Atyopsis moluccensis
Huge, gentle, fascinating shrimp. Needs strong flow and suspended food to filter, starves in a clean tank. Sits on hardscape and waves its fans into the current.
Bamboo / Wood Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) reaches 8–10 cm and needs a minimum tank of 75 L with a colony of 1+. Native to Southeast Asia. Aim for 22–28 °C, pH 7.0–7.5, 6–15 dGH, and 200–400 ppm TDS. Lifespan: 2–3 years. Breeding: larvae need brackish, not practical at home. Diet: filter feeder, Catches microscopic particles in fans, powdered fry food, suspended algae, micron particulates in the current. Plant-safe: Yes. Tank-mates: Peaceful community fish only.
Care at a glance
Huge, gentle, fascinating shrimp. Needs strong flow and suspended food to filter, starves in a clean tank. Sits on hardscape and waves its fans into the current.
By Mike ElmiraUpdated 2 min read
Part of our complete freshwater shrimp guide.
The parameters that decide whether bamboo / wood shrimp fits in your tank.
1+
Filter feeder
Catches microscopic particles in fans, powdered fry food, suspended algae, micron particulates in the current.
Larvae need brackish, not practical at home
2–3 yrs
Fast clear rivers of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Tank-mate safety and the species this one is documented to thrive (or fail) alongside.
Almost any peaceful community fish — they're 10 cm adults and rarely bothered. Each other.
Anything aggressive enough to nip their fans.
Hard-won lessons from the tank.
Star feeders — sit on hardscape and wave fan-like appendages to catch particulates in the current. STARVE in clean tanks because there's no suspended food. Feed by dosing powdered fry food or whisking ground-up flake into the water column near them. Watch closely — they show distress (hunching, lethargy, white discolouration) days before death.
What can go wrong and how to spot it.
Failure modes, in order of how dramatic the fix is.
Sensitive to copper. Often arrive stressed — quarantine and observe for 2 weeks before display tank.
1) Putting them in a low-flow tank — they need current to feed. 2) Assuming they'll scavenge — they don't, they filter. 3) Not supplementing food after a tank deep-clean removes biofilm.
The practical routine, read top to bottom.
75 L+. Strong directional flow (a powerhead or stream pump) is essential — they perch in the current and fan-feed. Hardscape perches: driftwood, stones at varying heights.
Where it comes from, how it behaves, and the variants you'll see at retail.
Where it lived before it came home.
Fast-flowing streams across Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines).
How they pair, reproduce, and grow.
Males have visibly enlarged first pair of legs. Females smaller, with the first pair more delicate.
Every 6–10 weeks. Slower than dwarf shrimp.
Females carry hundreds of larvae that require brackish/marine water — not feasible at home. Almost all retail stock is wild-caught.
The named cultivars and the lookalikes worth flagging.
Reddish-brown to mottled tan, slight banding. They can change colour slightly based on diet and mood.
Direct answers to the questions search engines and AI assistants surface most often about this species.
Minimum tank: 75 L with a colony of 1+. Bamboo / Wood Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) reach 8–10 cm as adults.
Target 22–28 °C, pH 7.0–7.5, 6–15 dGH, and 200–400 ppm TDS. Mature, cycled, low-nitrate water is non-negotiable.
Tank-mate notes: Peaceful community fish only. Plant safety: Yes.
Breeding: Larvae need brackish, not practical at home. In a stable colony of 1+ adults you will see berried females naturally once parameters and food are right.
Diet: filter feeder, Catches microscopic particles in fans, powdered fry food, suspended algae, micron particulates in the current. Algae-eating rating: 2/5.
Typical lifespan: 2–3 years.
A planted tank is a system. Pair this shrimp with one entry from each other pillar to plan the whole scape.
