Bamboo Shrimp

The bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also sold as wood, fan, or Singapore flower shrimp, is one of the more unusual freshwater shrimp in the hobby. Instead of scavenging like a cherry shrimp, it sits in the current and filter-feeds, fanning out feather-like front legs to strain detritus, algae, and other fine particles from the water. Native to fast-flowing streams across Southeast Asia, it clings to rocks in strong current with its fans open, and a healthy one will perch in the flow for hours. It is noticeably larger than dwarf shrimp, orange-brown with a pale stripe down the back, and males are bulkier with chunkier forelegs.

This feeding style is also the catch: a bamboo shrimp will slowly starve in a tank that is too clean or too still. Give it a mature, fully cycled aquarium of around 80 litres or more with strong water flow (an extra powerhead or an oversized filter helps), plenty of perches near the current, and some leaf litter. Aim for 22-28 °C, a pH near 6.5-7.5, and moderately hard water. If suspended food runs short, supplement with a fine powdered food. Repeatedly scraping the substrate with their fans can indicate insufficient suspended food; check food delivery and offer fine particles near their feeding perch. They are generally peaceful and won't bother anyone, but they are slow and their fans are delicate, so keep them only with gentle tankmates like Corydoras, small rasboras, dwarf shrimp, or snails.

One thing you won't see is babies. Like its relatives, the bamboo shrimp is amphidromous: females release tiny larvae that need brackish or salt water to develop, so they cannot complete their life cycle in a freshwater tank. Plan to enjoy the adults rather than a breeding colony.