Bamboo Shrimp

[cheseboy]

-Submit-
Name: Bamboo shrimp, Timber shrimp, Wood shrimp, Fan Shrimp
Scientific Name: Atyopsis moluccensis
DISTRIBUTION-- Singapore
HABITAT-- Fast running rivers of Singapore.
SIZE-- 3-4½",smaller when kept in the home aquaria around 3½"
TANK SIZE-- Smaller tanks can easily house this shrimp. 10 Gallons is the absolute minimum tank size you can keep one in. Anything smaller and you will have food problems and the shrimp won't be too comfortable either.
DIET--Suspended algae and other microscopic organisms, can be fed small amounts of liquid fry food and foods for fine marine filter feeders such as Kent Marine's Phytoplex.
TANK ZONE-- Everywhere, it will roam wherever there is an object to cling on to.
TEMPERAMENT-- Very peaceful even though looks can be misleading. Is compatible with any smaller not aggressive shrimp or fish. Can not be housed with any aggressive inverts or fish as they will eat the shrimp either when it is molting or when it is in the open.
CHEMISTRY:
-pH- In nature this shrimp enjoys a slightly acidic environment. In the home aquarium this shrimp can be kept at a wide range of pH parameters ranging from acidic to alkaline.
-Hardness- Prefers to live in soft water but is able to live in soft to hard water
-Temperature- Very wide, can tolerate anywhere from 68 - 85F but prefers 73-84F
PHOTOPERIOD-- receives 12 hours of light each day in nature.
SENSITIVITIES-- All species of shrimp are very sensitive to copper and lots of other medications. Be sure to look on the back of the bottle before you dose anything. If unsure it is best moved for treatment.
HARDINESS & LIFESPAN-- Moderately Hardy, can survive pH spikes and such, though when exposed to copper there is a good chance it will die.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION-- Distinct feathery like appendages. Colors can vary but when in a "good mood" it turns a deep red color and develops a distinct white line down it's back, Only when stressed does the shrimp actually resemble wood. 6 walking legs in all and 2 long antennae.
SEXES-- When fully grown males have larger and thicker front walking legs than females
ACTIVITY PEAK-- None
HABITS-- During the day this shrimp filter feeds. That is basically all it does. About once a month or so it will molt. This is a hard time for the shrimp so it will hide if there are potential predators in the tank of there are no potential predators it will be very bold walking with no shell on. It does not school and interact that much with others of it's kind (except for mating). At night it does exactly the same thing.
SPAWNING NOTES-- This shrimp's fry has never been reared so far. When given the ideal conditions the shrimp will produce eggs easily. It's usually the actual rearing of the fry that is difficult. The fry need brackish water to a full salt marine environment for the larvae to go from a planktonic state to a miniature version of the adult.
OTHER NOTES--This shrimp is a real "water polisher" They will keep your water Crystal clear and completely free of suspended algae. This shrimp loves a good current so make sure you have a filter output or a small powerhead output in a place you want your shrimp to be viewed because they will always be there filtering out the goods. Also, algae can grow on your shrimp's exoskeleton depending on nitrates, lighting etc. So if you see a little brown spot on the top of your shrimp it's probably just a bit of brown algae and will go away when it molts.

[cheseboy]

Anything I missed?

[BlueAmbist]

After I looked to make sure you weren't actually behind me I decided to post.

Looks good!

[Fishboy93]

That looks good inm picking one up soon

[cheseboy]

Ready for submission!

[MaryPa]

Geesh I thought you were going to say you had some for sale. I`ve been looking for a few Singapore Shrimp since my last one died a couple years ago. They`re awesome and fun to watch. Great filter feeders that harm nothing in the tank. Very nice profile.

[TheOldSalt]

Kewl little shrimp!

[hbalagh]

This article helped me understand my bamboo shrimp, I bought one and he ended up misisng for like 2 wks plus...I thought he got out of my tank and came up MIA

I blogged about my shrimp when I finally found him, found here http://www.heathersblog.com/2007/hes-alive/

[MyraVan]

Filter feeding isn't all they do. They can also use their "fans" like fingers to pick little bits of food out of the substrate.

I have three of them. Two of them are almost always sitting on the plants, filtering, but one likes to roam the tank looking for things to pick up.

[AquaGirl]

I have a bamboo shrimp too. It filter feeds under my tetra power filter and also scavenges for food. I love him.

[stargate_geek]

I got one today. It was sold as a 'Marble Shrimp' but the scientific name they listed was right They're so cool! Now to come up with a name for her...

[manda]

i sure do like bamboo shrimp. i was wanting one, but decided now its not the time.
they are on my get list

[MyraVan]

I had three; now I have one. In that same tank, I have 5 Amano shrimp that have been in there for well over a year, so this demonstrates how much more difficult they are to keep than your average shrimp.

I hadn't been putting in any special foods, since this article
http://www.petshrimp.com/bambooshrimp.html
suggested that in a mature tank with other animals they would do fine. But since losing two of them I want to try to do the best I can for the remaining one, so every other day I'm putting in some food for him (fry food mostly).

Also, I read a few articles that suggested that iodine can help them cope with the stresses involved in molting, so I've started adding a couple drops of iodine (meant for marine tanks) every week.

I've also made a perch for him right in the stream from the filter. I took a small piece of bogwood and attached it to the wall of the tank with a suction cup with attached zip tie. The zip tie came loose and so the bogwood fell to the floor, so now the shrimp perches on the zip tie! I can't put the wood back in since now the zip tie is too short to go around it. I will leave it for now, but will try again once I can get some more of those suction cups (my fish shop is out of stock of them).

Hopefully that will keep him alive! If I can keep him alive for 6 months I will consider that a success and get him a couple more friends...

[Ackerman651]

These are some of the most delicate things ive ever seen, but their a blast to watch. I got one a while back but it died (during cycling, bad decision) and now i decided to try it again. ive had it for about a week and it seems like its doin well. he sits on a piece of driftwood right in front of the current almost all day, or sometimes ill find him up on the side of the intake tube. he keeps the water crystal clear! i think these are pretty much a hit or miss. as with other shrimp, you absolutely need to check to see if your fish eat things such as brine shrimp. if they do, even if the shrimp is much bigger than it, it wont work. the shrimp has no means of defense. but if you can, get one!

[swordtailbreedr]

they can eat sleeping fish

[stargate_geek]

Really? I would think since they're filter feeders they couldn't.

[MyraVan]

Bamboo shrimp do not eat sleeping fish. They are about the most peasceful things you could ever have in your tanks.

Also, whether a fish eats brine shrimp is no test as to whether they will bother bamboo shirmp! All of my fish eat brine shrimp, but none of the ones I have so far will bother bamboo shrimp. (That includes my dwarf puffers, well, they don't bother the Amano shrimp in the tank, and DP experts tell me that if your DPs don't bother one kind of shrimp you're safe with pretty much all kind of shrimp.)

Perhaps Ackerman meant ghost shirmp? That is a good test as to whether you fish would bother the bamboo or other kinds of shrimp.

[cheseboy]

I take a 9 month vacation from fishforums and this profile has yet to be posted, lol. Oh well, glad you guys got good use out of it.