I used to have them...but the longest I was able to keep one alive was probably about 6 months. They are very cool critters. Definitely provide a little hiding place, because they'll appreciate this when they molt out of their old shell and their new one is still hardening. They can also propel themselves quite a distance - so I hope you have a lid on your tank!

They can get pretty big - the largest shrimp I've had was probably about 4 inches long. And they also can get very pretty (depending on what you feed them and if there are colour enhancers in the food).

When I had them in the tank, they would eat flake food swept into their mouths, or sometimes find themselves a bit of algae wafer that was soft enough to be disintegrating. Also they'd go cleaning up food that had settled in the hair algae growing in the tank. They'd usually position themselves in an area where the current was sweeping the food by.

I don't really know why those bamboo shrimp I had died. The tank I have is fairly large and busy - so I didn't always see them. And when I'd think they died because they were missing - I'd find them emerging some days later and find the old molted shell somewhere in the tank.

There really cool, I had one but I think my loach killed him.

im setting up a 5gal for some shrimp now what i did is used a 10 gal tank filter and added a powerhead for more current in the tank, used a small sized gravel close to sand bamboo shrimp need a good current in the tank they are filter feeders and it would be a good idea to keep the water about 2 inches from the top so they dont adventure there way to the filter or out of the tank they eat leftovers that fall to the bottom etc... they are scavengers so they will eat alot of things i just use flakes i just crush them up in my hand and toss it in , i have a cave like dome for them to sit on or hide in they like to sit on things mostly to find to strongest current in the tank i also have 2 cherry shrimp in with the bamboo's looking to add a ghost shrimp hopefully i helped get the word out abount shrimp :)

I've never had bamboo shrimp...most shrimp/crustaceans with claws that big will end up hurting other fish in the tank. They do look neat, but I stick to my ghosties

bamboo shrimp don't have large claws. They have small legs that sweep food into their mouths. Cherry shrimp are tiny shrimp - good for algae. Ghost shrimp are also tiny - with tinier legs.

from wikipedia: Bamboo shrimp, are any of several species of the genus Atyopsis, including Atyopsis moluccensis. They are filter-feeding shrimp, three to five inches long, which are sold in the United States as community tank invertebrates. They are absolutely harmless to tropical fish in the same tank, because they have fans for gathering microscopic bits of food, instead of claws.

In the wild they eat phytoplankton and zooplankton, but in fish tanks they can be fed the algae wafers sold for plecos, which they eat after the wafer dissolves, or Daphnia, or newly hatched brine shrimp, or in a pinch some finely ground up flake food, once it softens and disintegrates.

The reason Bamboo Shrimp do not live to long in captivity is all the shrimp are imported, and it is impossible to tell how old an imported shrimp is. The larva from the Bamboo Shrimp has not been raised in an aquarium yet (or at least not documented), so until then we will have to keep imported shrimp.

The above link provides some good information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bamboo Shrimp

I've never kept bamboo shrimp, but do have a colony of cherry reds in a heavly planted long 20 with a dozen Galaxy Rasboras that keep the shrimp population in check by eating new hatched shrimp.

I've had a bamboo shrimp for about a week now... but suddenly he has gone missing. I can't find him or his casing anywhere. Does anyone know if it is possible they can climb out of an aquarium? My aquarium has two large holes in the top that I use for feeding them. I'm a little worried he went a-walking.

I'm curious about keeping any kind of shrimp... do you have to supplement calcium in the water like you do for some snails (i accidentally killed an apple snail because his shell got soft due to lack of calcium)? I have avoided anything but the most basic fish ever since because I hate the idea of coming home to something dead.

I bought 4 bamboo shrimp. I keep them in a 22gal tank. With them are 3 Raphael catfish, one spotted. 10 female bettas, two male. There is lots of live plants and ornamental hiding places. I don't see the little flippin' devils until feeding time. The catfish attack them, but they have room to zoom. All the different critters have their own territories. It is a very mixed up community. I have spent close to $1,000 on this project, and plan to breed them and sell them eventually as a business.

We dont currently have any shrimp but my daughter would like to get one for her new guppy tank eventually. Do you guys know if there are any fresh water, small shrimp like this that ARE captive bred yet?

look up cherry red shrimp and pearl blue shrimp. I'm about to ask my pet store to order me some. I will have a patriotic tank!!! The bloggers say they breed easily. That would be cool for your daughter, fave kitty. She would love them. She could actually watch them hatching. The babies cling to the shrimp mother for a few days. Sounds pretty neat. I can't wait to get some. Oh, get lots of them, though. You can't tell really male from female, but they say the big ones are female.

the more shrimp, the merrier they will be. One by itself would most likely die. I bought 6 ghost shrimp, a whole whopping $1.80. They died one by one. My tank was so big, they wondered off by themselves. For a ten gal, I would get a dozen or two.

I am a beginner, ok? It didn't occur to me that the catfish would eat my ghosties. I would never purposely feed them to anything like I've heard people do. How awful. Besides very expensive. They are 30 cents a piece, people! Now, breeding guppies to feed to them I will do, I feed guppies to my bettas. They aren't quite as cute.

I too bought a Bamboo Shrimp from Petco about a week ago. His new tank mates are a not so aggressive male betta and a dwarf frog. Their tank is a eco 8. He was very buzy the first night and the next day. Then he vanished.. so off came the lid and got a flash lite and went hunting.I found him in the inside (on the removeable sponge side) my whisper internal filter. He stays in there much of his time he has shed skin since he has been at his new home I just worry about him getting in trouble in the filter.. so to all that think their shrimp have vanished check ur filters

I have one that i have 4 years now. He eats the flakes as they float down, plus i give him and my plecco algae tablets once in awhile. I have a 20 gallon tall tank with red eyed tetras and rosy barbs. Also 2 cory catfish..