Breeding Yellow Rili Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
Breeding the Yellow Rili morph of Neocaridina davidi, bred from yellow stock with a clear midband: sexing, conditioning, colony setup, berried females and rearing shrimplets while culling for pattern.
Overview
The Yellow Rili is a Neocaridina davidi line bred from yellow Sakura stock, showing a bright yellow head and tail with a translucent midband. As with all Neocaridina it develops directly: females release fully formed shrimplets and there is no larval phase. Breeding is easy, but holding the Rili split and a clean yellow tone takes ongoing selection.
Sexing
Females are larger, more opaque yellow and broader in the tail; a maturing female carries a visible ovary saddle behind the head. Males stay smaller, slimmer and paler. The yellow coloration is usually stronger in females.
Conditioning
Run a mixed-sex colony in a mature tank and feed varied rations of biofilm, algae, blanched vegetables and occasional protein in moderation. Mating follows the female's molt, so the main triggers are stable water chemistry and steady, restrained feeding.
Breeding Setup
- Minimum tank volume: 20 L for a colony
- Temperature: 20-26 C (68-79 F)
- pH: 6.5-7.8; GH 6-12 dGH; KH 2-8 dKH
- Sponge filter to protect young
- Moss and plant cover for molting shrimp
- Stable parameters for continuous reproduction
Spawning & Berried Females
The berried female holds 20-30 eggs and fans them with her pleopods to keep them clean and oxygenated. Per Wikipedia they hatch in about 2-3 weeks. Stress and large parameter swings can make her drop the clutch, so keep the tank quiet during incubation.
Shrimplet Care
Hatchlings are tiny adults that graze biofilm and detritus immediately and need dense cover and no predatory fish. Yellow intensity and Rili split firm up with age, so grade for colour and pattern on growing juveniles.
Common Challenges
Avoid copper-based medications. Expect solid-yellow and washed-out offspring each generation; cull those that lose the clear midsection. Crossing with other Neocaridina morphs drives reversion to wild brown within a few generations. Neocaridina davidi and Caridina cantonensis are different genera and do not hybridize.