10 x Colony Builder Neocaridina Shrimp – Budget Mixed Grade – Clean Up Crew – Ayr Aquatics

10 x Colony Builder Shrimp – Bred in Ayr, Scotland

Colony Builder shrimp are our budget Neocaridina davidi: healthy, hardy, well-fed shrimp from Ayr Aquatics' breeding tanks in Ayr, South Ayrshire that did not quite make the grade for our colour lines. They are the same species, same care and same breeding ability as our graded shrimp, at a much lower price.

This listing is for a pack of 10 Colony Builder shrimp, our most popular size. Ten shrimp is the sweet spot for starting a breeding colony. It almost always includes a healthy mix of males and females, and it gives you enough shrimp to see them out and about grazing in a 20–40 litre planted tank. Once they settle, most keepers see berried (egg-carrying) females within a few weeks.

Colour and grade

When we select our breeding lines, we take out any shrimp with lighter colour, patchy patterns, wild-type brown or off-colour markings. They are perfectly healthy shrimp, just not show quality. A Colony Builder pack is a random mix of these, so expect a mix of pale reds, light blues, yellows, oranges, browns and clear shrimp. You may get the occasional surprise that is nearly full grade.

Why choose Colony Builder shrimp?

Colony Builder packs are the cheapest way to get a large, busy shrimp population. They are ideal as an algae and biofilm clean-up crew for planted or community tanks, for cycling-friendly new setups once the tank is safe, for big tanks that need a lot of shrimp, for kids' and first tanks, or as a low-cost way to learn shrimp keeping before buying high grades.

What to expect: Colony Builder shrimp are mixed colours and will breed into a mostly wild-type, brownish colony, which is natural, hardy and great for keeping tanks clean. Keep them away from your graded single-colour tanks if you want those lines to stay pure.

Water parameters

• Species: Neocaridina davidi
• Temperature: 18–26°C (no heater needed in most UK homes)
• pH: 6.5–8.0
• GH: 6–10 · KH: 2–8
• TDS: 150–300 ppm
• Adult size: approx 2–3cm
• Lifespan: 1–2 years

Caring for your Colony Builder shrimp

Add them to a fully cycled tank only, with zero ammonia and nitrite. Shrimp are sensitive to copper, so check any plant fertilisers or medications before using them. Use dechlorinated tap water and do small, regular water changes of 10–20% a week rather than large ones. Moss, plants, cholla wood and Indian almond leaves give them biofilm to graze on and hiding places when moulting. Feed a quality shrimp food every day or two, in amounts they finish within a couple of hours, plus the occasional blanched vegetable.

Acclimatisation

Float the bag for 20–30 minutes to match temperature, then drip-acclimatise slowly over 1–2 hours before netting the shrimp into the tank. Do not pour the bag water into your aquarium. Keep the lights low for the first day and do not worry if they hide at first. That is normal.

Colony builder shrimp FAQs

Are they healthy?
Yes. They are taken out for colour only, never for health, and are raised in the same tanks as our graded shrimp.

Will they breed?
Yes, just as readily as our graded shrimp. The babies will mostly be brown or wild-type over time.

Can I put them with my high-grade shrimp?
We would not recommend it, as they will interbreed and lower the colour of your graded line.

Delivery

Sent Royal Mail Tracked 24, Monday to Wednesday only so nothing sits in a depot over the weekend. Insulated packaging with heat or cool packs depending on the weather, marked LIVE ANIMALS. Buy more than one pack and you only pay postage once. Collection from Ayr is also available.

DOA guarantee

Live animals cannot be returned. Dead on arrival guarantee: if any shrimp arrive dead, send us a photo of the unopened bag within 2 hours of delivery and we will refund or replace them.

You will receive 10 healthy, mixed-sex juvenile to young adult Colony Builder shrimp, approx 1–2cm. Also available in packs of 10 and 20 from Ayr Aquatics on UK Shrimp.