The Ember Tetra is a beautiful fish that has many people wondering: do ember tetras eat shrimp? Unfortunately, the answer to this question isn’t quite as easy as it may seem. Several factors are involved in determining whether or not these two species can coexist in the same tank.
No, ember tetras don’t eat shrimp as ember tetras are way small to eat up well-grown shrimps. But they might much shrimp eggs floating around in the tank.
In this article, we’ll discuss them all so you can make an informed decision about whether or not your fish tank will be safe for both types of aquatic beings!
Do Ember Tetras Eat Shrimp?
No, Ember Tetras do not eat shrimp. Ember tetras are too small to eat most varieties of shrimp. Ember Tetras, like most tetra fish, will not harm or eat up adult shrimp.
If you keep shrimp with ember tetras, they do not need to be separated. However, it is a good idea to add some plants to the tank. One of them will most probably stay at the bottom of the tank while ember tetras are mid- or top-dwellers, making them compatible with each other.
However, your shrimp eggs and babies might not be safe with ember tetras. Ember tetras are small fish but have big enough mouths to fit and eat your shrimp eggs and babies.
Can Ember Tetras Live With Shrimp?
Yes, Ember Tetras and Shrimp can live together. This can be one of the most compatible pairings. Ember Tetras are not large enough to swallow up adult shrimp or their eggs. In contrast, the shrimp can stay away from ember tetra’s territory and enjoy a peaceful aquarium life with its new companion.
Ember tetras are small and less aggressive than some other fish like the tiger barb or zebra danios. They will eat any food offered to them, including plant-based foods and frozen or live animals like brine shrimp, krill, or insects.
One of the benefits is that they are not territorial and can live with other small fish like platys, guppies, neon tetras, etc. but will eat any food offered to them, including shrimp eggs if you have these available in your tank.
The temperaments of Ember Tetra make it easy for them to live with shrimp. If there is plenty of food for everyone to share, then Ember tetra and shrimps can coexist peacefully.
Ember Tetra can’t eat adult shrimp as they are too small, but it will prey on eggs if you have these in the tank and keep them apart. They also don’t bother other fish like zebra danios or tetras that live with them and can be more compatible than other popular fish.
Factor That Determines If Ember Tetras Eat Shrimp Or Not:
Various factors determine if Ember Tetras will eat shrimp. These factors include the size difference between ember tetras and shrimps, their temperaments (some are more aggressive than others), availability of food and resources, and whether or not they have an egg-eating temperament.
Size Difference
Ember tetra fish is only about an inch to inch-and-a-half long, while shrimp is usually around to inches. Therefore, Ember Tetra’s mouth size is too small for most varieties of shrimps. For example, a much larger fish than another has more chance to eat it and vice versa.
Temperament
Ember tetras are very peaceful, non-aggressive fish that won’t bother other fish or invertebrates like shrimp and snails as long as they have enough room to swim away if necessary.
Availability Of Food And Resources
If you decide to put these fish together, make sure there is enough food and space for everyone to eat.
Availability of food and resources can determine whether ember tetra will eat shrimp or not. For example, if there is plenty of fish food in the tank, your tetra might not need to eat shrimp. But if there is not enough food, then it might resort to eating the shrimp.
Do Ember Tetras Eat Shrimp Eggs?
Yes, ember tetra will eat shrimp, eggs, and babies. The size of the mouth is not too large for an adult or baby shrimp but can be big enough to fit in a small egg. So please keep them separated while saving your shrimps’ eggs.
This can be a good thing in the case of Red Cherry Shrimp eggs. Red cherry shrimps lay tons of eggs which can overpopulate the tank. Hence, ember tetras might act as a helping hand in this case.
How To Save Shrimp Eggs From Ember Tetras?
Add a filter sponge in the tank if you want to save your shrimp eggs from ember tetras. The filter will help catch and keep food particles for the fish while trapping any stray egg masses of shrimp with its nooks and crannies.
It would help if you separated your ember tetras from your shrimp while saving eggs that have been laid.
Separate your shrimp and ember tetras to avoid this problem from happening in the first place. You can also use a fish net as an extra precaution or keep them on top of plants like java moss, where they are impossible for the other fish to reach up there.
You can remove the eggs before putting any fish in your tank or put them together and make sure there is enough food available for everyone to eat. If you have many shrimp eggs, it’s better to keep ember tetras away from breeding areas until they are all hatched to avoid any chance of being eaten by the tetras.
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What Do Ember Tetras Eat?
Ember tetras are omnivores. They will eat both animal and plant-based foods. A balanced diet includes:
- Fish flakes
- Aquatic Insects (they can be used as live or frozen food)
- Brine shrimp
- Krill pellets
- Vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, peas, spinach, etc. *must be blanched.
Best Commercial Food For Ember Tetra Fish
Here are some of the best fish foods for ember tetra:
Hikari Algae Wafers
Hikari Algae Wafers are a great food for tetra fish; they’re also easy to find at your local pet store. They come in many different varieties and sizes, depending on the size of your tank. They have one specifically made for ember tetras and one for larger fish.
Tetra Fish Flakes
Tetra fish flakes are a great food for tetras. They come in many different flavors and sizes; they also last longer than other foods, which is good if you start with ember tetras because it allows them to grow into the larger flake before needing more food.
New Life Spectrum Cichlid
New life spectrum cichlid is a fish food made for smaller tank sizes, with many different varieties to choose from. It has an algae wafer specifically for ember tetra and larger fish and flakes in multiple flavors depending on the variety you want.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ember Tetras can eat baby shrimp, but they will not prey on them. Ember tetra’s size and temperament prevent them from being a threat to adult shrimp. Some factors determine if an ember tetra would or wouldn’t eat a shrimp, and those should always be taken into account when trying to provide for these fish.