Bamboo Shrimp are highly fascinating and interesting types of invertebrates that are an exciting addition to your tank. They have certain unique traits and personalities that you normally don’t experience in certain species of fish or other shrimp as well.
They are also known to filter feed and can appear really captivating. Moreover, they are easier to take care of, which makes them beginner-friendly as well. However, you should always strive to provide them with a healthy environment, for which you need to know certain care guidelines.
Therefore, we have compiled this helpful care guide to help you understand to look after your Bamboo Shrimp in a better way and also understand more about their habitat, water parameters, diet, breeding, tank mates, and several other aspects.
Moreover, our aim is also to bring these creatures to the limelight so that they become more popular among the aquarium community!
We bet you are already fascinated and want to know everything about the Bamboo Shrimp, so let’s see what the fuss is all about.
Species Summary
Bamboo Shrimp is a freshwater shrimp species that are known by their scientific name Atyopsismoluccensis, and they belong to the Atyidae family. They are native to Southeast Asia, and although they are spread out all over the region, they are mostly found in India, Japan, Okinawa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Samoan Islands, and Thailand.
These shrimp are also known by a myriad of names, including the Fan Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Singapore Shrimp, Wood Shrimp, and the Singapore Flower Shrimp.
| Category | Rating |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Span | Up to 2 years |
| Family | Atyidae |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Color Form | Reddish brown |
| Care level | Easy |
| Compatibility | Peaceful community |
| Size | 2-3 inches |
| Tank Setup | Freshwater with plants and rocks |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 gallons |
Therefore, if you hear any of these names, don’t think that these are separate species. All of them are just the same, and even experienced aquarists can confuse them. In most of the countries mentioned above, Bamboo Shrimp is popular as a food source.
Due to the abundance of names that they have, most people don’t know they are eating these species.
Lifespan
Normally, Bamboo Shrimp live as long as 1 to 2 years. This may appear too short for you, but this is quite common among the shrimp species.
Just like other aquatic creatures, the lifespan of these shrimp is also dependent upon the quality of care and how they are acquired. If you buy them from a less reputed pet store, the chances are that they won’t live out their life expectancy.
Appearance
Bamboo Shrimp have a fascinating appearance, which is why we simply love them. You might think that all shrimp look exactly the same, but that isn’t true at all.
Their body is generally similar to other types of shrimp, but their body is thicker that starts to thin up towards the end of their tail.
Their coloration also varies according to the location they are caught from, as well as their specimen. Usually, they have a brown or yellow color, while some of them have a reddish-brown coloration. Their most distinctive feature is their fan-like hands, which give them the ‘Fan Shrimp’ name.
Their hands also work like small nets that are used to capture small organisms and edible particles in the water. It is always a delight to watch them feeding themselves in the aquarium, and you would love to observe them.
Size
On average, Bamboo Shrimp grow up to 3 inches in size when they grow fully. They are comparatively larger than other species that you find in freshwater aquariums.
You can affect their size and growth by providing them with quality water and tank conditions, as well as a proper diet. When you get them from the pet store, make sure that they are as young as possible.
This way, you will be able to take good care of them and also mitigate any negative effects of the care they have received from the seller.
Bamboo Shrimp Care
Bamboo Shrimp are easy to take care of because they are resilient and low-maintenance creatures. There aren’t any unique or odd requirements that you need to take care of, which is why these shrimp can be bought by beginners and experts alike.
Consistency is key to their good health and proper growth. Although they are rather hardy and easy to look after, they are prone to suffer from several health problems, especially if they experience spikes in water parameters.
With that said, let’s have a look at the particulars of Bamboo Shrimp care that you need to keep in mind.
Tank Size
For starters, the ideal tank size for Bamboo Shrimp is 20 gallons, that too for only one shrimp. Some aquarists have also kept them in smaller tanks, but we certainly advise against it.
Moreover, if you want to add additional shrimp, you will have to increase the tank size by 20 gallons for each additional shrimp.
