If you are wondering whether or not your cherry shrimp eat fish poop, you’re not alone. A question that plagues aquarists for years is “Do cherry shrimp eat fish poop?” They will eat it when they’re underfed, but they won’t consume enough to hurt your java moss. And, if you don’t have time to vacuum your substrate, they’ll eat leftovers and pollutants as well.
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Cherry shrimp graze for food throughout the day
The Cherry shrimp will eat the slimy coating from the snails. Healthy snails will not be able to survive the grazing as the shrimp will eat the slimy coating from the dead ones. You can buy aquarium plants for your Cherry shrimp and place them in your breeding tank. The frequency of feeding will depend on the colony size and the presence of biofilms and algae. Their behavior will tell you if they are hungry.
They won’t eat enough to harm java moss
The most common misconception about cherry shrimp is that they are a threat to java moss. While these shrimp are harmless to most fish, they can actually harm java moss if they’re exposed to too much fish poop. Fortunately, adult cherry shrimp will not eat enough fish poop to harm java moss. However, if you’re planning on keeping cherry shrimp as a decorative piece in your aquarium, you may want to keep an extra tank for them.
They will back off if they eat fish poop
When your fish begin to produce stringy white poop, it is a clinical sign that it has not been eating properly. If you do not immediately remove the poop, you can wait until the fish has regained enough weight and energy to eat it again. If they eat fish poop, they will back off. If you do not notice any abnormal signs of poop in your fish, it is probably a natural part of the digestive process.
They will eat poop when underfed
One of the benefits of having cherry shrimp is that they are excellent algae eaters, and they can survive on algae that is in your tank. Although these fish technically can survive on algae in your tank, it is still important to feed them external food on occasion. These shrimp have very light bodies, so they can attach themselves to algae that is on your aquarium’s glass. As long as you regularly feed them, they should be healthy and happy.
They won’t eat snails
It may seem counterintuitive that cherry shrimp won’t eat snails. After all, these shrimp eat algae, plant matter, and other organisms in the tank. But if you’re keeping a tank with snails, you’d better be careful. While cherry shrimp can coexist with snails, they’re not obligate omnivores. You can’t mix them with other types of fish, because they’ll attack the snail if it’s not hungry.
They won’t eat fish eggs
While cherry shrimp are known for their omnivorous appetites, they are not picky eaters. They’ll sometimes mistake fish poop for food, and then spit it out once they realize it’s not a food source. However, they won’t clean your aquarium by eating the fish poop. You can’t keep your aquarium free of fish poop if you own a tank with cherry shrimp.
They won’t eat decaying matter
If you’re looking for an algae eater for your tank, cherry shrimp are an excellent choice. They can eat almost any type of algae in the tank, and are technically algae eaters. However, they are prone to spot algae, and will require some external food every now and then. You should select high-quality pellets, and check the labels of other types of fish food, as they’re sensitive to copper.
They won’t eat fish poop
The truth is that cherry shrimp won’t eat fish pops. Though they can swallow small amounts of fish waste, they can recognize that they’re not supposed to eat it. As such, they’ll often spit it out. However, you won’t benefit from the shrimp eating fish poop if you don’t change the water regularly or use filters. If you want a clean tank, don’t buy a cherry shrimp.
