# Do shrimp eat fish eggs?



## Jookie (Sep 30, 2003)

I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this question. I have a breeding tank set up, but there are a few cherries that piggy-backed on some java moss. 

The problem? Some people swear that cherries will eat fish eggs that are fertile and non-fungused. Others have said that small shrimp like ghost, cherry, chrystal will actually clean the eggs off and not harm them if they are in fact fertile. There are even pictures of a breeding tank setup where this guy took pics of his ghost shrimp cleaning off the eggs without consuming them. 

So, does anyone have experience raising fish eggs and fry with shrimp in the same tank? Did they seem to affect the numbers that hatched?


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## customdrumfinishes (Apr 1, 2008)

i have heard that shrimp will eat the bateria off fish eggs and wont hurt them. but i heard that not seen it.


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## praxis5624 (Apr 22, 2006)

Shrimp are opportunistic feeders that will consume any edible foods available including fertile / non- fertile eggs. Not good inhabitants in a breeding tank.


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## aznb0i (Feb 14, 2008)

I keep my shrimps with BN pleco. My plecos spawned for the first time but the male kicked out the eggs. Found my shrimps snacking on the eggs...


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## samueloplinger (3 mo ago)

I have also been around and around in my research on this question. And something you said resonated with me… That you’ve heard this and that, but are questioning what you have actually seen. Yes, I’ve seen ghost and Neo shrimp interact with eggs. We’re they just cleaning? No clear answer. BUT, I have seen both species eat entire blood worms. Those are comparatively huge and they are definitely consuming the protein packed snack. I can’t imagine they’d preen and clean your fertilized eggs and skip snacking on the yolk, as they are necessarily opportunistic. This is just donning on me, TBH. I have 20 tanks and shrimp in most of them. I also have only succeeded with only one broadcast egg-layer, whereas all my other spawning successes have been of the variety of fishes that actively parent. Maybe my innocent little crustaceans are the blame?


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## marple (2 mo ago)

Interesting topic, I wonder if anyone has had succes with shrimp and egg-layers that do not parent? Maybe there is something in planting or aquascape that can increase the chances of succes?
And I wonder if the snails could eat the fish eggs to? And then there are some parents as well who eat their own eggs. Boy, so much danger for these poor little eggs...


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