We say this because a larger tank size is beneficial and offers more room for these shrimp to grow and stay healthy. Since they are larger than other shrimp, they need more space to look for food.
Moreover, choose a longer tank as compared to a deep one. This would go a long way towards producing a current that helps them in feeding. We will discuss this in the next sections.
Water Parameters
If you want your Bamboo Shrimp to stay healthy and happy, understanding their water parameters is highly crucial. They are highly low-maintenance species, but they are sensitive to poor and subpar conditions, which can cause severe health issues.
This also means that you should focus on consistency, as well as knowing the right parameters. For starters, you should aim for a water temperature between 70°F to 78°F, as well as pH levels between 6.5 and 8. Last but not least, you should maintain the water hardness between 3 to 10 dKH.
To ensure that you are consistent with the water parameters, you should conduct regular water testing, especially when you initially introduce them to the tank. Once they have accustomed themselves to their new habitat, you can reduce the testing frequency.
What to Put in Their Tank?
When it comes to tank setup, Bamboo Shrimp need plants more than anything else. They find lush vegetation in the wild, and by adding plants to the aquarium, you will be able to familiarize them with their new environment quickly.
Moreover, the presence of plants will help them find food naturally since they catch dead plant matter that falls off plants with their fan-like hands.
You might also observe these shrimp climb on plants, and they do so when they need to hide and get nourishment. You can add any type of aquarium plant since they don’t eat them directly. You can be more flexible with other aspects of their habitat.
These shrimp can manage well with any kind of substrate, so you can add gravel if you like. However, fine sand is more preferred by aquarists, particularly in a community tank with several other species of fish.
Moreover, you should also add hiding spots and accessories for them. These should include rocks and driftwood, and they not only allow Bamboo Shrimp to take shelter among them, but they also add beauty and variety to the aquarium.
Lastly, you should also add an efficient filtration system to keep the tank clean. Bamboo Shrimp like sponge filters because they tend to rest on them and also make use of the current generated by the filter inlet when feeding.
The filter outlet provides enough water movement within the aquarium, and you can also add an air pump to facilitate the water flow. You should also add standard aquarium lighting so that the tank is well-lit.
Common Diseases
When it comes to Bamboo Shrimp and diseases, there are two things that you need to worry about, and both of them occur due to major changes and fluctuations in their habitat.
The first problem that they encounter is the sensitivity to changes in water parameters. If the parameters suddenly go out of the recommended range as mentioned above, it would cause fatal problems and make them ill.
This is something experienced by several species of fish, and the Bamboo Shrimp are particularly affected by it. Therefore, you should always be careful while adding new shrimp to a tank. Make sure to gather the parameters of their current habitat and try to replicate them before you buy these species and place them in the tank.
Another issue that affects Bamboo Shrimp is the presence of copper in the water, which can prove to be toxic for them. Even the smallest concentration of copper in the water can kill your shrimp in no time at all.
The problem lies in aquarium medications since most of them contain copper in them. Therefore, you might be administering medication to a fish in your tank, but it may kill your Bamboo Shrimp.
So, if you are looking to give medicines to a certain species in the tank, make sure to remove your Bamboo Shrimp from it, but make sure to replicate the water parameters in their isolation tank as well.
Then, ensure that the copper is completely eliminated from the water before you put them back in the main tank.
What Do Bamboo Shrimp Eat?
The diet and feeding habits of Bamboo Shrimps are something that confuses most aquarists. They are known as filter feeders, which means that they filter out their food from the environment, i.e., the surrounding water.
Their usual diet comprises organic matter and organisms in the water, including algae and plant matter. These particles float around in the water, and these shrimp can easily capture and eat them with their fan-like hands.
Therefore, there will be little or minimal intervention on your part in the feeding process. If you have added a sufficient amount of plants in the tank and have maintained a suitable current, you won’t even need to feed them at all.
