Recently saw some of these at my local petco, they where decently sized and looked pretty harmless. They where picking through the gravel with brush-like hands. Anything i should know about these guys? Minimum tank size, aggressive, hard to care for, etc?
Bamboo Shrimp
- Thread starter Maillis
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I don't have any experience with keeping them. And don't know much at all about them (so take what I say with a large grain of salt). From a bit of reading online I've found that they are hard to care for, so they tend to die off - I think partly because they are excellent escape artists and partly from starvation. There's not much info available about them it seems.
They're filter feeders, and as freshwater aquariums are filtered, there's not a whole lot of food for them. I'm not sure what they precisely filter out of the water - algae? small organisms?
From what I've read they like to hang out in the current and catch food in their "hands". They will jockey for position in your tank among themselves, but appear to leave everyone else alone. I don't know that they could physically harm anyone anyway. I think I recall some people dropping fine particles of food for them to eat in the current.
I think they also are known to pick through the substrate as you described.
I've seen something similar to what you've described in a local pet shop. They were approx 3in long. The lfs told me that they pulled snails out of their shells with their "hands" and ate them, but I have no other supporting evidence.
They were pretty good at staking out and defending some sinking food that was just dropped into the tank. But that was mostly due to their size. (it was so long ago that I can't remember whether it was an algae wafer, a sinking wafer, or piece of zucchini, but I think it was a wafer - so you could try that as a possibility for food I guess).
This is all I could find that I had bookmarked:
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/shrimp2.htm#wood
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.9812/msg00424.html
Hope this gives you at least a place to start...
They're filter feeders, and as freshwater aquariums are filtered, there's not a whole lot of food for them. I'm not sure what they precisely filter out of the water - algae? small organisms?
From what I've read they like to hang out in the current and catch food in their "hands". They will jockey for position in your tank among themselves, but appear to leave everyone else alone. I don't know that they could physically harm anyone anyway. I think I recall some people dropping fine particles of food for them to eat in the current.
I think they also are known to pick through the substrate as you described.
I've seen something similar to what you've described in a local pet shop. They were approx 3in long. The lfs told me that they pulled snails out of their shells with their "hands" and ate them, but I have no other supporting evidence.
They were pretty good at staking out and defending some sinking food that was just dropped into the tank. But that was mostly due to their size. (it was so long ago that I can't remember whether it was an algae wafer, a sinking wafer, or piece of zucchini, but I think it was a wafer - so you could try that as a possibility for food I guess).
This is all I could find that I had bookmarked:
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/shrimp2.htm#wood
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.9812/msg00424.html
Hope this gives you at least a place to start...
A well established planted tank would make keeping one successfully much easier.
Do not keep them with fish whom may like to "pick" on them when they molt (sp?).
I believe a 29gallon planted is a decent size for ONE bamboo shrimp.
I tried giving mine some "first bites" fish food and it did NOT like that at all...it sits in the current and searches through gravel. Enjoys caves and is not shy around any of my fish. Some of my fish move away from it but it basically ignores the fish. Mine mostly comes out at night and hangs on my algae magnet so it can sit in the stream of my main filter. I have also seen it hanging out on the filter intake (catching the "dirty" water before it goes into the filter). I have seen it climb all over my filter tubes but never has it tried to escape (my tank isn't very escape proof).
Additionally, my bamboo shrimp successfully molted a month ago. I do see it pick through my java moss on occassion. It is usually bright orangish/reddish in color but occassionally goes to a brown "wood" color.
Do not keep them with fish whom may like to "pick" on them when they molt (sp?).
I believe a 29gallon planted is a decent size for ONE bamboo shrimp.
I tried giving mine some "first bites" fish food and it did NOT like that at all...it sits in the current and searches through gravel. Enjoys caves and is not shy around any of my fish. Some of my fish move away from it but it basically ignores the fish. Mine mostly comes out at night and hangs on my algae magnet so it can sit in the stream of my main filter. I have also seen it hanging out on the filter intake (catching the "dirty" water before it goes into the filter). I have seen it climb all over my filter tubes but never has it tried to escape (my tank isn't very escape proof).
Additionally, my bamboo shrimp successfully molted a month ago. I do see it pick through my java moss on occassion. It is usually bright orangish/reddish in color but occassionally goes to a brown "wood" color.
Do they need anything for moulting, like ghost shrimp need iodine for example (I'm not sure if this is related to all shrimp...)
