Skittles Shrimp Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Feeding & Breeding

Skittles Shrimp are colourful freshwater dwarf shrimp belonging to Neocaridina davidi. The name is used for mixed-colour groups containing several selectively bred colour varieties, so a colony may include red, yellow, orange, blue, black, greenish and patterned individuals. Their bright colours stand out especially well against dark substrate and green plants.

These small invertebrates are peaceful, industrious animals that spend much of the day grazing across leaves, wood, rocks and aquarium glass. They use their delicate legs to collect biofilm, algae and tiny particles, and their constant movements make even a small aquarium feel active.

In nature, Neocaridina davidi inhabits shallow freshwater environments with vegetation, stones, leaf litter and surfaces covered in microorganisms. Its compact body and specialised appendages are well suited to picking food from these complex surroundings.

Skittles Shrimp are not a genetically uniform strain, and their offspring can display a wide mixture of colours and patterns. Selective breeding may gradually produce more wild-type or transparent-looking young, while a varied colony often develops its own distinctive range of shades.

Skittles Shrimp are a selectively bred colour form of Neocaridina davidi, a species native to freshwater streams and ponds in Taiwan and parts of mainland China in Asia. The aquarium trade now distributes this shrimp worldwide.

A small established aquarium of at least 20 litres is suitable for a starter colony, with a footprint of roughly 30 x 25 cm or larger; a longer tank is preferable because it provides more grazing area. Use a mature, fully cycled aquarium with gentle filtration and a sponge pre-filter to protect young shrimp. Include live plants, moss, driftwood, rocks, leaf litter and other textured surfaces that encourage biofilm growth. Fine inert sand or smooth shrimp-safe gravel makes a suitable substrate, and stable water conditions are more important than elaborate equipment.

Females reach a maximum of about 3 cm (1.2 inches), while males are usually smaller at around 2.5 cm (1 inch).

Skittles Shrimp graze naturally on biofilm, soft algae, microorganisms and decomposing plant material. Supplement this with a quality shrimp food or sinking pellet, offered in small amounts, along with occasional blanched vegetables such as spinach, courgette or cucumber. Leaf litter and mineral-rich foods can provide additional grazing and support healthy moulting. Remove uneaten food promptly, as overfeeding can quickly affect water quality.

Skittles Shrimp are suitable for peaceful community aquariums and can be kept with small, non-predatory species such as ember tetras, small rasboras, otocinclus, pygmy corydoras, endlers and other gentle nano fish. Snails and other peaceful Neocaridina shrimp are also compatible. Avoid large fish, dwarf cichlids, bettas with strong hunting instincts, loaches and other species likely to eat adult shrimp or their young. Copper-based medications are dangerous to shrimp.

Skittles Shrimp breed readily in established freshwater aquariums when well fed and kept in stable conditions. Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen for around three to four weeks, after which they release fully formed miniature shrimp. No separate larval stage or brackish water is needed. Provide plenty of biofilm-covered surfaces and fine-leaved plants for the young to graze and shelter among, and avoid fish that may eat the offspring.

Females are larger and have a broader, more rounded abdomen, particularly when carrying eggs. Males are smaller and slimmer, with a straighter underside; in many colour forms they may also be paler or less intensely coloured than females.