Common Name:
African Giant Filter Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp, African Fan Shrimp
Scientific Name:
Atya gabonensis
Size:
over 15cm
Temperature:
tropical species, best kept at 75°F-84°F
Food:
Filters floating food items from the water, should be given very small flake food or crushed/powderized food. Also takes food from the ground if there is nothing to filter.
Origin:
West Africa and Eastern Tropica. South America both sides of the Atlantic.
Larval Development Type:
Normal: larvae go through several planktonic stages before metamorphosing into post-larvae (miniature shrimp) and assuming a benthic lifestyle. For this process they need brackish water to full strength saltwater.
The African Filter Shrimp is very rare in the hobby. It is usually not sold in pet stores and is rarely available through importers. Just like their asian cousins, they filter tiny food particles out of the water as their main food. As with all filter feeding shrimp, these shrimp are also entirely wild-caught. This will deplete their numbers in the long run, especially if this shrimp becomes more popular in the future. I am hoping to get these animals soon and attempt to breed them also, so they can be widely available.
Their coloration seems to be very variable and changes even with age. It could range from a brownish blue, to black, grey or even white. The above picture probably shows what they look like when fully grown. As the Asian Filter Shrimp, they are a long lived species and live at least 5 years when kept correctly. They will survive for a long time in a community tank, however they will never thrive there and probably starve to death slowly since there won't ever be enough food for them to filter or pick up from the ground (fish are always faster). It is best to put them in a species tank or plant tank and feed them floating micro-food items. They they will also display their best colors and their various techniques of filtering food out of the water.
These shrimp should never be housed with fish that could hurt it, such as most cichlids, even if the fish is smaller than the shrimp or the same size. The African Filter Shrimp itself is totally harmless and is not even capable of hurting the smallest fry or other, smaller shrimp. Thus, it can be housed with all of the algae eating shrimp mentioned on this website, regardless of size.
I thought I was buying singapore woodshrimp. Do I infact have this shrimp?
The shrimps are blue, and blue grey. They do not have the line down the back like asian woodshrimp. So, do I posess the African monsters? Or, will thier color change? I'm confused as this info says, the gabonensis shrimp is rarely available in petshops. Thanks.
African Giant Filter Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp, African Fan Shrimp
Scientific Name:
Atya gabonensis
Size:
over 15cm
Temperature:
tropical species, best kept at 75°F-84°F
Food:
Filters floating food items from the water, should be given very small flake food or crushed/powderized food. Also takes food from the ground if there is nothing to filter.
Origin:
West Africa and Eastern Tropica. South America both sides of the Atlantic.
Larval Development Type:
Normal: larvae go through several planktonic stages before metamorphosing into post-larvae (miniature shrimp) and assuming a benthic lifestyle. For this process they need brackish water to full strength saltwater.
The African Filter Shrimp is very rare in the hobby. It is usually not sold in pet stores and is rarely available through importers. Just like their asian cousins, they filter tiny food particles out of the water as their main food. As with all filter feeding shrimp, these shrimp are also entirely wild-caught. This will deplete their numbers in the long run, especially if this shrimp becomes more popular in the future. I am hoping to get these animals soon and attempt to breed them also, so they can be widely available.
Their coloration seems to be very variable and changes even with age. It could range from a brownish blue, to black, grey or even white. The above picture probably shows what they look like when fully grown. As the Asian Filter Shrimp, they are a long lived species and live at least 5 years when kept correctly. They will survive for a long time in a community tank, however they will never thrive there and probably starve to death slowly since there won't ever be enough food for them to filter or pick up from the ground (fish are always faster). It is best to put them in a species tank or plant tank and feed them floating micro-food items. They they will also display their best colors and their various techniques of filtering food out of the water.
These shrimp should never be housed with fish that could hurt it, such as most cichlids, even if the fish is smaller than the shrimp or the same size. The African Filter Shrimp itself is totally harmless and is not even capable of hurting the smallest fry or other, smaller shrimp. Thus, it can be housed with all of the algae eating shrimp mentioned on this website, regardless of size.
I thought I was buying singapore woodshrimp. Do I infact have this shrimp?
The shrimps are blue, and blue grey. They do not have the line down the back like asian woodshrimp. So, do I posess the African monsters? Or, will thier color change? I'm confused as this info says, the gabonensis shrimp is rarely available in petshops. Thanks.
