Moderate
Wood / Bamboo Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis)
22–28°C · pH 6.5–7.5 · 80L
£15.29
Vampire Shrimp (Atya gabonensis) is a peaceful filter-feeding African fan shrimp for mature 100L+ aquariums with suspended foods, steady flow and protected filter intakes.
Atya gabonensis
Vampire Shrimp live in groups — 6+ keeps them settled, active and showing their best colour.
Vampire Shrimp (Atya gabonensis) is a peaceful filter-feeding African fan shrimp for mature 100L+ aquariums with suspended foods, steady flow and protected filter intakes.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
Vampire Shrimp (Atya gabonensis) is a large, peaceful West African fan shrimp, also known as the Giant African Fan Shrimp or Giant African Filter Shrimp. Older aquarium sources may list it as Atyopsis gabonensis. Rather than scavenging for ordinary leftovers, it perches in moving water and opens feathered feeding fans to collect fine suspended food.
Its robust, bristly body can vary from slate blue or grey to tan and reddish-brown. Colour may change with age, surroundings, diet and moulting, so a fixed shade should not be expected.
What you receive: one unsexed shrimp from the selected size option. The selected sale size is not necessarily its adult size.
| Scientific name | Atya gabonensis |
|---|---|
| Other familiar names | Giant African Fan Shrimp; Giant African Filter Shrimp |
| Expected adult size | Approximately 12–15 cm |
| Minimum aquarium | About 100 litres for an adult; allow more space for several |
| Temperature | 23–28°C |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 |
| Care level | Moderate |
| Temperament | Peaceful filter feeder |
| Diet | Fine suspended foods and naturally occurring microorganisms |
Use a mature, fully cycled aquarium with zero ammonia and nitrite, stable oxygenation and enough established microbial life to support a filter feeder. Provide wood or rock perches directly in a steady, non-destructive current created by a filter return or suitable pump. Add planted, shaded retreats and calmer areas where the shrimp can shelter, especially while moulting.
Protect filter and pump intakes with a shrimp-safe guard. This prevents the shrimp or a soft, newly moulted animal from being drawn against an intake. Stable water conditions matter more than repeatedly adjusting the aquarium to reach one exact value.
Vampire Shrimp need food that remains suspended long enough to reach their open fans. Offer small portions of powdered invertebrate food, finely crushed quality flake, spirulina-based fine food or other suitable microscopic foods upstream of the shrimp. Naturally occurring microorganisms contribute in a mature aquarium, but the shrimp should not be expected to survive on leftovers or clean the tank for you.
A healthy shrimp will often choose a current-facing perch and fan the water. Repeatedly scraping the floor with closed fans can indicate that too little suitable food is reaching it. Adjust placement and feeding carefully rather than adding enough powder to cloud or pollute the aquarium.
This is a shy, non-predatory shrimp that is often more confident in subdued light and among secure cover. Choose calm community fish that will not nip its feeding fans or attack it during a moult. Peaceful shrimp and snails can also be suitable when their care requirements match.
Avoid large predatory fish, aggressive or boisterous cichlids and persistent nippers. Several fan shrimp can share a suitably spacious aquarium when each has access to a good feeding perch and refuge. Leave a clean shed exoskeleton in the aquarium unless there is a treatment or contamination concern; shrimp often consume it as part of normal mineral recovery.
For a smaller fan-feeding species, compare our Wood or Bamboo Shrimp, or browse more aquarium shrimp and crustaceans.
Shrimp are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and water chemistry. Prepare the mature aquarium before delivery, keep the lights low on arrival and follow the supplied acclimation guidance without unnecessary handling. Observe the shrimp over the following days to confirm that it settles on a feeding perch and receives suspended food.
Medication warning: copper can be dangerous to freshwater shrimp, particularly around moulting. Check every medication and treatment for invertebrate safety before it enters the aquarium.
Eligible livestock orders are covered by the Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee; review the published arrival, evidence and acclimation conditions before delivery day.
Gallery lifestyle images are representative illustrations rather than WYSIWYG photographs of the animal dispatched. They illustrate the fan-feeding body form, but they cannot guarantee the exact shrimp’s colour, size, sex or condition. Natural colour variation is normal and is especially noticeable around moulting.
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