Bamboo shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
intermediate careOverview
Bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also called wood or fan shrimp, are big, peaceful filter-feeders that perch in the current and sweep food from the water with feathery, fan-like front limbs. Watching one fan the flow is mesmerising — but they’re not a hands-off shrimp. Their single biggest killer is slow starvation, so they need a mature tank, real flow and deliberate feeding. They also moult periodically and may hide for a day or two afterwards while their new shell hardens, which is normal and no cause for alarm as long as they return to fanning in the current.
Tank & water
A 75 litre (20 gallon) or larger established tank suits them, because they need volume, flow and mature biofilm:
- Good water flow — position them near a filter outflow or powerhead so food drifts past their fans.
- A mature tank — an established system carries the suspended micro-food they filter; don’t add them to a new setup.
- Stable, cycled water — cycle fully; no copper, ever.
- A perch — driftwood or rock in the current gives them a favourite fanning spot.
Feeding
Bamboo shrimp are filter feeders, not grazers. They need suspended particles: dose a powdered or crushed shrimp/fish food into the current, or gently stir the substrate near them to lift detritus into the flow. Target-feed several times a week. A shrimp that fans actively in the current is feeding well; one that scavenges the bottom is not. Feeding after the lights dim, when competition from fish is lowest, gives the food time to disperse through the flow and reach the shrimp’s fans before faster tankmates snatch it all.
Tankmates & breeding
Bamboo shrimp are entirely peaceful and, at up to 8 cm, safe with most community fish — just avoid large or aggressive species and anything that outcompetes them for suspended food. Home breeding is effectively impossible because their larvae need brackish water. Keep them for behaviour, not reproduction.
Compare the demands of vampire shrimp and see the best shrimp tank.
Bamboo shrimp — frequently asked questions
Why do bamboo shrimp often die slowly?
The usual cause is starvation. Bamboo shrimp filter feed by fanning food from the current, so in a too-clean or low-flow tank there simply isn't enough suspended food. Many slowly waste away over weeks. They need a mature tank, good flow and regularly dosed powdered food.
Is a bamboo shrimp fanning or scavenging on the substrate a bad sign?
Yes — a healthy bamboo shrimp perches in the current and fans with its feathery front limbs. When one crawls the substrate scraping for food with its fans, it's usually not getting enough from the water column and is hungry. Increase flow and target-feed powdered food.
Do bamboo shrimp breed in aquariums?
Practically never at home. Their larvae need brackish or saltwater to develop, so like Amano shrimp they won't produce a self-sustaining colony in a freshwater tank. Keep them for their fascinating filter-feeding behaviour, not for breeding.
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