Breeding Black Diamond Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
How to breed the solid-black Black Diamond morph of Neocaridina davidi: sexing, conditioning, a stable colony tank, berried females and rearing of free-living shrimplets.
Overview
The Black Diamond is a solid deep-black selectively bred line of Neocaridina davidi, the same freshwater species as the Cherry shrimp. Like all Neocaridina, it is a direct-developing shrimp: females carry the eggs to term and release fully formed miniature shrimp, so no separate larval or saltwater stage is needed. Reproduction in a stable colony is straightforward, and the main breeding challenge is preserving the dense black colour through selective pairing.
Sexing
Mature females are larger, rounder in the abdomen and more intensely coloured than males. A maturing female shows a pale ovary mass, the 'saddle', behind the head, formed by developing eggs. Males stay slimmer, smaller and less saturated. In a solid-black line the saddle is harder to spot than in lighter morphs, so judge by the deeper body and broader tail used to hold a clutch.
Conditioning
Keep both sexes together in a mature tank and feed a varied diet of biofilm, algae, blanched vegetables and occasional protein. Aquarium Co-Op notes females are most receptive just after a molt, so steady feeding and stable water encourage molt-triggered mating. Avoid overfeeding, which fouls the water this species depends on.
Breeding Setup
- Minimum tank volume: 20 L for a self-sustaining colony
- Temperature: 20-26 C (68-79 F)
- pH: 6.5-7.8; GH 6-12 dGH; KH 2-8 dKH
- Sponge filter so shrimplets are not drawn in
- Live moss, plants and caves for cover after molts
- A dark substrate helps display the black colour
Spawning & Berried Females
After mating the female fans 20-30 eggs held under her abdomen with her pleopods to keep them clean and oxygenated. Per Wikipedia the clutch takes about 2-3 weeks to hatch. A stressed female may drop her eggs, so avoid large parameter swings and disturbance during this period.
Shrimplet Care
Newly released shrimplets are exact miniatures of the adults and graze biofilm and fine detritus from the first day. They need dense cover and a tank free of fish that would eat them. No special first food is required if the tank is mature and biofilm-rich.
Common Challenges
Copper-based medications are toxic to shrimp and must be avoided. Because the black colour is a selectively bred trait, crossing the line with other Neocaridina colour morphs causes offspring to revert toward the wild brown form within a few generations, so keep the line isolated and cull off-colour individuals to hold grade. Neocaridina davidi and Caridina cantonensis are different genera and do not interbreed.