However, some concerned aquarists also think that by not dropping food into the aquarium, they might be starving their pets to death. This is certainly not the case. If you observe Bamboo Shrimp for 15 minutes or so, you would actually observe them eating up organic matter from the water.
If you can’t add plants and rocks to the aquarium for any reason, you can offer algae wafers and other algae-based food by dropping them into the tank. However, if you have to drop food into their tank, prevent overfeeding them.
By putting in too much food, you might risk increasing the nitrate levels and also cause several health complications for the shrimp.
Behavior & Temperament
Bamboo Shrimp generally have a peaceful demeanor, and they are always busy in their habitat. These are regularly scavenging and filtering the water in search of food.
If you start watching them closely, you won’t be able to take your eyes off them. Their fan-like hands are always stretched out to catch food, and they will also use it to scour the surfaces of rocks and plants to gather any organic matter they can find.
As compared to other species of shrimps, Bamboo Shrimps are much more active and continue to find better positions in order to find food.
If you have any fish that burrow the substrate in search of food in a community tank, you can expect your Bamboo Shrimp to join them when you add them to the aquarium. There is an abundance of edible matter for these shrimp to feed on, so you won’t have to worry about feeding them at all.
Bamboo Shrimp keep quite busy and stay active, and they also steer clear of other species and creatures in the aquarium.
However, they are also intimidated by any aggressive and predatory fish and other creatures that might attack or try to eat them. This is why you should prevent keeping them with such species and also provide them with hiding places.
Bamboo Shrimp Tank Mates
There is a myriad of suitable tank mates for Bamboo Shrimp since they are quite easygoing and don’t like to stir up any trouble in the aquarium. They spend all of their time burrowing and scavenging the tank in search of food.
Therefore, you should consider aquatic creatures that have a peaceful and calm nature and don’t have any predatory or aggressive instincts.
Any of the fish or creatures that see shrimp as food, as humans do, aren’t suitable choices for the Bamboo Shrimp, especially if you want them to stay happy and comfortable in their environment.
Let’s have a look at some of the suitable tank mates for the Bamboo Shrimp so that you can put together a community tank with friendly and peaceful species:
- Amano Shrimp
- Black Skirt Tetra
- Cherry Shrimp
- Cory Catfish
- Ember Tetra
- Ghost Shrimp
- Honey Gourami
- Mystery Snails
- Nerite Snails
- Otocinclus
- Sparkling Gourami
While choosing tank mates for Bamboo Shrimp, you should also know that these shrimp undergo a process called molting every 45 to 65 days. You should know about this; otherwise, you might think something is wrong with them.
This is also why you should provide them with suitable hiding spaces in the aquarium because if they start molting out in the open, they might become a target for fish and other creatures in the tank.
Once you have seen the molting process, you will be able to understand why they hide for a few days and aren’t seen.
Breeding
Although Bamboo Shrimp are highly low-maintenance species, breeding them isn’t the easiest thing to undertake. Most aquarists state that breeding them in captivity is one of the most difficult tasks that you would come across.
The main reason for this is that their larvae require saltwater in order to thrive and grow properly. The problem is that adults can’t survive in such water conditions, which makes breeding a nightmarish task, to say the least.
If you still want to do this, you can try setting up a brackish tank for the larvae and isolating them as soon as the eggs are released in the water. While many aquarists have attempted this feat, not many have succeeded.
We would recommend that you avoid experimenting with breeding Bamboo Shrimp since it could potentially cause them to fall sick and even die.
Rather than subjecting them too difficult conditions, it is better if you buy additional Bamboo Shrimp and keep them in the tank with your existing pets so that they can thrive and live out the most of their lifespan.
Final Thoughts
This concludes our care guide about Bamboo Shrimp. We believe that you would want to buy them right away, but make sure to understand all the care aspects thoroughly before you do so.
Generally, caring for these creatures is quite easy, and you should have no trouble doing so. In a nutshell, they are our favorite shrimp species among the aquarium community, and they are a delight to watch as well.
