Bamboo Shrimp

With its way of feeding, the bamboo shrimp is one of the most interesting creatures in the aquarium. At the tips of its front legs, instead of claws, it has four fan-shaped tufts of bristles. It faces into the current, opens its fans and filters out the fine particles carried by the water; then it brings the fan to its mouth and cleans it.

Its body ranges from light brown to reddish brown and has a light stripe along the back. Its color can darken or lighten with mood and molting. Despite its large appearance it is completely harmless.

It lives in medium- to fast-flowing streams of Southeast Asia, clinging to roots, branches and rocks where the current hits. Its larvae drift with the current to the sea or to river mouths and develop there.

• Volume: 60 liters or more; a matured, established aquarium.
• Current: Essential. Place a root or rock in front of the filter outlet or a small circulation pump; the shrimp will choose to perch there.
• Water: 24–27°C, neutral and soft to moderately hard. Products containing copper are deadly.
• Filter intake: A sponge guard is recommended.
• Escapes: It may climb out when water quality deteriorates; use a lid.

It is a filter feeder: it catches microorganisms, fine food dust and organic particles from the water. A hungry bamboo shrimp sweeps the substrate with its fans; this is a sign that there are not enough particles in the water. Several times a week, sprinkle shrimp powder, crushed spirulina or fine powdered food into the water near the filter outlet. Leftover flakes and granules are also useful to it.

Completely peaceful; it leaves fish, shrimp and plants alone. Once it finds a suitable spot in the current it may stay in the same place all day. It hides for a few days before molting.

Good companions: Small and medium-sized peaceful community fish, corydoras, otocinclus, dwarf shrimp, nerite snails.

Avoid: Large cichlids, crayfish, large Macrobrachium shrimp, invertebrate-eating fish such as clown loaches.

It has no social needs; it can live alone. In large aquariums with enough spots in the current, 3–5 individuals can be kept together; they do not attack each other and share the same spot. The number is limited by the amount of suspended particles in the aquarium.

It does not breed in the aquarium. Although females occasionally carry eggs, the larvae can only develop in brackish or salt water, and raising them at home is not practical. The great majority of specimens for sale are collected from the wild.

• Starvation: The most common cause of death. A bamboo shrimp sweeping the substrate is giving a feeding warning.
• Molting: Do not disturb it while it is hiding; you can leave the shed exoskeleton in the tank for a while.
• Poisoning: Copper and many antiparasitic medications are deadly.

Males usually grow larger and have thicker walking legs. Females have a wider abdomen; in a berried female the eggs are visible under the abdomen.