Blue Dream Shrimp Care: Tank, Water, Breeding and Color

Short answer: Blue Dream shrimp are a deep blue color line of Neocaridina davidi, the same species as cherry shrimp, so their care is the same. Keep them in a cycled tank of 5 gallons or more with plants and hides, at about 65–80 °F (18–27 °C), pH 6.5–8.0 and GH 4–8, and keep those values stable. They breed easily, but to keep the deep blue you have to keep them away from other Neocaridina colors and select the bluest shrimp as breeders.

Quick facts


Species	Neocaridina davidi (color line)
Adult size	About 1 in (2.5 cm); large females up to about 1.5 in
Lifespan	About 1–2 years
Temperature	About 65–80 °F (18–27 °C)
pH	About 6.5–8.0
GH / KH	GH 4–8 / KH 3–15 (some keepers aim for KH 2–5)
TDS	About 150–250 ppm
Minimum tank	5 gallons for a colony (some say 3)
Difficulty	Easy

Ranges are from The Shrimp Farm, Gensou and River Park Aquatics, which don’t fully agree. All of them say a steady tank matters more than an exact number. See our cherry shrimp water parameters guide for what each value means.

Where do Blue Dream shrimp come from?

Wild Neocaridina davidi lives in Taiwan, eastern China, Korea and Vietnam and is a dull greenish brown. All the colors in the hobby, including red cherry and Blue Dream, were bred from it.

The exact origin of the Blue Dream line isn’t clear. Sellers often say it came from Taiwan. Others trace it to chocolate (schoko) Neocaridina or to the carbon rili line, and The Shrimp Farm notes that a deep blue was probably reached more than once, under different names. The Shrimp Farm says the line has been in the US hobby since roughly the late 2000s or early 2010s.

Tank setup

Size: 5 gallons is a good minimum for a starting group of about 10 shrimp. A larger tank is more stable. See how many cherry shrimp per gallon and our 5-gallon shrimp tank setup.
Cycle first: add shrimp only to a fully cycled tank.
Filter: a sponge filter or a covered intake, so baby shrimp aren’t sucked in.
Décor: plants, moss, driftwood and hiding places. A dark substrate makes the blue look deeper.

Water parameters

Blue Dreams handle a fairly wide range, like other Neocaridina. What causes problems is sudden change: big water changes with water that doesn’t match, or swings in temperature. Gensou suggests weekly changes of about 15–20%.

Temperature also affects color. The Shrimp Farm notes that stress from water that’s too warm or too cold can make Blue Dreams look faded, usually only temporarily.

Food

Blue Dreams graze biofilm, algae and detritus all day. Add a quality shrimp food and occasional blanched vegetables, and remove leftovers after a few hours. Light Fish suggests feeding pellets only 2–3 times a week, an amount eaten in about 2 minutes, because overfeeding causes ammonia spikes. More in what do cherry shrimp eat.

Tank mates

A shrimp-only tank with snails is the safest choice, especially if you want a big colony. Peaceful options that the sources list:

Amano shrimp and snails
Otocinclus and small, peaceful nano fish (small rasboras, tetras or corydoras)
Caridina shrimp such as crystal reds. They won’t crossbreed with Blue Dreams but need softer water, so a mixed tank is a compromise.

Any fish may eat baby shrimp. Bettas are a gamble: some ignore shrimp, others hunt them all. Read can cherry shrimp live with a betta and best tank mates for cherry shrimp before adding fish.

Breeding Blue Dream shrimp

Breeding is easy in a stable tank:

A female molts and releases scents that attract the males. Mating follows soon after.
She carries eggs under her tail. Sources say for about 2–4 weeks: Wikipedia gives 2–3 weeks, The Shrimp Farm about 30 days.
Fully formed baby shrimp hatch. There’s no larval stage, so they need no special water.
Young shrimp graze biofilm, so don’t scrub the tank too clean. They mature in about 2–3 months.

Our cherry shrimp breeding guide covers the process in detail.

Why some babies aren’t blue

Blue Dream is a man-made color line, and the genes for the wild color never disappear completely. Gensou notes that every generation produces some violet, grey or nearly clear shrimp, and that a colony left alone tends to lose color within 6–12 months. To keep the deep blue:

Select breeders: Gensou keeps as breeders only shrimp that are solid, opaque blue over at least 80% of the body.
Move weaker colors out, to a second tank. You don’t need to kill them.
Don’t judge males by color alone. Males are naturally paler than females.
Add new blood: Gensou suggests one or two high-grade males every few generations.

Can you mix Blue Dreams with other colors?

Not if you want to keep the color. All Neocaridina colors are one species and interbreed freely: cherry, Blue Velvet, orange sakura and others. The offspring are usually dull and drift back toward the brown wild color over a few generations. Gensou warns that a single cherry female can dilute a blue colony within 2–3 generations, and that red or orange babies are the first sign.

Blue Dreams don’t interbreed with Caridina shrimp. See Neocaridina vs Caridina.

Blue Dream vs Blue Velvet

	Blue Dream	Blue Velvet
Color	Deep, opaque cobalt over the whole body	Lighter, more see-through blue
Species	Neocaridina davidi	Neocaridina davidi
Care	Same	Same

In practice, the two can look almost the same, and the names aren’t used consistently. Sources also disagree on where Blue Velvets came from (the carbon rili line, or a cross with Blue Dreams). Because they’re the same species, don’t keep them together if you want to keep either color pure.

Grades and price

There’s no official grading standard. The Shrimp Farm describes top-grade Blue Dreams as an even, deep blue right down to the tips of the legs. Striped legs or a dark head mean a lower grade. Prices vary a lot by grade and country, from a few dollars for standard shrimp to more for high grades. Buying a group of 10 or more is usually the best start.

Frequently asked questions

Are Blue Dream shrimp good for beginners?

Yes. They’re as hardy as cherry shrimp. The only extra work is keeping the color if you breed them.

How big do Blue Dream shrimp get?

About 1 inch (2.5 cm). Females are larger than males and can reach about 1.5 inches.

Can Blue Dream shrimp live with cherry shrimp?

They can share a tank safely, but they’ll interbreed and the babies will be dull or brown over time. Keep one color per tank.

Why is my Blue Dream shrimp losing color?

Stress (moving to a new tank, unstable water, temperature) can fade them temporarily. Pale babies in a colony are normal genetics; select the bluest shrimp as breeders.