Bamboo Shrimp Group Size?

[CezzaXV]

Hey all,

Just wondering if there's a minimum number of bamboo shrimp I should be looking to keep together as a group as I can't seem to find this information online.

 

[KittyKat]

There isn't really a minimum number. Most people keep only one as these shrimp need specialised target feeding. If you are able to target feed a few times per day, then a group of any size should be fine, but if you can't target feed more than once per day, then it might be best to keep only one, so it doesn't have to share the "background" level of food with anyone else.

 

[CezzaXV]

I'm assuming my target feed you mean specifically feed them and only them?

Is there an easy way of doing this?

 

[Caprichoso]

I'm assuming my target feed you mean specifically feed them and only them?

Is there an easy way of doing this?

Before my tank was established I had to target feed. I would use a mortar and pestle to crush up shrimp food into a fine powder then add some tank water to the food, then swirl it into the water column by the filter current. The use of a needle free syringe and squirting the food in the direction of the shrimp is another way to do this.

Also, though you don't need to have a group of them, having a couple of them always looks nice

 

[KittyKat]

What Caprichoso said. If the tank is large, then squirting the food towards the shrimp is more needed and if you keep multiple shrimp, I would lean towards feeding the shrimp specifically in the long term.

 

[CezzaXV]

Thanks for that. Ideally I only wanted one or two anyway, but couldn't find any info on group size.

Do they need special shrimp food or can I crush up some ordinary flake?

I'm getting fish next week so I need to go fish food shopping lol.

 

[Caprichoso]

Thanks for that. Ideally I only wanted one or two anyway, but couldn't find any info on group size.

Do they need special shrimp food or can I crush up some ordinary flake?

I'm getting fish next week so I need to go fish food shopping lol.

Feeding them something algae based is good. I crushed up spirulina flakes and fed them that.

 

[Louiseness]

Thanks for that. Ideally I only wanted one or two anyway, but couldn't find any info on group size.

Do they need special shrimp food or can I crush up some ordinary flake?

I'm getting fish next week so I need to go fish food shopping lol.

If you get an algae on your glass, cleaning it off with a (new, tank-only!) sponge then squeezing the sponge into the water makes them very happy Also a crushed up algae wafer dissolved and then poured into the current where they're sitting seems to work.

 

[CezzaXV]

Update:

I've now got one bamboo shrimp, but I'm concerned about whether or not he's getting enough food. He seems to spend a lot of his time sifting through the sand looking for food, he hardly ever does the "fan" thing, even though there are quite a few bits floating around in the water. I read that if they're sifting through the substrate that means they're really hungry, but at the same time, he's a bright orange, healthy colour (he was a very pale yellow-brown when I got him at the LFS). He does seem to be putting his fans in his mouth a fair bit when he's sifting through the sand, so presumably this means he's finding stuff to eat.

Advice?

 

[KittyKat]

Have your tried using a pipette or similar to direct a very fine food and water mix directly at the shrimp? Try doing a tiny bit at a time, so the first blast gets his attention, then the rest he can catch and eat.

 

[Caprichoso]

Update:

I've now got one bamboo shrimp, but I'm concerned about whether or not he's getting enough food. He seems to spend a lot of his time sifting through the sand looking for food, he hardly ever does the "fan" thing, even though there are quite a few bits floating around in the water. I read that if they're sifting through the substrate that means they're really hungry, but at the same time, he's a bright orange, healthy colour (he was a very pale yellow-brown when I got him at the LFS). He does seem to be putting his fans in his mouth a fair bit when he's sifting through the sand, so presumably this means he's finding stuff to eat.

Advice?

Yes, he's scouring for food so there may not be enough mico food in your water column for him to eat. Try the syringe feeding or take an algae water and with your nail, scrape some particles off it right by his open fans. How is your current btw? They prefer a strong current and need a sitting place where they can access the current. For example, my bamboo shrimp sit on the top of my heater and also on some drift wood as I have strategically placed it by the filter output where the current is the the strongest. Also, coloration is not an indication of health with these guys. They can be bright orange or red and be perfectly healthy but they can also be that colour and drop dead soon after.

 

[CezzaXV]

Update:

I've now got one bamboo shrimp, but I'm concerned about whether or not he's getting enough food. He seems to spend a lot of his time sifting through the sand looking for food, he hardly ever does the "fan" thing, even though there are quite a few bits floating around in the water. I read that if they're sifting through the substrate that means they're really hungry, but at the same time, he's a bright orange, healthy colour (he was a very pale yellow-brown when I got him at the LFS). He does seem to be putting his fans in his mouth a fair bit when he's sifting through the sand, so presumably this means he's finding stuff to eat.

Advice?

Yes, he's scouring for food so there may not be enough mico food in your water column for him to eat. Try the syringe feeding or take an algae water and with your nail, scrape some particles off it right by his open fans. How is your current btw? They prefer a strong current and need a sitting place where they can access the current. For example, my bamboo shrimp sit on the top of my heater and also on some drift wood as I have strategically placed it by the filter output where the current is the the strongest. Also, coloration is not an indication of health with these guys. They can be bright orange or red and be perfectly healthy but they can also be that colour and drop dead soon after.

I've got a Fluval 205, which is overkill for my 60L but the current is pretty strong. I've got my tank set up so there is wood and plants on the left side with a strong current and plenty of places for him to perch, then an open sandy area with less current on the right.

I just tried crushing up some flake and sprayed it with a pipette numerous times, sometimes right in front of him, then other times just into the water above him, and in front of the outflow of my filter so it was all over the tank. No response. I'd try crushing up some algae wafers but the ones I've got are rock hard. Maybe I need to try soaking them for a bit.

I've got some coconut caves down on the bottom. To begin with he never went in them, but now he's nearly always inside of on top of them. Not sure if this means anything. I always feed my fish on the right hand side sandy bit, so I wonder if that's why he's hanging there.

I'm concerned about the little guy.

 

[KittyKat]

Aye, do try pre-soaking the food before making it into a mush with the water. From what I understand, the bits of food really do need to be quite small… I actually have a mortar and pestle which are dedicated to fish food, maybe it's worth investing into a really cheap one for you too, so that you can crush the foods to powder instead of pre-soaking. Also, have you tried putting the food into a grip lock (ziploc) bag and bashing it with a rolling pin? Works a charm! Especially if you roll the pin over it once it's bashed to pieces.

 

[Caprichoso]

You will never find a bamboo shrimp in a cave unless there is a current in the cave. They are not like other types of shrimp. They will find the optimal place for catching food and they will stay there. If he hasn't opened his fans to feed yet and it's been a few days, it may not be a good sign. Either he is getting ready to moult and that is why he isn't interested in food or he is going to die. These shrimp are almost always fanning for food. They don't prowl around much so prowling or fans closed are generally bad signs. I'm assuming your ammonia and nitrites are at 0?

 

[CezzaXV]

I think a mortar and pestle might not be a bad idea - I do what I can with my fingers but I don't normally get the flake that small.

Is there any kind of food I could buy for him that would I could just add straight from the tub as is?

Ammonia and nitrites are at 0, yes.