Healthy and active little shrimps, one is about to hatch a big brood!
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Looking to buy Chocolate Shrimp online? Chocolate Shrimp are freshwater Neocaridina known for rich brown, dark chocolate, and occasionally near-black coloration.
Their earthy color provides a different look from brighter red, blue, yellow, or orange Neocaridina while keeping the beginner-friendly care, peaceful behavior, and freshwater breeding that make Neocaridina popular.
Choose your preferred quantity using the product options above this description.
Compare additional colors in our Neocaridina shrimp collection.
Chocolate Shrimp are selected for solid brown to dark chocolate coloration. Some individuals may appear lighter brown, while others develop very dark brown or nearly black tones.
Genetics, age, sex, lighting, substrate, and aquarium background can all affect how dark the coloration appears.
Chocolate Shrimp are Neocaridina and generally perform best when water chemistry remains stable rather than being constantly adjusted.
| Parameter | Our Tank Range |
|---|---|
| pH | 7.0–7.8 |
| GH | 7–8 |
| KH | 3–4 |
| TDS | 200–250 ppm |
| Temperature | 65–74°F |
| Ammonia | 0 ppm |
| Nitrite | 0 ppm |
Avoid sudden changes in temperature, pH, hardness, or TDS. A fully cycled aquarium with mature biological filtration and consistent maintenance matters more than chasing one exact number.
For more detail, read our Neocaridina Shrimp Water Parameters Guide.
Chocolate Shrimp should be introduced to a fully cycled aquarium with stable water quality. Mature tanks also provide more biofilm and microorganisms for constant grazing.
Plants, moss, wood, leaves, and aquarium-safe rock increase natural grazing surface and provide cover during molts. Dense moss is especially useful for newborn shrimplets. Browse our live aquarium plants for shrimp-friendly setups.
Sponge filters are ideal for many shrimp tanks because they provide gentle water movement, biological filtration, and extra grazing surface without exposing baby shrimp to an unprotected intake.
Chocolate Shrimp spend much of the day grazing biofilm, microorganisms, soft algae films, decaying organic matter, and small food particles. Supplemental feeding becomes especially useful in cleaner aquariums or larger colonies.
| Food Source | Role in the Aquarium |
|---|---|
| Biofilm | Important natural grazing source in mature tanks |
| Soft algae films | Frequently grazed from hardscape, plants, and glass |
| Shrimp foods / wafers | Useful supplemental nutrition for established colonies |
| Botanicals / leaves | Add grazing surface and slowly decomposing organic material |
| Blanched vegetables | Optional occasional supplemental food |
Feed conservatively and remove excess food before it begins to affect water quality. Browse our shrimp food and botanicals for supplemental feeding options.
Chocolate Shrimp reproduce completely in freshwater. Mature females carry fertilized eggs beneath the abdomen until fully formed baby shrimp hatch directly into the aquarium.
A strong breeding setup includes stable water, mature filtration, textured grazing surfaces, dense plants or moss, consistent feeding, and very low predation pressure.
For general breeding fundamentals, read our Neocaridina Shrimp Breeding Guide.
| Trait | Chocolate Shrimp | Carbon Rili Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Typical appearance | Primarily solid brown to dark chocolate coloration | Dark black/charcoal sections separated by clear or translucent areas |
| Shrimp type | Neocaridina | Neocaridina |
| Care level | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly |
| Freshwater breeding | Yes | Yes |
| Best choice for | Solid dark earthy coloration | Patterned dark-and-clear appearance |
If you prefer a patterned dark morph, view our Carbon Rili Shrimp.
Different Neocaridina color lines can generally live together peacefully, but they can interbreed. Mixing color lines may create less predictable offspring and can increase wild-type coloration over later generations.
If maintaining a consistent Chocolate line is important, keep the breeding colony separate from other Neocaridina color morphs.
Chocolate Shrimp are peaceful. Snails and other non-aggressive invertebrates are commonly compatible, while some small peaceful fish can work in heavily planted tanks. However, nearly any fish may eat baby shrimp if shrimplets are small enough to fit in its mouth.
For maximum breeding success and shrimplet survival, a dedicated shrimp tank is the safest option.
Use the live product options above for current pricing. Available Chocolate Shrimp pack sizes include:
Shipping water can differ from your aquarium in temperature, pH, GH, KH, and TDS. A gradual acclimation process helps reduce stress while the shrimp adjust to your aquarium.
