5 Best Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp for Beginners

If you’re interested in bringing aquatic life into your home but are looking for a new and unique experience or looking to add to your nano shrimp aquarium, freshwater shrimp make a great option!

Keeping freshwater shrimp has become a popular venture among hobbyists in North America, and with good reason. Not only can shrimp add a boost of color and life to your aquarium, but they can also help keep your tank clean!

Beyond their own food, freshwater shrimp will also munch on most algae. Your own tank cleaning crew! These are just some of the many benefits you’ll learn as a beginner shrimp hobbyist.

Now that you understand the advantages of owning freshwater shrimp, which type should you consider? Below, we’ve listed the five best freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners. Take a look!

1. Cherry Shrimp

Cherry shrimp has been one of the most popular shrimp in the hobby as they are the first Neocaridina shrimp color morphs created. They are easy to care for and tend to get along with the other tank mates, making them excellent freshwater shrimp for beginners. Found in the waters of Taiwan, Cherry Shrimp are dependable for algae consumption and high breeding potential. Our cherry shrimp are very active and constantly breeding! They come in varying shades of red, have thick shells, and grow one-and-a-half inches in length at most.

Consider our tank water parameters for your home aquarium

• PH: 7.0-7.2
• GH: 7-8
• KH: 3-4
• TDS: 200-250
• Temperature: 68F-74F

2. Blue Dream Shrimp

Similar to the Cherry shrimp, the Blue Dream shrimp is another Neocaridina shrimp that is aesthetically pleasing. Its deep blue coloration makes it a gorgeous addition of livelihood to a shrimp tank. This is another species that is highly active and breeds quickly and regularly. If you bring a colony of blue shrimp to your beginner shrimp tank, these shrimp are great at helping control algae and waste. Beyond their housekeeping skills, Blue Dream shrimp are small, easy to care for, and simple to breed.

Consider our tank water parameters for your home aquarium:

• PH: 7.0-7.2
• GH: 7-8
• KH: 3-4
• TDS: 200-250
• Temperature: 68F-74F

3. Amano Shrimp

Amano shrimp are among some of the best algae eaters, making them perfect shrimp for beginners. These peaceful invertebrates work well with other species - you can easily place them in a tank with Cherry Shrimp and create a safe and sound living environment for all.  If breeding shrimp is not a priority in the immediate future, Amano shrimp is a great choice. Breeding Amano Shrimp is difficult as the larvae of Amano shrimp requires brackish water to survive. If you’re an aspiring breeder, you may consider other shrimp on this list. 

Consider our tank water parameters for your home aquarium:

• PH: 6.5-7.5
• KH: 0-10
• Temperature: 64 - 84F

4. Orange Pumpkin Shrimp

Orange pumpkin shrimp is a gorgeous species that is produced from years of selective breeding from the Cherry Shrimp genetic line. Beyond their coloring, they are very similar to the Red Cherry shrimp in that they are great at eating algae and decaying matter, highly active, and constantly breeding. If you want to help their natural color shine, you can try our Shrimp Party Premium Shrimp Food that is high in protein, minerals, and micronutrients. 

Consider our tank water parameters for your home aquarium:

• PH: 7.0-7.2
• GH: 7-8
• KH: 3-4
• TDS: 200-250
• Temperature: 68F-74F

5. Skittle Pack

If you’re looking for the ultimate freshwater aquarium shrimp for beginners, our Skittle Pack comes with various neocaridina shrimp. The Skittle Pack and our Shrimp Starter Pack make a great pair for beginner shrimp hobbyists. The pack will consist of a random assortment from the following list:

• Cherry shrimp
• Blue Dream shrimp
• Yellow Golden-back shrimp
• Blue Rili shrimp
• Carbon Rili shrimp
• Black Rose shrimp
• Red Rili shrimp
• Bloody Mary shrimp

This pack is great for beginners and hobbyists that enjoy a tank with a variety of colors. However, keep in mind that crossbreeding Neocaridina Shrimp will produce  "wild-type" Neocaridina shrimp (brownish color) down the line. To maintain the look of the skittle tank, culling these wild-type shrimp is needed. If your goal is to line-breed shrimp, we recommend sticking with one color per tank. 

Consider our tank water parameters for your home aquarium:

• PH: 7.0-7.2
• GH: 7-8
• KH: 3-4
• TDS: 200-250
• Temperature: 68F-74F

At Shrimpy Business, we’re passionate hobbyists who want to help you get comfortable starting your own freshwater shrimp hobby. Beyond the shrimps for beginners that we highlighted above, we have a variety of other freshwater shrimp and other invertebrates to consider when you feel comfortable maintaining your aquariums and caring for your animals. Browse our website today or reach out for more information.