As fascinating as shrimp are not all of them have the same feeding habits as the rest. Some are more complex than others. The non-fan shrimp like the Amano shrimp, Crystal Red shrimp, Sunkist shrimp or Cherry shrimp are easy to take care of because they do not have evolved appendages like their larger relatives. Fan shrimp are referred to as such because they use fan like claws to filter food.

Usually the golden rule for keeping shrimp is that ALL SHRIMP ARE UNIQUE AND EACH SPECIE HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF REQUIREMENTS.  No matter how big or small the shrimp are their needs must be adequately addressed. These requirements include water chemistry, feeding, tank mates, breeding requirements, environmental habitat and aquarium plants, etc. Like any other shrimp, Bamboo shrimp also have special needs. Bamboo shrimp are a fan shrimp belonging to the Atya family. They are different from the dwarf shrimp not only because of their size and lifespan but also their unique feeding habits. Their feeding habits are different from the rest of the shrimp because of their evolved appendages. They feed by filtering the water current with their web like appendages. Anything small enough that is caught by the appendages is likely to be eaten as a food source. Some of these food particles may not be visible to the human eye.

A closer look at the chelae (claws), one will notice that when retracted they look like a spear of some sorts. When a Bamboo shrimp’s chelae are in that spear like state it looks really threatening. They are not feeding when their chelae are retracted. They start feeding when their chelae are expanded into a web like fan. That is when all the feeding action becomes evident. If the water filter is not on within a tank they usually fan out the gravel in search of food. This should be avoided at all times as this is a sign that the Bamboo shrimp are not getting enough to eat. In their natural habitat they filter food in rapid water streams and it is virtually impossible to recreate this same environment within an aquarium. If housing Bamboo shrimp within an aquarium, a current pump would be preferable as this mimics the same circulation of water currents as in their natural habitat though not as intense. These freshwater shrimp are not shy; they are actually attracted to any source of strong water current. They feed day and night unless if the current pump is turned off. The fact that they feed day and night is a little puzzling because it could be an indication of lack of food or just part of their trait. Their size and feeding mechanisms sets them apart from their dwarf relatives that can either feed on algae or big flakes. Maybe this is why they are constantly feeding since filtering the water current provides a little at a time.

Rapid streams in their natural environment enables them to filter fine food particles at an increased pace, whilst clinging onto pebbles, rocks and plants using their clawed legs. The food particles that are trapped within the appendages include plant matter, Daphnia or planktonic larvae. To compensate for the lack wild nutrients in an aquarium tank, finely crushed flake food would be sufficient enough.

*When we initially got our shipment of Bamboo shrimp, they were brown with a camouflaged appearance. The thick white lining on their backs was non existent. When we introduced them to our tank we thought that was their natural appearance. A few days later we introduced a powerful underwater pump that circulated water and created a current within the tank. All of them positioned themselves in front of the pump so as to filter the current for food particles. We started noticing visible markings on their shells and a thick white lining on their backs appeared. They still had a camouflaged look but it was lighter and some had white spots all over. Based on these observations it is our belief that they might have been stressed out during the shipment. Other factors that might have contributed to this include the water parameters and lack of food. Bamboo shrimp are known to change the color of the shells depending on their mood or water settings.

Bamboo Shrimp are fan shrimp that rely heavily on strong water currents in order to filter food. In the absence of such a strong current, the Bamboo shrimp will inevitably die. The Bamboo shrimp will also show visible signs of starvation, limited movement, the shell also starts changing colour and they do not feed as much.

If properly cared for these shrimp will live for more than 4 years, a longer life span as compared to that of dwarf shrimp.