Follow our Freshwater Shrimp Acclimation Guide before releasing new livestock.
Ready to add Chocolate Shrimp to your aquarium?
Select your preferred 1, 5, 10, 20, or Breeder Pack above and start or expand your Chocolate Neocaridina colony.
Yes. Chocolate Shrimp are a dark brown Neocaridina color variety with the same general freshwater care profile as other Neocaridina morphs.
They range from medium brown to deep chocolate brown, with some individuals appearing nearly black.
Our Chocolate Shrimp are approximately 1/2 to 1 inch and are sold at breeding age.
Yes. They are generally beginner-friendly when kept in a mature, fully cycled aquarium with stable water chemistry and appropriate mineral content.
Our listed Chocolate Shrimp system runs around pH 7.0–7.8, GH 7–8, KH 3–4, TDS 200–250 ppm, and 65–74°F. Stability matters more than chasing exact values.
Yes. Their entire reproductive cycle occurs in freshwater, and mature females carry eggs until fully formed shrimplets hatch.
The Breeder Pack includes 10 breeding-age Chocolate Shrimp with approximately 7 females and 3 males.
Chocolate Shrimp are selected for more continuous brown to dark coloration, while Carbon Rili Shrimp are selected for dark sections broken up by clear or translucent areas.
Yes, but different Neocaridina color lines can interbreed. Keep them separate if maintaining a predictable Chocolate line is important.
They can live with some small peaceful fish, but fish may prey on newborn shrimplets. A dedicated shrimp tank gives the best breeding and survival rates.
They graze on soft algae films and biofilm, but they are not a complete algae-control solution. Proper aquarium maintenance is still necessary.
Not always. If room temperature keeps the aquarium consistently within a suitable range, a heater may be unnecessary. Stable temperature matters more than adding heat to an already appropriate environment.
A mature biological filter is strongly recommended. Sponge filters are especially shrimp-friendly because they provide gentle filtration and extra grazing surface.
Chocolate Shrimp combine deep brown coloration with beginner-friendly Neocaridina care, peaceful behavior, and freshwater breeding. Choose the pack size that fits your aquarium and start or expand your colony today.
Want to compare more colors? Browse our full Neocaridina shrimp collection.
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 41 reviews.
Healthy and active little shrimps, one is about to hatch a big brood!
Syndi B. 5/5
perfect cant wait till he gets his color
Steven O. 5/5 Verified
ordered 2 of these. arrived in good shape & are still thriving a week later.
Rebecca H. 5/5 Verified
Shrimp were all in good health even while shipping in cold weather, and customer support is very active. Will be ordering more from this company!
Kenyon G. 5/5 Verified
Much like the Green Jade shrimp, these little guys are SUPER dark! For the longest time I had forgotten I had ordered brown ones entirely and had just assumed they were full carbons (it's not something that matters a ton to me as I'm just happy to have a tank of fun little guys) but they are happy and healthy and thriving with their tankmates.
Rev S. 5/5 Verified
Ordered chocolate neos twice and am happy with them! They sent a few extra with both purchases in case some passed away in transit and they were packaged well The second order, they included a single red rili with my chocolates. Not sure if it was an accident, or if they are trying to get me interested in the colorful shrimps too ;) I don't mind her though. She looks pretty cool among all the chocolates, she's my "centerpiece shrimp" now Will definitely purchase from this site again in the future should I need more shrimp
Seanna H. 5/5 Verified
Shrimp are happy and healthy! I'm a customer for life!
Tosha C. 5/5 Verified
To say I was worried about this shipment was an understatement. I read they won't ship during extreme temp days. El paso has been having heat advisories for over a week with temps hitting 108°f. So I assumed the shipment would be delayed a bit which would have been fine. It was not however and it shipped. So I was super anxious the entire time obsessively checking the weather. Cue the day of delivery and it finally arrives and my heart sinks when I see the box wrapped in a plastic bag and the box is soaked. I hurry up and open and THANKFULLY, the plecos and shrimp were still alive. However, the plecos had almost no water left as the bag was tied in a way that it was leaking. Hence the box being soaked. The poor fish only had a small corner to swim in. So I will be watching super closely to see how they do these next few days as I know they must of been extra stressed. All that to say, my only real complains are: 1) They should have delayed shipping a week or so to let the heat advisories not be an issue 2) ensured the tie on the fish bag was extra good so that it did not leak. The fish could have died and may still honestly. Pros: 1) The plecos are as described and super pretty. 2) the Neocardinia are super pretty and decent sizes. I ordered the Christmas pack, chocolates, and blue dreams (breeder pack). They are all lively and bright in colors. 3) I highly appreciate that the shrimps shipped with moss to help them not bounce around everywhere. All in all, minus the anxiety of the heat and seeing a soaked box, I would likely buy again. Hence 4 out of 5 stars. Hopefully the fish do okay and did not get too stressed being almost all the water leaked. But, they are alive. My only comment on shipping is please do quality control checks on how the bags are tied!
