Neocaridina profile
Snowball shrimp
Neocaridina palmata var. White
Snowball shrimp are light translucent Neocaridina often valued for their white eggs. They are hardy and suitable for stable beginner shrimp tanks.
Quick verdict
Suitable for: Beginners with a fully cycled, stable aquarium. Watch especially: stability over perfect values.
Quick care card
Use this card as a starting point. Always check whether your aquarium is stable enough for sensitive species.
18 - 28 °C
6.5 - 8
6 - 15 °dH
3 - 10 °dH
150 - 350 ppm
From 20 liters
Easy
Peaceful group shrimp that grazes throughout the day
Biofilm, algae and light supplemental shrimp food
Breeds readily in freshwater with direct development
Beginners with a fully cycled, stable aquarium
Important
Do not add these shrimp to a fresh or unstable aquarium. Most problems are caused by ammonia, nitrite, copper, water that is much colder than the tank, or rapid changes in pH, GH, KH and TDS. Do not mix different Neocaridina color lines if you want to preserve color-stable offspring.
Care in practice
These are the points that most often make the difference between survival and a stable colony.
A safe practical range is 18-27 degrees Celsius, pH 6.5-8.0, GH 6-12, KH 2-8 and TDS roughly 150-300 ppm. For active breeding, stable middle values usually work better than chasing extremes: around 22-24 degrees, neutral to slightly alkaline water and enough GH/KH for healthy molts. Test especially when you see molting problems, losses after water changes or declining breeding activity.
Use a well-cycled aquarium from 20 liters; 30 to 40 liters is easier to keep stable for a growing colony. Inert substrate, a sponge filter or protected intake, moss, fine plants, leaves and mature biofilm make the tank safer for adults and shrimplets. Dark substrate and plenty of cover reduce stress and make the color stand out more.
These shrimp graze all day on biofilm, algae, detritus and microorganisms. Add small amounts of quality shrimp food, leaf litter or blanched vegetables and remove leftovers if they remain. Overfeeding is more dangerous than skipping a day, because rotting food can quickly raise ammonia, nitrite and bacterial load.
Keep them in a group, preferably at least 10 to 20 animals, so the colony has enough males and females. They are peaceful, visible and active when the aquarium is calm. Sudden hiding often points to stress, predators, unstable water values or a recent disturbance.
A species-only tank is safest for maximum breeding. Small calm fish and snails can often live with adult shrimp, but almost all fish will eat shrimplets if they get the chance. Do not combine this color line with other Neocaridina colors if color purity matters, because offspring can drift back toward wild-type colors over generations.
These shrimp breed fully in freshwater. Females carry eggs under the abdomen for about 3 to 4 weeks, and the young hatch as tiny fully formed shrimp. No brackish-water stage is needed. A mature aquarium with biofilm, moss, fine food for shrimplets and a protected filter intake gives the best survival. Avoid large cleanups, hungry fish and sudden water changes while the colony is breeding.
Common mistakes are adding shrimp to an immature tank, correcting water values too quickly, using replacement water that is much colder than the aquarium, letting food rot, using medication or fertilizer containing copper, leaving filter intakes unprotected and mixing different Neocaridina color lines while expecting color-stable offspring.
Background and identification
Extra context helps you identify, compare and keep the species safely.
Snowball shrimp are an aquarium-bred Neocaridina line. Exact hobby taxonomy varies, so the line is best treated carefully unless breeder lineage is known.
Snowball shrimp are pale, translucent to milky white. The white eggs carried by females give the line its common name. Adults stay small and females are usually fuller than males.
Snowball shrimp differ from colored Neocaridina lines mainly by their pale body and white eggs. Do not mix them with colored lines if you want to preserve the Snowball appearance.
Full species profile
Snowball shrimp are light translucent Neocaridina kept for their clean pale look and distinctive white eggs. In the hobby they are often linked to Neocaridina cf. zhangjiajiensis or related Neocaridina lines, so avoid overclaiming exact taxonomy unless the breeder provides reliable lineage.
Appearance
They are pale, translucent to milky white, with females often showing visible white eggs under the abdomen. Their subtle color works well in planted tanks and on darker substrate.
Care
Care is similar to other hardy Neocaridina: use a mature aquarium, stable water values, gentle filtration and plenty of biofilm. Avoid ammonia, nitrite, copper and sudden water changes.
Breeding
Snowball shrimp breed in freshwater with direct development. Females carry eggs for about 3 to 4 weeks, and young hatch as small shrimp. Moss and mature biofilm improve shrimplet survival.
Line selection
Keep Snowball shrimp separate from colored Neocaridina lines if you want to preserve their pale appearance and white eggs.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions about Snowball shrimp.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: June 13, 2026. Different values are used in the hobby; choose stability over chasing numbers.