Red Rili Shrimp

Common Name: Red Rili Shrimp
Scientific Name: Neocaridina Davidi 
Genus: Neocaridina
Wild Origin: Asia
Adult Size: 1.25in

**Note: All livestock orders will come carefully packaged with solid wall Styrofoam insulation and shipped via 1-day shipping only. No additional insulation is needed for your livestock.

The Red Rili Shrimp is prized for its high-contrast red and translucent white coloration. These freshwater shrimp are a stable color morph of the Fire Red Shrimp, which itself was selectively bred from the standard Red Cherry line. Breeders isolated a specific mutation that "breaks up" the solid red pigment, resulting in the iconic Rili pattern: typically a bold red head and tail with a clear, translucent mid-section. Because of this unique look, they stand out beautifully against dark substrates and lush green aquascapes.

Red Rilis are exceptionally active and low-maintenance aquatic pets. They function as a natural clean-up crew, tirelessly scavenging the shrimp aquarium for biofilm, algae, and waste. They are highly adaptable and can withstand a wide range of water parameters, making them an ideal choice for beginners.

Check out our guide on the different substrates that can help achieve ideal water parameters for these shrimp: Best Substrate for Shrimp.

Key Features & Important Notes

• Tank-raised specimen
• Bright, bold color and pattern
• Shrimp are excellent scavengers and will happily feed on biofilm, decaying plant matter, and algae
• To increase survival rates, please allow 2-3 business days after placing an order to properly prepare live animal shipments

Recommended Water Parameters
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. We encourage you to do thorough research before committing to keeping any livestock.

• Temperature Range: 65°–80°F
• pH: 7.2-7.6
• TDS: 250-300
• GH: 6–8 dGH
• KH: 3–8 dKH

Consult our care guide for beginner shrimp hobbyists.

Recommended Tank Size
5+ gallons, minimum. Tank size is relative and various factors should be considered when determining tank size. Factors include maintenance schedules, tank mates, desired colony size and more.

Diet
Algae, biofilm, diatoms, decaying plant matter, spirulina powder, bee pollen, plant-based shrimp pellets/wafers, blanched vegetables

Breeding
Sexing these shrimp can be somewhat difficult until the shrimp begin to mature. Females have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once the shrimp are fully-grown the males will be smaller than the females.

Red Rili Shrimp are eager breeders given comfortable water parameters and a sufficient food source. Once the shrimp reach maturity, and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimp to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding. When female shrimp have eggs available for fertilization, they will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy.

Once the shrimp breed, the eggs will gestate for about 2 weeks. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as adult shrimp and will molt frequently during their early life stages. Leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimp fry will consume them for extra minerals like calcium that will help their growth. Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide, they may not breed.

Check out our blog article to learn how to breed freshwater shrimp.