The great thing about blue diamond shrimp and their other Neocaridina cousins is that they’re not too fussy about their environment. You can keep a colony in an aquarium of 5 gallons or up as long as it has a filter and is fully cycled. A heater isn’t usually necessary as these guys thrive at room temperature, but can be a handy addition if there is a risk of temperature swings.
In terms of décor, you’re pretty much free to do whatever you like as long as the tank isn’t too bare. Shrimp are prey animals after all, meaning they appreciate some hides. This especially applies when they’re molting and feeling vulnerable. Live plants are a great choice as well. A black substrate is ideal to really make this variety’s blue color pop.
Dwarf shrimp are vulnerable prey animals and their babies especially are very small, meaning they’re on almost all fish species’ menus. Luckily, blue diamond shrimp and other Neos are very prolific, meaning that they usually produce enough offspring to offset a casualty here and there. That means you have a few fish options for tankmates given there are enough hiding places. Small tetras and the like may work, as will microfish like rasboras and dwarf Corydoras.
You can also keep your blue diamonds with other shrimp as long as they’re not members of the same genus. Neocaridinas are often kept with dwarf Caridina species like crystal red shrimp, as the two don’t interbreed. Amano shrimp, dwarf crayfish and various aquarium snails are also good choices.
The great thing about Neocaridina varieties like blue diamonds is that they make a perfect easy breeding project, even for beginning shrimp enthusiasts. No complicated larval stage, nor any special care needed: if you make sure your shrimp are happy, they take care of the rest. Frantic zooming around the tank indicates mating time, after which the females should soon become berried, carrying yellow eggs between their back legs (swimmerets).
The eggs hatch after around 30 days into tiny copies of the adults. These baby shrimp can be a little shy at first, but they’re fully self-sufficient and can find food on their own.