I only mentioned the escapes because others found them dried on the floor, I don't know how they got out. I think I recall one person mentioning that it climbed up the filter intake. Hopefully I didn't overexpress (?) this. But I don't think I have the posts anymore.... They probably only leave if there's not adequate food, perhaps?
I only mentioned the escapes because others found them dried on the floor, I don't know how they got out. I think I recall one person mentioning that it climbed up the filter intake. Hopefully I didn't overexpress (?) this. But I don't think I have the posts anymore.... They probably only leave if there's not adequate food, perhaps?
The lack of food does sound reasonable...I purposely am lazy about gravel vacuuming just to make sure there are plenty of micro-organisms in my water for the bamboo shrimp.
I was also concerned about iodine for the moulting process but did not add any and had no problems. I also left the old exoskeleton in the tank to disolve on its own since the GH of my tap water is already somewhat low...figured I might as well leave any minerals from the exoskeleton in the tank.
I actually missed it when it moulted. I woke up one morning and thought my fish tore the shrimp apart. Then I realized it was the empty exoskeleton. The shrimp just stayed in its cave for several days and did not come out to eat at all until it's new exoskeleton had solidified somewhat.
I was also concerned about iodine for the moulting process but did not add any and had no problems. I also left the old exoskeleton in the tank to disolve on its own since the GH of my tap water is already somewhat low...figured I might as well leave any minerals from the exoskeleton in the tank.
I actually missed it when it moulted. I woke up one morning and thought my fish tore the shrimp apart. Then I realized it was the empty exoskeleton. The shrimp just stayed in its cave for several days and did not come out to eat at all until it's new exoskeleton had solidified somewhat.
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
can you order bamboo shrimp online because they have none in my area
Yup you can order them....
I know you have had your tank(s) up for awhile now but don't you have 5 and 10 gallon tanks? I don't know how successful you would be at keeping bamboo shrimps alive in such a small tank even with dense vegetation. In my 29Gallon tank it is small enough such that I have seen the shrimp roam through most of it in search of food.
I know you have had your tank(s) up for awhile now but don't you have 5 and 10 gallon tanks? I don't know how successful you would be at keeping bamboo shrimps alive in such a small tank even with dense vegetation. In my 29Gallon tank it is small enough such that I have seen the shrimp roam through most of it in search of food.
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
true but since i got a pond ill have a 50 gallon tub by winter to put my goldfish in. err i think ill buy another tank soon. like a 20-30 gal. if my parents let me
Just wanted to give my two cents on bamboo shrimp. I have one in a 10-gal and it's doing great. It is just a baby, though, and those puppies do get big. I've real fat honkers about 3 inches long and thicker than my thumb (my fingers are pretty skinny, though). Mine is a lovely tan color, almost like bamboo. But the big ones I've seen were actually a rich red-brown, some even solid red, and one dark blue!
When I got mine, he was only an inch or so and he had only one light stripe on his back. I've had him now for almost three months. Since then, he has molted and now has dark stripes on his sides! I was wondering why he didn't look like the pictures I had seen online.
I have a planted tank, too, and he does just fine. He is pretty shy and only comes out to feed at night. He'll crawl (he walks most of the time, but I've seen him swim once or twice) onto the highest point he can find and extend his little fan-hands and then wipe them across his mouth. It's really cute. Just like patryuji said, he hangs out right by the filter intake. I have heard that some people with diatom problems have seen these suckers leave a clear trail behind them as they feed. They must have had a lot of diatoms and a big shrimp.
I don't do anything extra for him, he functions as a truly biological filter in my tank. And like I said, he has grown and molted without any special care by me. By the way, he managed to molt just fine without iodine, but the water where I live is pretty hard, lots of calcium and minerals and whatnot.
I have been adding a tiny bit of it now to help him and my ghost shrimp out. It hasn't seemed to make a difference to him, but the ghost shrimp have more distinct dots/markings on their clear shells. Oh, and one of the ghost shrimp is now a momma, carrying around a bundle of eggs under her abdomen! I don't know if that had anything to do with the iodine, but it's supposed to be necessary for their shells, just like it is for live coral.
Anyway, so they're pretty easy to care for. They get along great with other shrimp and the fish, at least in my tank I haven't seen the slightest hint of a problem. But, yes, he will outgrow this tank eventually and I will have to get a bigger tank. Oh, darn, another tank?
