Vampire shrimp

Water parameters

Tolerated range for this species. Aim for the middle of each band rather than the extremes.

Tank and habitat

Substrate: any.

Behavior

Plant interaction: plant safe.

Typically wild-caught; acclimate slowly.

Feeding

Filter feeder that captures suspended particles from the water column. In tanks with good current, they position themselves facing the flow and extend their fan-like maxillipeds to trap passing food. Powdered food (spirulina powder, crushed flake dust, baby brine shrimp), green water (microalgae suspension), and very fine particulate matter suspended in the current are the diet. Squirt powdered food upstream of the shrimp using a pipette or turkey baster and let the current carry it to them. They don't eat from the substrate like cherry shrimp or Amano shrimp. In tanks with strong biofilm and particulate-rich water, they find enough food on their own. In clean, well-filtered tanks, targeted feeding 2-3 times weekly is necessary.

Nocturnal feeder; drop food after lights out.

Compatibility

• Peaceful filter-feeding shrimp that catches suspended particles from the water column using fan-like appendages. The feeding behavior is the main attraction: they sit in the current and wave their fans to trap food.
• Safe with everything. They don't threaten any tankmate and are too large (8–15 cm) for most fish to eat. Avoid housing with aggressive cichlids that might harass them.
• Needs current. The fan-feeding behavior requires moderate to strong flow that carries food particles past their position. In still-water tanks, they can't feed properly and starve.
• Reclusive and nocturnal. They hide during the day and emerge at dusk to find a current-facing spot for feeding. Expect to see them mainly in the evening.

Origin and habitat

Native to West Africa, from Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; accounts of occurrence in South America are erroneous and likely refer to a different species, Atya scabra. A member of the family Atyidae. Found in fast-flowing, oxygen-rich streams where the shrimp positions itself in areas of strong current to filter suspended particles from the water using feather-like fan-shaped claspers. An omnivorous filter feeder; completely peaceful despite the "vampire" common name, which refers to the dramatic appearance and posture rather than any predatory behavior. Other common names include African fan shrimp, African filter shrimp, African giant shrimp, Gabon shrimp, and Cameroon fan shrimp. Can grow to 15 cm, making it one of the largest freshwater shrimp available in the hobby. Body coloration is highly variable: blue, gray, brown, white, or pink, and can change several times per year. Nocturnal; spends much of the day hiding under rocks or driftwood (Quinn's Fins). Captive breeding in freshwater aquariums has not been achieved because larval development requires brackish water conditions. Trade specimens are wild-caught from African rivers. Lifespan up to 5 years with proper care. IUCN Least Concern.

Breeding

Not bred in home aquariums. Larvae require brackish to marine water for development, making a freshwater-only lifecycle impossible. Females carry eggs under the abdomen. When released, the larvae need to reach brackish water to survive. In the wild, this occurs in estuarine areas where rivers meet the coast. Replicating this transition in captivity is theoretically possible but has not been achieved on a practical scale. All vampire shrimp in the trade are wild-caught.

Common problems

Starvation is the primary cause of death in captivity. The filter-feeding strategy is fundamentally different from the scavenging behavior of other common shrimp. Keepers who treat vampire shrimp like cherry shrimp (dropping food onto the substrate) will starve them. The shrimp needs suspended food particles carried by current past their fans. Without current, they can't feed. Without fine particulate food, they have nothing to catch. Both conditions must be met. Molting failures from mineral deficiency kill them the same way as other large shrimp: maintain GH above 6 and provide calcium. Copper sensitivity applies. Hiding during the day is normal; they're nocturnal. A vampire shrimp that never emerges at night is likely in distress.

Bioload

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size