Ashley D. 4/5 Verified
A few of my shrimps came dead but the majority of them were just fine and doing well.
Allie F. 4/5 Verified
Ordered three chocolate shrimp, received four. All arrived alive and healthy and were very active. Also ordered four amano shrimp, received five. Definitely will buy again!
Caiden N. 5/5
I ordered two and received three which made me very happy lol! all of them were alive and healthy! (this is a pic during acclimation).
Ariana C. 5/5 Verified
Good really good communication and understanding
Josh S. 5/5 Verified
Very lively and healthy
Peggy C. 5/5 Verified
One of the coolest shrimp I’ve ever kept and definitely nice quality. Always a bonus when there’s little babies in the bag in case you have any losses so that is much appreciated.. the picture included is of chocolate shrimp and blue dream shrimp as they’re being drip acclimated
Mason W. 5/5 Verified
Gorgeous shrimp, very healthy as far as I can see. Great packaging, no complaints all around 11/10
Angelina O. 5/5 Verified
The second order was great, more shrimp then i ordered and no DOA!
Trevor I. 5/5 Verified
Great
Donna L. 5/5 Verified
Great color, very healthy
Syndi B. 5/5 Verified
After some order issues and lots of communication their customer service has been absolutely amazing! Will definitely be buying more in the future!
Breanna D. 5/5 Verified
Shrimp arrived quickly and acting spunky. Also got some skittles and it was a nice variety of colors. A bit smaller than I anticipated but still great.
Antonia P. 5/5 Verified
I ordered a breeder pack and everyone arrived safely and were packaged very nicely. The chocolates are darker than I expected but love nonetheless. Extremely pleased and will be buying again!
Aubrey W. 5/5
I ordered 2 but only received 1. However, the one I did receive is absolutely beautiful. I cannot be upset only one arrived, as I was sent 4 extra shrimp with my total order. Overall I am super satisfied.
Gina B. 4/5 Verified
The store was really easy do deal with. The were responsive to my emails. Great coloring!
Kaylee L. 5/5 Verified
All shrimp arrived alive and well
Justin R. 5/5 Verified
Shrimp are practically non-existent in a heavily planted tank. I like them to feel safe and secure especially when they're living in a community tank. My pleasure comes from catching a glimpse now and then. Chocolate shrimp are harder than most to glimpse but I've seen them and they've doing well!
Patrick G. 5/5 Verified
Love it
Angella C. 5/5 Verified
Chocolate shrimps looked good and everyone arrived alive.
Tyler G. 5/5 Verified
All the shrimp arrived alive--decent size, and a couple extras. Excellent price.
Leo R. 5/5 Verified
The shrimp looked good and a couple extra where included. Would order from this company again. Good communication about shipping.
Monica S. 5/5 Verified
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Kirk H. 5/5 Verified
amazingly they all survived, so I'm happy!
James P. 4/5 Verified
Looks as advertised
Eric P. 5/5 Verified
I’m never buying Shirmp from Petco again.Very beautiful and healthy thriving chocolate Shirmp
T F. 5/5
The colours are so pretty!! They really do look like chocolate :)
Christin B. 5/5 Verified
Really great ordering experience. I ordered 9 shrimp, received extras and I noticed two females are pregnant of the 5 females that were sent (imo this is a great ratio). Not only have all of them survived the first week, they're all very healthy and I had zero issues getting them acclimated to their new home. Thank you for making this such a great experience!
Dennis B. 5/5 Verified
I loved the variety of colors and how vibrant they are.
Lily O. 5/5 Verified
Wonderful company. The shrimp came in a timely manner, and they are beautiful.
Kim P. 5/5 Verified
bought 20, totally worth it.
Scott K. 5/5 Verified
10000% buying more
Reece T. 5/5 Verified
coolest neos ive ever seen
Lewis L. 5/5 Verified
