Chocolate Shrimp are a selectively bred Neocaridina morph expressing a deep, warm brown body colour -- darker and more saturated than the wild-type mottled brown, with a uniform velvety coverage that reads as a true chocolate tone rather than a muddy or transitional colour. In the Neocaridina spectrum Chocolate sits in its own distinct position: warmer and earthier than Black Rose, darker and more opaque than any of the orange or red morphs, and immediately distinguishable from wild-type or low-grade stock by the consistency and depth of its brown pigmentation. Chocolate Shrimp are also notable as one of the source lines for Bloody Mary Shrimp -- the translucent-red Bloody Mary morph is believed to have been developed through selective breeding from the Chocolate line, making Chocolate an important morph in Neocaridina breeding history. Hardy, prolific, and fully beginner friendly with standard Neocaridina parameters.

6.8–7.8pH

6–14GH (dGH)

2–8KH (dKH)

65–78°FTemperature

Colour & Character

Brown Done Right

Deep, uniform warm brown -- distinct from wild-type and low-grade stock -- wild-type Neocaridina are a mottled translucent brown that reads as drab and inconsistent. Chocolate Shrimp are selectively bred for uniform, full-body brown coverage with a warm red-brown undertone that reads as clearly intentional at tank-viewing distance. The best specimens show consistent colour across the carapace, legs, and abdomen with no significant translucency or patchiness. The warm undertone -- closer to milk chocolate than dark or grey-brown -- is the key quality indicator separating true Chocolate stock from poorly coloured throwbacks. Performs best against pale substrate and bright green planting -- the reverse of most Neocaridina -- most Neocaridina morphs are shown to best advantage on dark substrate. Chocolate Shrimp are more versatile: the warm brown reads well against both dark and pale backgrounds, and the contrast against bright green aquatic plants -- Java Moss, Green Jade plants, or Subwassertang -- is particularly strong. Against pale sand or light gravel the chocolate tone stands out with a clarity that darker morphs like Black Rose cannot achieve. Ancestral line for Bloody Mary -- historically significant in Neocaridina breeding -- the Bloody Mary morph, characterised by its translucent carapace and glowing red body tone, is widely believed to have originated from selective breeding within the Chocolate line. The underlying brown pigmentation of the Chocolate morph, when expressed through a more transparent carapace, produces the distinctive red-flesh appearance of the Bloody Mary. Keeping Chocolate Shrimp alongside knowledge of this lineage adds a layer of breeding interest for hobbyists curious about Neocaridina colour genetics. Breeds true in a dedicated colony -- isolate from other morphs to maintain colour -- Chocolate Shrimp breed reliably to colour when maintained as a single-morph colony. As with all Neocaridina, housing with other colour morphs produces offspring reverting toward wild-type brown over successive generations -- which in this case is particularly difficult to distinguish from intentional Chocolate stock without careful observation. Keep as a dedicated colony for consistent colour expression across generations.

Tank Setup

Care & Display

Standard Neocaridina parameters -- no special requirements -- pH 6.8–7.8, GH 6–14, KH 2–8, temperature 65–78°F. Dechlorinated tap water is suitable in most regions. No RO water, active substrate, or specialised mineralisation required. The same setup used for any other Neocaridina morph maintains Chocolate Shrimp without adjustment. Dense planting enhances colour contrast and encourages natural behaviour -- Java Moss, Subwassertang, and Bucephalandra provide biofilm foraging surfaces and shrimplet shelter. The warm brown of Chocolate Shrimp reads most vividly when the shrimp are actively foraging across bright green plant surfaces -- the colour contrast is immediate and naturalistic, resembling the appearance of a shrimp in its native leaf-litter habitat. Pairs well with Snowball or Yellow in a species-appropriate mixed display -- if keeping multiple morphs in the same tank, Chocolate pairs well with the lightest Neocaridina morphs for maximum contrast. Note that mixed Neocaridina colonies will produce wild-type offspring over time -- keep morphs separate if colour stability across generations matters.

Keeper's Note

Chocolate Shrimp are one of the few Neocaridina morphs where the colour reads as more naturalistic than vivid -- they look as if they belong in a leaf-litter or blackwater biotope setup rather than a bright display tank. A well-planted tank with Almond Leaves, Cholla Wood, and fine dark substrate is the ideal environment: the Chocolate Shrimp forage visibly across the botanicals in a way that feels genuinely naturalistic, and the warm brown tone integrates with the tannin-stained water and leaf litter far more convincingly than any brightly coloured morph.

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