Neocaridina davidi (the species sold as Red Cherry, Blue Dream, Yellow Sunkist, Green Jade, Black Rose) is the hardiest aquarium shrimp on the market. It tolerates a wide pH range (6.5-8.0), a wide GH/KH range, and a temperature range of 65-80F. They reach breeding age in 3-4 months and can produce a clutch of 20-30 eggs every 4-6 weeks. A starter group of 10-15 shrimp turns into a colony of 80-120 within six months under decent care.
A planted 10-20 gallon tank with a sponge filter, moss, and Indian almond leaves is the gold-standard Neocaridina setup. Plants give the babies (called shrimplets) cover from larger tank-mates and a grazing surface for biofilm, which is what shrimplets eat for the first weeks of life. Avoid copper - dose only shrimp-safe fertilizers and avoid medications containing copper sulfate. Substrate can be inert (sand, gravel) since Neocaridina do not require buffered active substrate the way Caridina do.
Female Neocaridina are larger, broader at the abdomen (the "saddle" area), and often more deeply colored. They develop a yellow or green saddle on their back when carrying eggs in the ovaries. Once mated, the eggs move to under the tail (called "berried"), where the female carries them for about 3 weeks before they hatch into miniature versions of the parents. Males are slimmer, smaller, and often slightly paler in color. A 1:3 male-to-female ratio works well for production tanks.
Cherry shrimp grades go from Red Cherry (the lowest, with translucent areas) up through Sakura, Fire, Painted Fire, and Bloody Mary. Higher grades have more solid coloration with less translucency. To breed up grade, remove every shrimp from each generation that does not match or exceed the parent stock - typically the 20-30% with the weakest coloration get culled to a separate tank or sold as low-grade. Within 3-4 generations of consistent culling, even a starter Red Cherry colony produces Sakura-grade offspring.
Adding shrimp to a tank that has not finished cycling kills the entire starter group within a week - shrimp are far more ammonia-sensitive than fish. Treating a fish tank with copper-based medication while shrimp are present is fatal. Drastic water changes (more than 25% at once) cause adult females to drop their eggs. And feeding too heavily produces extra ammonia and kills the shrimplets that would otherwise survive. Underfeeding is rarely a problem - shrimp graze biofilm 24/7 and need very little supplemental food.