A deep, richly pigmented red variety prized by breeders for its intensity of colour. Bred for consistency, so every shrimp in your group shows strong, even red tones rather than the patchy colouration common in mixed-grade stock.

About Bloody Mary shrimp

Bloody Mary are among the deepest reds in the Neocaridina family. The colour runs through the body rather than sitting only on the shell, so they keep a rich, glossy red even under bright lighting.

Colour and grade

We select for strong, even red across the whole group. They show their deepest colour on a dark substrate in a settled, planted tank, and can look a little lighter for a few days after a move.

Breeding Bloody Mary

Kept on their own, Bloody Mary breed true, so a pure colony keeps its colour from one generation to the next. Mixing them with other reds such as cherry shrimp blurs the line.

Care and water

Neocaridina are hardy, but they need a fully cycled tank with 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite. Dechlorinated UK tap water is usually fine. They do best at 20–26°C, pH 7–7.5, GH 8–10, KH 4–6 and TDS 250–300 ppm. Keep copper out of the tank by checking plant fertilisers and medications, and feed sparingly: only what they finish in about two hours. Keep them in a shrimp-only tank or with very small, peaceful fish, as most community fish will eat shrimp. Our shrimp care checklist covers everything to do before they arrive.

What you get

• Adults or near-adults, 1.5–2.0 cm
• Quarantined and checked by eye before packing
• 20% extra packed as DOA cover — a 10-pack arrives with 12
• Same-day dispatch before 12pm, Monday to Thursday, by Royal Mail Tracked 24
• Lose more than the extras? Photo the bag within 2 hours and we’ll replace or refund the rest

Bloody Mary shrimp FAQ

What’s the difference between Bloody Mary and red cherry shrimp?
Bloody Mary have a deeper, more translucent red that runs through the body. Red cherry shrimp are lighter and vary more from shrimp to shrimp.

How many Bloody Mary shrimp should I start with?
We recommend at least 10. A group settles faster, shows more natural behaviour and gives you a good mix of males and females to start a colony.

See all our colours on the Neocaridina shrimp page.