrimp?
The same library, other ways in
- The foundation courseSeven taught lessons with a scenario self-check at the end.
- First Colony Path by emailSix lessons, no more than one a week. A separate sign-up with nothing else attached.
- First-step cardsOne card per guide: what to look at, the first action and when to stop. Printable.
- Heard it somewhere? Checked.Common hobby claims, each with what is supported and what is not.
- Every question, in plain wordsKeeper questions in plain words, each pointing to the guide that answers it.
- Shrimp wordsWhat the terms mean, including the ones we avoid.
- Compare your waterPut your readings next to our house targets before you buy anything.
- Help another keeperAnswer a question in a group without spreading a myth: bounded, sourced replies.
- Ask a questionReviewed privately. An editor may publish a de-identified question with a bounded answer. Not for emergencies.
The sources behind every guide
Every guide links its complete evidence dossier: what each study measured, and the nearest thing it did not. Counts on those pages are inventory, not a rating.
Open the evidence map · Coverage by topic · How we write the guides · Challenge a claim · Contribute an observation