The Brackish Tank • Snowball Shrimp Genus: Neocaridina Species: N....

Snowball Shrimp
Genus: Neocaridina
Species: N. zhangjiajiensis

See below for care details.

Maximum Size: 1”
Aggression: Non-aggressive, Social
Temperature: 70-80 F
pH: 6.6-8.4
Hardness: 10-15 dH
Brackish Tolerance: 1.000-1.003
Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons
Feeding: Will subsist on algae in well matured tanks, but appreciate dry foods like pellets/algae wafers and vegetable matter (cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, etc)
Notes: Snowball Shrimp is one of the small “algae shrimp” available in the aquarium trade. These are among the few commonly available shrimp (indeed, aquatic invertebrates) that can tolerate slightly acidic conditions, however for long term health they are best kept in alkaline water to prevent shell erosion.

The Neocaridina shrimps are completely inoffensive and can be kept with any fish or invertebrates that are not large enough to eat them. Smaller livebearers and gobies all make good choices, as do snails of any sort. Assassin snails are unlikely to hunt these crustaceans and should cohabitate well. Any tank that houses them should have plenty of live plants and algae to support a colony of shrimps.

Neocaridina shrimps reproduce through eggs which hatch into miniature adults, skipping the free-swimming larval stage that other shrimps (like Amano and Ghost shrimp) go through. They breed readily and will create sustaining populations in any tank where they are not hunted. Cherry Shrimp and Snowball Shrimp will hybridize and should be kept separately. As with all crustaceans, iodine should be supplemented. A dosage of 1 drop per 10 gallons per week (1 drop every other week for 5 gallons) is beneficial for preventing bad molts, which are otherwise fatal.

Sources

Snowball Shrimp, Petshrimp

FAQs on Freshwater Shrimp, Wetwebmedia

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