Are cherry shrimp really detrivores, or do they mainly eat algae?

chibikaie

AC Members
Nov 19, 2011
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New England, USA
Hi, I've been reading up on red cherry shrimp. Will they actually eat fish poop, or do they prefer algae? I know that some fish touted as tank cleaners are really bottom feeders and don't eat waste.
 
Algae. I have read a lot on RCS and I don't think I have ever read that. I would like to read that article,could you post a link?
 
I have a couple hundred cherry shrimp and they do not eat fish waste! Algae and some plant decay Yes.
 
Thanks for all the replies! I don't remember reading a particular article, just something along the lines of "if you have lots of fish waste, you should get shrimp and snails." I don't have algae yet and there is never any leftover fish food (unless I try to feed veggies, they are ignored), so I thought that sounded kind of fishy. It sounded too much like the old spiel about how you didn't have to feed catfish.

Of course, now that I have started reading about them, I kind of want some anyway! My air pump can run a second sponge filter and I have a spare 5 gallon tank ... I bet I could raise duckweed along with them ...
 
gazooks.


They are OMNIVORES

they don't eat POOP, they eat undigested matter available as food. They also eat small algae, protein, aufwuchs, infusoria, etc.
 
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