Red Cherry Shrimps and Guppies live in similar water parameters. So, if you decide to keep both of these species in the same fish tank, do you have to worry about your Red Cherry Shrimps eating Guppy fry? You can find out in this article from Aquarium Blueprints.
To start off, it should be noted that Red Cherry Shrimps are omnivores, which means that they need to consume both meat and plant-based food. These invertebrates are naturally scavengers as they are opportunistic when it comes to finding food. So, if they see an opportunity to eat something, then the shrimps will most likely start picking at it.
With that said, Guppy fry are far too quick to get caught by Red Cherry Shrimps. The babies should start swimming around almost immediately right after birth. Not to mention that the shrimps are extremely docile and will immediately dash away if they sense any movement, which they will identify as potential danger. Thus, you don’t have to worry about the shrimp eating any live healthy fry in your fish tank.
If you do see your Cherry Shrimp eating a smaller Guppy, then it is more than likely that the fry is dead or near death.
How to prevent your Red Cherry Shrimps from eating Guppy fry
If you want to be extra cautious in preventing your Red Cherry Shrimp from hunting your Guppy fry in your fish tank, then you can try adding a lot of hiding places. Using something like live plants will make it a lot harder for your shrimps to chase down any of your Guppy babies.
Of course, you should also make sure that you are feeding your shrimps enough so that they don’t have to go looking for additional food sources. Make sure that your pet inverts are getting enough protein as beginners often neglect the fact that shrimps need to consume meat to along with plants in order to survive.
The good news is that most fish food, which should include those that you are feeding your Guppies, come with protein. If you drop enough of these food in your tank where your shrimps can easily find and consume the meaty meals, then it will dramatically decrease their chances of eating Guppy fry.
Of course, you can also feed your Red Cherry Shrimps specially made products, such as the Shrimp King Complete.
