Blue Diamond Shrimp are the highest-grade blue Neocaridina in the catalog and the most intensely saturated solid blue available in the freshwater shrimp hobby -- a line bred beyond the Blue Velvet and Blue Dream grades toward full-body opaque blue colouration where every surface of the body carries the same deep, even blue with no pale extremities, no translucent areas, and no visible internal structures through the body tissue. The Blue Diamond line is distinguished from Blue Velvet by colour depth and opacity specifically: Blue Velvet carries an attractive medium to deep blue that varies in quality between individuals and across the body; Blue Diamond carries the deepest, most fully realised and most consistently opaque expression of blue that the Neocaridina blue-colour breeding line produces. Like all Neocaridina: hardy, beginner friendly, broad parameter tolerance, breeds freely in freshwater. Do not house with other Neocaridina colour variants to prevent colour reversion.
6.8-7.8pH
6-14GH
2-8KH
65-78FTemperature
What to Expect
Colour Depth, Grade and Behaviour
Full-body opaque blue at maximum Neocaridina saturation -- at its best Blue Diamond carries a deep, even, fully opaque blue across the entire body -- carapace, abdomen, all legs, tail fan, and rostrum. The internal organs are not visible through the body tissue, the colour does not lighten toward the tail or legs, and the blue is consistently saturated on every surface rather than concentrated on the upper carapace with reduced coverage elsewhere. This full-body opacity is the defining quality distinction between Blue Diamond and lower-grade blue Neocaridina.
Deeper and more saturated than Blue Velvet or Blue Dream -- the colour difference between Blue Diamond and Blue Velvet is visible at a glance when the two grades are placed side by side -- Blue Diamond reads as distinctly darker, more opaque, and more fully saturated. The blue is not merely a more vivid version of the same colour: at maximum expression it approaches a deep, rich cobalt that reads as significantly more impactful than the medium blue of standard Blue Velvet.
Colour continues improving with each generation in stable conditions -- like all colour-grade Neocaridina, Blue Diamond colour deepens progressively with each generation produced under stable, well-maintained parameters. Selecting the most opaque, most deeply saturated individuals from each generation as breeding stock steadily intensifies the colour quality of the colony over time.
Dark substrate essential for maximum visual impact -- the deep blue body reads with greatest intensity against dark substrate. On pale substrate the blue and the white background compete visually and the depth of the colour is less apparent. Black aquasoil or dark sand is the recommended substrate for a Blue Diamond display.
Hardy and beginner friendly -- the deepest blue requires no special care -- Blue Diamond carry the same broad parameter tolerance and robust constitution as all Neocaridina. The enhanced colour grade is a product of selective breeding, not of narrowed parameter requirements. They are fully appropriate for beginner keepers wanting the most impactful blue shrimp available.
How to Set It Up
Getting Started
1Dark substrate and stable parameters before introduction -- black aquasoil or dark sand, pH 7.0-7.4, GH 6-8, KH 3-5, temperature 72-75F. Run for at least one week and confirm stability before introduction.
2Drip acclimate over 45-60 minutes -- float bag for 15 minutes, drip at one drop per second for 45-60 minutes before release.
3Dense moss and biofilm surfaces from the start -- Christmas Moss, Java Moss, or Flame Moss establishes biofilm foraging surfaces and shrimplet cover before the first breeding cycle.
4Feed varied diet and select deepest-blue offspring for future breeding -- comprehensive staple food and regular water changes. When offspring develop, select the most opaque, most deeply blue individuals as breeding stock to continue improving the colony colour grade.
Bonus TipBlue Diamond shrimp in a tank with a single patch of vivid orange aquatic plant -- Red Root Floaters above, or a cluster of Orange Eye Yellow Goldenback Neocaridina in an adjacent display tank -- creates the most immediate complementary colour pairing available in the Neocaridina catalog. Blue and orange are complementary colours and at the saturation levels of Blue Diamond and SSS Sunkist or Blood Orange Neocaridina the contrast is vivid and immediate. The display impact of the pairing viewed side by side on dark substrate is greater than either colour in isolation.
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Browse more Neocaridina shrimpPair Blue Diamond with SSS Sunkist, Blood Orange, or Green Jade for a vivid multi-colour display. Browse our Neocaridina Shrimp collection.
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