Vampire shrimp

Overview

Vampire shrimp (Atya gabonensis), also called viper or African fan shrimp, are large, armoured, colour-shifting filter-feeders that can reach 15 cm and live several years. Despite the dramatic name they’re peaceful and shy, sweeping suspended food from the current with feathery fans. They’re a stunning centrepiece invertebrate — but, like bamboo shrimp, prone to slow starvation if the tank can’t feed them. Their colour ranges from blue-grey to a warm rusty tan and can shift with mood and moulting, so a settled, well-fed individual is genuinely worth the extra effort they demand.

Tank & water

A 110 litre (30 gallon) or larger mature tank suits their size, appetite and need for flow:

• Strong water flow — position them near a filter outflow or powerhead so food drifts past their fans.
• A mature tank — an established system carries the suspended micro-food they filter; never add them to a new setup.
• Stable, cycled water — cycle fully; no copper, ever.
• Hides near flow — driftwood and caves let these shy shrimp settle and feed in the current.

Feeding

Vampire shrimp are filter feeders, not grazers. They need suspended particles: dose a powdered or crushed shrimp/fish food into the current, or stir the substrate near them to lift detritus into the flow. Feed several times a week, ideally after dark when these nocturnal shrimp are most active. Watching where yours chooses to perch tells you where the flow is strongest; aim your dosing upstream of that spot so a steady cloud of food drifts directly into its waiting fans.

Tankmates & breeding

Vampire shrimp are peaceful and shy and, at their size, safe with most community fish — just avoid large, aggressive or fin-nipping species. Home breeding is effectively impossible because their larvae need brackish water. Keep one as a long-lived, fascinating centrepiece.

Compare the similar demands of bamboo shrimp and see the best shrimp tank.