Will Cherry Red Shrimp Eat Dead Fish?

Cherry Red shrimp are freshwater shrimp that originated in eastern China. They were introduced later to Japan, Taiwan, and Hawaii and are commonly kept as aquarium pets today. You may have heard about shrimp being scavengers—so does it mean Cherry Red shrimp will eat dead fish upon encountering one?

Cherry Red shrimp will eat dead fish or anything they come across—dead or alive—be it plants or animals. In the wild and captivity alike, shrimps, in general, are not only omnivores but also scavengers. Cherry Red shrimp can eat algae, biofilm, vegetables, and commercial shrimp food pellets.

This article will go more into depth about the Cherry Red shrimp diet. Read on to learn more!

Cherry Red Shrimp Are Scavengers

In the animal kingdom, a scavenger is an animal that will consume dead organisms, even if they have died from other causes aside from predators. Because shrimp are scavengers, they’ll eat dead fish by picking parasites and skin off them. The result is that humans wind up eating shrimp with ingested parasites.

If you wonder if your Cherry Red shrimp will eat dead fish, the answer is yes; they will.

Should I Allow My Cherry Red Shrimp To Eat Dead Fish?

It would be best if you didn’t allow your Cherry Red shrimp to eat dead fish. The reason is the fish may have died of a disease. Once the shrimp defecate after eating a dead fish, their “infected” excrement will cause an ammonia spike in the tank, ultimately killing the shrimp.

To avoid an ammonia spike, immediately remove any dead fish from your tank!

Should I Allow My Cherry Red Shrimp To Eat Dead Shrimp?

You shouldn’t allow your Cherry Red shrimp to eat dead shrimp as you wouldn’t with dead fish. It isn’t remotely beneficial to do so. Your shrimp won’t get any nutrients from eating other shrimp. Furthermore, you risk your shrimp getting infected by a diseased, dead shrimp.

Immediately remove all dead shrimp from your tank to avoid the spread of infection.

Spikes in Ammonia Levels Can Kill Cherry Red Shrimp

Excessive ammonia is one of the most common struggles among aquarium enthusiasts and shrimp breeders. People who are eager to collect many shrimp or breeders trying to create profits tend to make the mistake of overcrowding their tanks to the point of an ammonia spike.

The resulting spike kills all the shrimp (and any fish that were sharing the tank), rendering their effortless fruitless. Ammonia is a nitrogenous waste, and shrimp feed is high in nitrogen, resulting in the deadly ammonia spikes that have been known to wipe out entire shrimp colonies like a plague.

Ammonia is dangerous to shrimp and fish because it damages their hepatopancreas, gills, and gut lining. The insulting damage often includes metabolism, immunity, respiration damage, and the ability to excrete, absorb nutrients, and even molt and grow!

How To Prevent Ammonia Build-Up

Maintaining proper water parameters, avoiding overfeeding your shrimp, and removing dead fish and excess waste are all ways to prevent an ammonia spike in your tank.

More specifically, you should consider the following:

Maintain the salinity. Salinity will affect the ionic strength of the water, which, in turn, will affect the ammonia ionization (which affects how toxic the ammonia itself is). To avoid an ammonia spike, keep the culture of the water at a salinity range between 25 and 35 ppt.
Maintain the dissolved oxygen. The dissolved oxygen range needed to prevent an ammonia spike is >5 ppm.
Maintain the pH balance. The pH balance is a factor in ammonia ionization because it determines how toxic the ammonia will be.
Maintain the alkalinity: Alkalinity is the tank water’s ability to maintain a steady pH level.

Products for Maintaining a Tank’s Alkalinity

The simplest way to maintain the alkalinity of your shrimp tank is by getting a pH stabilizer. You may consider any of the following from Amazon.com:

API Aquarium Stabilizer

This product is meant for aquariums that don’t contain live plants. It sets and stabilizes the water pH to 8.2 so that fish stay “healthy and colorful.” This product is especially great if you have fish at home, too.

Continuum Aquatics Stabilizer

Made in the USA, this product is designed to raise the alkalinity of freshwater. It is safe to use in aquariums with live plants. It will not promote unwanted algae growth and keep the water at a pH of 7.8 or lower.

Seachem Fish Tank Stabilizer

This product will promote bacterial growth, so it’s ideal to use if you are trying to create bacteria for your shrimp to eat. It is designed to prevent “new tank syndrome,” which is an instance where a fish dies after being introduced to a new tank. Handy for keeping dead fish at bay!

Conclusion

In conclusion, it would be good practice to immediately remove dead fish and shrimp from your tank to prevent the spread of infection and ammonia spikes. While a shrimp could get away with eating dead things in the vastness of the ocean, it is not advisable in the smallness of a tank!