Gee, some of those Emoticons are weird. Have you all seen the one shooting the machine gun?
When I got mine, he was only an inch or so and he had only one light stripe on his back. I've had him now for almost three months. Since then, he has molted and now has dark stripes on his sides! I was wondering why he didn't look like the pictures I had seen online.
I have a planted tank, too, and he does just fine. He is pretty shy and only comes out to feed at night. He'll crawl (he walks most of the time, but I've seen him swim once or twice) onto the highest point he can find and extend his little fan-hands and then wipe them across his mouth. It's really cute. Just like patryuji said, he hangs out right by the filter intake. I have heard that some people with diatom problems have seen these suckers leave a clear trail behind them as they feed. They must have had a lot of diatoms and a big shrimp.
I don't do anything extra for him, he functions as a truly biological filter in my tank. And like I said, he has grown and molted without any special care by me. By the way, he managed to molt just fine without iodine, but the water where I live is pretty hard, lots of calcium and minerals and whatnot.
I have been adding a tiny bit of it now to help him and my ghost shrimp out. It hasn't seemed to make a difference to him, but the ghost shrimp have more distinct dots/markings on their clear shells. Oh, and one of the ghost shrimp is now a momma, carrying around a bundle of eggs under her abdomen! I don't know if that had anything to do with the iodine, but it's supposed to be necessary for their shells, just like it is for live coral.
Anyway, so they're pretty easy to care for. They get along great with other shrimp and the fish, at least in my tank I haven't seen the slightest hint of a problem. But, yes, he will outgrow this tank eventually and I will have to get a bigger tank. Oh, darn, another tank?
Gee, some of those Emoticons are weird. Have you all seen the one shooting the machine gun?
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
yeah i sometimes play with it like make em shoot eachother.. lol
i found out one store sells them. i dont know if they still do but i saw the sign "flower shrimp" and that also is bamboo shrimp
i found out one store sells them. i dont know if they still do but i saw the sign "flower shrimp" and that also is bamboo shrimp
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
lol
woohoo...my bamboo shrimp has moulted again! I guess it is getting plenty to eat since this is it's second moulting while I have had it for only a couple of months. (it isn't even really hiding that much this time). I wonder if my high temps (treating for Ich at 87 right now) has caused it to decide it was time to moult?
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
actually it turns out the 8.99 shrimp wasnt a bamboo (i think) because it didnt have any fans. it was just pincers. or i guess it looked like that but it was sitting on top of a plastic plant and either had fans and was eating or just grabbing stuff with its pincers.
and i got 3 crayfish (got for 75 cents each) in a icebox (about 3-4x the size of a ten gallon so im guessing its 30-40 gallons. i put some driftwood i forgot about (was in the sink) and it sunk immediately. i fed them some brine shrimp and bloodworms so i think their okay. im going to make 1/2 land and get some of those mini crabs and have one of thosethingys.
and i got 3 crayfish (got for 75 cents each) in a icebox (about 3-4x the size of a ten gallon so im guessing its 30-40 gallons. i put some driftwood i forgot about (was in the sink) and it sunk immediately. i fed them some brine shrimp and bloodworms so i think their okay. im going to make 1/2 land and get some of those mini crabs and have one of thosethingys.
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
sry off the subject
patryuji said:
I guess high temps increase metabolism? :? Has it gotten noticably larger? I WANT ONE!!!!
BTW I'm not sure if it's "moult" or "molt". I think "moult" may be a british (or rather "english" as they like to be called) variant of "molt". For some reason I spell it the british way, I don't know how I picked it up. Since you were wondering how it was spelt earlier it's been on my mind, the word now stands out to me like it's highlighted. One of my obsessive compulsive quirks I guess. I get stuck on things.
Don't worry. I have weird obsessive-compulsive things revolving around grammar and spelling, too. Oh, and pronunciation. I can't stand when people say words incorrectly.
Anyway, platyriju, congrats on your 2nd molting! You must be doing something right.
Anyway, platyriju, congrats on your 2nd molting! You must be doing something right.
Cool! I never know what to use as a login name, but yours is very creative and unique. I bet no one already has that name when you register at new forums.
I usually end up picking something stupid.
"babybetta" has absolutely no significance whatsoever, it was just the first thing I could think of when I was signing up here.
I usually end up picking something stupid.
"babybetta" has absolutely no significance whatsoever, it was just the first thing I could think of when I was signing up here.
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