# Do shrimps eat plants?



## gibbus (Sep 16, 2006)

I've seen shrimps nibbling on plants, are they actually eating the plants or just the decaying stuff?


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

Most shrimp only eat detrius or algae. Depends on what specie of shrimp you are talking about.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

The only shrimp that I've had eat a plant is Amano's, which eat the tops off the Hydro verticillata.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

I've been wondering that myself. I have a 10 gallon cherry shrimp jungle, with MTS and ramshorns. The MTS aren't the culprits, but either the cherry shrimp or the ramshorns do eat riccia. I put a couple floating handfuls into the tank a couple months ago, not so much as a single piece is left. I also see java ferns, Aponogetums, and stem plants with holes eaten in the leaves, and the dwarf lily leaves look like swiss cheese.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Shrimp only pick off the algae on plants. =)

At least...I hope so. lol.


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## gibbus (Sep 16, 2006)

ramshorn snails eat plants that i've seen them do. but i've seen cherries nibbling on plants. just not sure if its decaying plants.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

my brigs LOVE dwarf lily leaves. Yup, looks either like swiss cheese or like a caterpillar ate the edges. I actually feed it to them in other tanks when the leaves get too big and cover all the light.


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## Purrbox (Jun 1, 2006)

Unless you actually see damage to the plant after a shrimp has been picking at it, many times they are simply picking off the micro organisms and algae that live on the plant but isn't visible to us. If there is damage to the plant it could be that it wasn't healthy to start and they were simply eating the damaged portion.


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## gibbus (Sep 16, 2006)

If its the shrimp eating the plants, does that mean that I need to add more feedings? If they're just eating the micronutrients and stuff around and on the leaves and decaying leaves, why have I seen them apparently nibbling on the healthy robust plants?


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