Vampire shrimp care
Atya gabonensis · West Africa, from Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Vampire shrimp (Gabon shrimp) are large, peaceful filter-feeding shrimp, up to 6 inches, that fan food from the current with their hands; harder water is thought to turn them blue.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 74 to 84 °F (23 to 29 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 6 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Filter feeder
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep vampire shrimp
Vampire shrimp (Gabon shrimp) are large, peaceful filter-feeding shrimp, up to 6 inches, that fan food from the current with their hands; harder water is thought to turn them blue. Keep them in a mature 29 gallon or larger tank at 74 to 84 °F with flow, and caves to hide in when they molt.
Diet: Filter feeder: fine particles caught from the current; powdered foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Vampire shrimp tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Rosy barb
6 in · 29+ gal · 64–77 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Scissortail rasbora
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F
Sailfin molly
5.9 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Swordtail
5.5 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Moonlight gourami
5 in · 30+ gal · 77–84 °F
African butterflyfish
5 in · 30+ gal · 73–86 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: vampire shrimp need 74 to 84 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid: Cockatoo dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
Kribensis: Kribensis eat shrimp.
Blood parrot cichlid: Blood parrot cichlids eat shrimp.
Shell-dweller cichlid: Shell-dweller cichlids eat shrimp.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
What a vampire shrimp tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon vampire shrimp tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon vampire shrimp tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Vampire shrimp need 74 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding vampire shrimp.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 74 to 84 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a shrimp tank · Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common vampire shrimp problems
- They hide for days around a molt; leave the caves in place.
- A shrimp picking at the gravel is going hungry: it needs flow and fine food carried in the water.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Atya gabonensis. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Vampire shrimp Ray eye, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Scissortail rasbora Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sailfin molly Nick Tobler (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Moonlight gourami H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African butterflyfish Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kribensis André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blood parrot cichlid Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shell-dweller cichlid Richard A. Ingebrigtsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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