What tank size does a Bamboo Shrimp need?

A Bamboo Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Bamboo Shrimp need?

Bamboo Shrimp does best at 22–29 °C (71.6–84.2 °F), pH 6.5–7.8 and a general hardness of 6–15 °dGH.

What group size does a Bamboo Shrimp need?

Bamboo Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Bamboo Shrimp suitable for beginners?

Bamboo Shrimp sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Bamboo Shrimp

Atyopsis moluccensis

Atyidae

InvertsDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: verified

📷 Faucon · CC BY-SA 2.5 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Bamboo Shrimp — Atyopsis moluccensis — 📷 Faucon · CC BY-SA 2.5 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The bamboo (wood or fan) shrimp is a large, peaceful filter-feeding shrimp that anchors in the current and unfurls four fan-like appendages to strain micro-particles from the water column. Unlike grazing dwarf shrimp it does not scrape surfaces; it depends entirely on suspended food carried by good flow, so it thrives only in a mature, well-fed aquarium with strong circulation. Colours shift from tan to deep red-brown, and like most fan shrimp its larvae need brackish water to develop, so it will not breed in a typical freshwater tank.

Care

Requires a mature tank with strong flow and suspended particulate food, hard-to-neutral water and stable GH for molting. Peaceful and plant-safe but a poor scavenger — target-feed powdered foods into the current if it hand-sifts the substrate. Copper-sensitive; use a lid.

Diet

Obligate filter feeder catching suspended micro-particles with fan-like appendages. Provide flow plus powdered or finely crushed foods and phytoplankton; hand-sifting the substrate signals it is not getting enough food.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (52)

Possible with care (158)

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Avoid (61)

Adonis Pleco Altum Angelfish Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Calvus Cichlid Cardinal Tetra Chili Rasbora Chocolate Gourami Clown Loach Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Cuckoo Catfish Cyprichromis Demon Eartheater Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Rasbora Endlicheri Bichir Fantail Goldfish Frontosa Goby Cichlid Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Heckel Discus Iridescent Shark Jaguar Cichlid Koi Livingstoni Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Masked Julie Molly Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Peacock Bass Pike Cichlid Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Terror Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Molly Sailfin Pleco Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Silver Moony Striped Raphael Catfish Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Threadfin Petrochromis Tropheus Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Bamboo Shrimp need?: A Bamboo Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Bamboo Shrimp need?: Bamboo Shrimp does best at 22–29 °C (71.6–84.2 °F), pH 6.5–7.8 and a general hardness of 6–15 °dGH.
What group size does a Bamboo Shrimp need?: Bamboo Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Bamboo Shrimp suitable for beginners?: Bamboo Shrimp sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature22–29°C

Optimal temp.24–27°C

pH6.5–7.8

Hardness (GH)6–15°d

Carbonate (KH)3–10°d

Adult size8 cm

Min. volume≥ 75 L

Min. tank length≥ 60 cm

Group size≥ 2

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowStrong

Lifespan~2 yrs

Try in the calculator