Why Is My Bamboo Shrimp Hiding, Is It Sick?

Last Updated on December 29, 2021 by cmoarz

Why is my bamboo shrimp hiding all the time? Is it sick or have I done something wrong?

These might be questions you are asking yourself. I had the same questions and many more when I first started raising bamboo shrimp.

Let me put your mind at ease by saying you probably aren’t doing anything wrong – and your shrimp is most likely fine.

So why does your bamboo shrimp hide?

There are actually several reasons bamboo shrimp will hide, and most of them are not harmful. Although there are a few reasons that they may be hiding that you will need to correct, such as a sick shrimp or too much light.

You’ll need to know what is normal for your bamboo shrimp, and how it reacts to certain conditions. After reading this article, you’ll know the difference between the two – if you ever experience something different than I’ve outlined here, feel free to ask in the comments section below!

They Are Hiding From Predators

If you’ve got other tank inhabitants such as fish, chances are your bamboo shrimp feel threatened. Bamboo shrimp are definitely on the bottom of the food chain in the aquarium, and they know it!

When you first introduce them to your tank, they may be skittish. Once they are comfortable – usually after 30 days – they will begin exploring their environment.

Hiding is natural to them, and it’s up to you to provide them with a safe tank. You will notice that they often look for hiding places that are very close by.

They are also sensitive to vibrations – if your tank inhabitants are making loud noises due to fighting or some other issue, the bamboo shrimp may hide until things settle down.

So if you have larger fish, even if they aren’t interested in eating your shrimp, the shrimp can still feel threatened by the presence of larger fish swimming nearby. It’s better to have a tank where your shrimp can feel safe, so keep this in mind if you are having issues with them hiding all the time.

They Are Molting

When a shrimp molts, it becomes a soft snack for almost every fish in the tank. But if you have invertebrates, it becomes a tasty treat they can eat without much effort.

This is yet another reason your shrimp will hide – they are waiting for their new exoskeleton to harden before venturing out of hiding.

A few days after molting, you’ll notice that the shrimp has a translucent body. This is a good sign – this means their new exoskeleton is beginning to harden and they will soon come out to explore their tank again.

So expect your very delicate very vulnerable shrimp to hide away during this molting and rehardening process.

They Are Carrying Berries (Eggs)

If you have a brackish tank then there’s a good chance your bamboo shrimp is carrying eggs.

When a shrimp is with eggs, she will spend most of her time hiding away until they hatch. The eggs are very small, so she will need to hide in order to protect them from hungry tank inhabitants.

They’re Young and Not Fully Grown Yet

Young shrimp spend most of their young lives hiding in plants, debris, or in tank decorations.

These young shrimp are very vulnerable to everything in the tank and they prefer to hide – even when they are in a large tank.

They will come out in their own time as they get older and braver.

They Don’t Feel Safe From Other Species in the Tank

Not all species of fish and snails get along well with shrimp. In fact, Some are much worse predators towards bamboo shrimp than others.

If your shrimp are hiding – and you have a large number of other tank inhabitants, then they are probably worried they are going to get eaten.

If They’ve Gone Missing Entirely:

If you’ve noticed one of your shrimp seems to have gone missing entirely and no matter where you look you can’t find him, there are a few places he could be.

Stuck in the filter: Sometimes shrimp get stuck in the filter or in the sump if your tank has one. They will usually be happy living a normal shrimp life inside the filter or sump, But simply can’t get out otherwise.

it’s one of the first places you should check after checking in plants and decorations. Remember shrimps are really good at hiding!

He fell out of the aquarium: Normally shrimp don’t jump and can’t really jump out of the tank, However, If you have any decorations that protrude out of the water, they can use it to fall out of the tank.

Shrimp are very good climbers and won’t pass up and opportunity to climb protruding decorations as a way to explore their surroundings. If that decoration or plant is hanging out of the tank, They can fall off.

It got eaten: And of course, you can’t ignore the possibility that your shrimp got eaten. If it’s a baby, it’s more than likely the case.

Or if you have mostly larger fish, and few shrimp-eating kinds of fish in the tank – there is a good chance one of those fish ate your shrimp.

Snails will also make quick work of shrimp after they’ve died. So if your shrimp died overnight it could have been devoured without you even knowing it.

So, can’t find my bamboo shrimp? It’s probably hiding in some plants or decorations which they often do as very good hiders. It might have gotten sucked up into the filter or sump, or it died and was eaten by another fish.