Atyopsis moluccensis: Asian Fan, Filter, Wood, Flower Shrimp

Scientific Name: Atyopsis moluccensis

Common Names: Bamboo shrimp, Asian Filter shrimp, Asian Fan shrimp, Asian Filter shrimp, Wood shrimp, etc.

Origin: Asia

Size: 8 to 12 cm (2.7 to 3.9 inches or larger)

Water Parameters: 6.5 to 7.5 pH

Temperature: 73*F to 82*F (tropical temperatures)

Feeding: Filters mirco-things in the water current and must be provided with a water current

Larval Development: Eggs hatch to larvae which go through several development stages before they are adults; Need full marine to brackish water for development; Will NOT develop in fresh water

Behavior: Non-aggressive

Difficulty: Easy


Quick History
This is one of my favorite shrimp species. Absolutely do NOT let anyone tell you differently, every shrimp you find in every pet store and online that are for sale are WILD caught. There is no known successful captive breeding at this time. There have been many shrimp addicts who have been very close to successful captive breeding (including myself).

Water Parameters
Atyopsis moluccensis (Bamboo shrimp) are most comfortable if they are provided with a current and a perch for fanning/filtering their food. A good perch can be driftwood, rocks, or sturdy stem plants. To a bamboo shrimp, perch + strong current = heaven! When I had my colony of 14, I supplied them with plenty of branchy Malaysian driftwood and a powerhead, and they were happy and rarely moved from their spot. I should mention that because they are filter-feeders and when they have a comfortable spot, they will rarely move and because of this, they will have algae growing on their exoskeletons, and it's completely harmless to them. Bamboo shrimp are like the sloths of the shrimp family.

Breeding
As mentioned already, bamboo shrimp do not and will not breed in freshwater. They will mate, the females will carry eggs in freshwater, but once the eggs hatch, the larvae will need brackish to full marine water to develop. Again, do not let anyone tell you otherwise. There are many myths that there have been successful bamboo shrimp breeding in freshwater, so do not be fooled. There have also been many who have been very close to successful breeding, but sadly, it just hasn't been accomplished--yet. Hopefully, this will change in the near future.

Housing
A good size tank for bamboo shrimp is 20 gallons and up. Always be sure to provide a current and a perch for these shrimp. Warm, clean water is recommended. Avoid housing these extremely peaceful shrimp with fish that will harass them (cichilds, for example). Even though they are large and to some, may look aggressive, they are peaceful and will not harm the other inhabitants in the tank.


Feeding
Bamboo shrimp will thrive best in an aged tank because there are more micro-things and detritus for them to feed on. To supplement their diet, crushed or powdered spirulina or flake food can be added to the current. Bamboo shrimp can use their fans (which are basically modified, sticky chelae) to scrap the substrate for food, but this action should be avoided. If bamboo shrimp are doing this, it's a sign that there is not enough current, food in the current, and this should be resolved.

Sexing
Bamboo shrimp are easy to sex. The males' first set of walking legs are very large and pronounced, and their body size is larger than females. Females are generally smaller than males, and all sets of walking legs are about the same size as one another.

Coloration
Bamboo shrimp are usually a brown color. Healthy bamboo shrimp are a dark brown and light shades of brown create almost a striped color. Some will also display a bold, almost taupe stripe from head to tail. Some will be a reddish color. The paler the shrimp, the less happy they are. The more color they display, the happier they are.

Neocaridina heteropoda (wild): Wild Cherry Shrimp

Scientific Name: Neocaridina cf zhangjajiensis (white)

Common Name: Snowball shrimp

Origin: Color morph created by shrimp addict keeper, Ulf Gottschalk, located in Germany

Size: females up to 3.5 cm (1.2 in.)

Water Parameters: 6.5 to 8.4 pH (sometimes higher); Best in hard, alkaline water

Temperature: Best housed 69*F to 82*F

Feeding:algae, frozen bloodworms, blanched (par-boiled) vegetables (such as peas, zucchini, etc.), dead fish and shrimp, decaying plant matter

Larval Development: Suppressed; No larval stage; Eggs hatch to miniature adults

Behavior: Non-aggressive

Difficulty: Easy


Quick History
Snowball shrimp were one of the only completely white shrimp in the hobby until a few years ago. They are a color morph of Neocaridina cf zhangjajiensis (wild) that were created in Germany by Ulf Gottschalk.

