Shrimp

Black Rili Shrimp

Name: Black Rili Shrimp
Price: 57.99 USD

Neocaridina davidiAtyidaeDwarf shrimp

Price: $57.99 USD

1 photos

Black Rili Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi), also called Carbon Rili, is a hardy beginner-friendly shrimp with a high-contrast pattern of deep black pigment on the head and tail with a translucent or smoky midsection. These tireless biofilm and algae grazers breed prolifically into self-sustaining colonies and adapt to a wide range of water parameters.

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as: Carbon Rili Shrimp
Synonyms: Neocaridina heteropoda; Neocaridina denticulata sinensis; Neocaridina zhangjiajiensis (often confused/interbred)
Environment: Freshwater
Native to: Taiwan, Eastern China, Korea
Habitat: Slow-flowing streams, ponds, rice paddies, and canals with dense vegetation, submerged roots, and decaying leaf litter over muddy-sandy substrate
Sourcing: Captive-bred
Conservation: Not Evaluated

Care

Care level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Adult size: 0.5 – 1.5 in (1.3 – 3.8 cm)
Lifespan: 1 – 2 yrs
Min tank: 5 gal (19 L)
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Bottom

Water

Temperature: 65 – 78 °F (18 – 26 °C)
pH: 6.5 – 7.8
GH: 6 – 12 dGH
TDS: 150 – 300 ppm
dKH: 3 – 8 dKH
Flow: Low-Moderate

Behavior & compatibility

Social: Group · groups of 10+
Aggression to own kind: Low
Active: Daytime
Invert safe: Yes
Plant safe: Yes
Shrimp safe: Yes
Clean-up role: Algae, Biofilm, Detritus, Leftover food
Population boom risk: Moderate

Feeding & breeding

Diet: Omnivore
Foods: Pellets, Micro-pellets, Algae, Biofilm, Vegetables, Freeze-dried
Breeding type: Direct development
Breeding difficulty: Easy
Sexing: Females are larger and rounder-bodied with a more pronounced saddle and belly curve, and carry eggs under the abdomen; males are smaller, slimmer, and often show less intense coloration
Target feeding: Beneficial

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Care guide

Overview

Deep black pigment concentrates on the head and tail, leaving a translucent or smoky-grey midsection for a two-tone banded look. Pattern strength varies between individuals and can drift over generations without selective culling. Otherwise kept exactly like standard Cherry shrimp.

Care

Cherry shrimp are among the hardiest freshwater invertebrates in the trade and tolerate a fairly broad range of parameters as long as ammonia and nitrite stay at zero and changes happen gradually. A mature tank with an established biofilm layer, mosses, and fine leaf litter gives them constant grazing material and cover for molting. A sponge filter or a mesh-guarded intake is essential since standard intakes will pull small shrimp and shrimplets in.

Feeding

In a planted, cycled tank most of their diet comes from grazing biofilm, biofilm-coated surfaces, and algae, so supplemental feeding should be light and infrequent to avoid fouling the water. Offer small amounts of shrimp-specific pellets, blanched vegetables such as zucchini or spinach, and occasional catappa (Indian almond) leaves, removing uneaten food within a day. Overfeeding is the most common mistake and tends to cause ammonia spikes rather than benefiting the colony.

Tank mates

Best housed in species-only setups or with very small, peaceful fish such as otocinclus, small rasboras, and dwarf livebearers that will not hunt shrimplets. Avoid cichlids, gouramis, angelfish, and other predatory or boisterous fish that will pick off shrimp, especially newly molted or berried individuals. Mixing different Neocaridina color varieties in the same tank leads to color-washed offspring over generations, so separate colonies are recommended for keeping pure lines.

Breeding

Breeding happens readily in stable, mature tanks without any special intervention required. Females carry 20-40 eggs under the abdomen for roughly three to four weeks before releasing fully formed miniature shrimp that immediately fend for themselves and graze biofilm. Colonies can multiply quickly under good conditions, so plan tank space and filtration accordingly.

Health

Molting is the most vulnerable period, and inconsistent GH or KH can lead to soft, incomplete, or failed molts that are often fatal. Copper-based medications and fertilizers are highly toxic and should never be used in a shrimp tank. Sudden swings in temperature or mineral content, rather than steady but imperfect parameters, are the usual cause of unexplained colony die-offs.