Water Parameters
Snowball shrimp are a good choice for the novice shrimp addict keeper. They will thrive best in hard, alkaline water (much like African rift cichlids) in tropical temperatures. Lower temperatures will slow down this shrimp species--slower reproduction rate, slower metabolism, etc. Snowball shrimp must have clean water, or they will not flourish--the colony will slowly deteriorate.

Breeding
Snowball shrimp are slightly less prolific breeders in comparison to RCS. Simply add male and female snowball shrimp, clean water, proper water parameters, and wait for the eggs to hatch. Females will display a white "saddle" (named this because it looks like she has an English saddle on her back when her ovaries are carrying unfertilized eggs. When she molts, she also releases hormones and pheromones into the water. This will send all males in the aquarium into a breeding frenzy, and the males will swim vigorously in their search to find the freshly-molted female. The lucky male will flip her over on her back and mate with her. If copulation is successful, the eggs leave the ovaries (the saddle will disappear), and she will carry the fertilized eggs in her swimmerets (legs under her tail) for about 30 to 45 days (shrimp addicts keepers called this "berried"). Snowball shrimp got their name from the white eggs, which look like snowballs. As the eggs develop and if you look closely enough, you can see the eggs turned slightly different colors and also see small, black dots which are the eyes of the developing shrimp inside the eggs. As the shrimplets develop inside the eggs, the eggs will slowly turn a yellow color. If the female drops any eggs while she is berried, do not fret. She will sometimes drop eggs because the are not fertile, she maybe stressed due to water parameters, another male may have been aggressive towards her, she may be a first-time mother, or something just wasn't right. A healthy female shrimp can be berried and display a saddle at the same time. The female will not molt while she is berried, and she may spend most of her time perched somewhere fanning her eggs. Fanning keeps the eggs moving and aerated to promote healthy shrimplets and their development.

Housing
Snowball shrimp are not too picky about their surroundings. They can be kept in planted tanks (which is my preference), bare bottom tanks, and even clown puke tanks (which I do not recommend). Ten gallon aquariums are highly recommended for the novice shrimp addict keeper because it's easier to keep water parameters under control, and because it's a great size to start with a small shrimp colony and watch it grow. A good substrate is one that is inert (will not affect the water parameters and pH) and one in which makes the shrimp stand-out. I always recommend as dark a substrate as possible. A light for the tank is also recommended but not exactly necessary so the shrimp can be seen and to promote the growth of micro-things and algae for the shrimp to feed on.

Feeding
Snowball shrimp are not picky eaters. They will gladly eat just about anything, but a stable, healthy diet is always preferred. Vegetable such as blanched (parboiled) zucchini, spinach, peas, algae growing in the aquarium, nori wraps (used for making Sushi rolls, and the stuff sold for feeding saltwater fish--same stuff BTW, but the nori sold in the grocery stores is cheaper and you get more for your money), and even cleaned strawberries. They will also eat frozen foods like bloodworms. Dried spirulina flakes and flake fish food can be fed. They will also eat decaying plant matter, decaying fish, and decaying shrimp. Live foods can also be cultured. Snowball shrimp do not have to be fed every day, especially if their tank is "aged". The more aged the tank is, the more micro-things there are in the tank for them to eat.

Sexing and Coloration
Snowball shrimp are easy to sex. One of the first obvious differences is that the female has a white saddle on her back. Males do not have a saddle for obvious reasons. Females are usually slightly larger than the male, and she also has a larger tail than the male so she can carry eggs. Males are smaller and have a thinner and shorter tail than the female. Both males and females are white and can display different color intensities. They will be more white due to genetics and also based on how comfortable they are. Good water parameters make for colorful, happy shrimp. Males will display slightly less white than females. Some female snowball shrimp will also display a faint gold shrimp that runs the length of their bodies.