Wierd Eggs?

[lozronz]

Hi,
I woke up this morning to find these in my tank, normally I would just assume them to be eggs but the only inhabitants of the tank are- one very large long-armed shrimp and a Jewel Cichlid!

I assume they must be the Cichlids because I'm sure the shrimp is male and he ate his wife a month ago and even if its female, wouldn't she carry the eggs?! The behaviour of both have changed, the Jewel Cichlid has started coming out more and the shrimp who will eat anything including entire Nymphaea Stellata bulb/root stock (which are like stones) and plastic plants has left the eggs well alone.

I know nothing about the breeding of Jewel Cichlids, as she has been by herself for 4 months at least presumiably there is no possible way they could be fertile?

 

[lozronz]

I know I'm talking to myself, but!...

This is really wierd, I have been doing some googling, it seems like the Jewel Cichlid usually lays opaque or white eggs and they are flat to the stone, not suspended in goo like these.

And I can find much less about it but the shrimp seem to vary in colour according to the water type they are in but still don't look anything like this, and Im sure he is male.

 

[jayjay]

Not the jewel's, like you said, they are laid flat on rocks, with the parent(s) protecting them. Also those eggs are fertile it would seem due to the colour. Are they the only things in the tank? Can you seperate them and hatch them?

 

[lozronz]

I would love to think they were but how could they possibly be furtile? I only have 1 fish in there and 1 shrimp. The other shrimp died like a month and a half ago.

The Jewel Cichlid is guarding them now, she hardly ever comes out of her hiding place but now she is hovering by them out in the open and has been for a couple of hours.

Do Jewels lay eggs even when they are not in a pair? could it be that she got egg bound and they are old eggs or something? I really have no knowlege in this area at all.

 

[jayjay]

Well none fertile eggs are white from fish. Yes single female cichlids do sometimes lay eggs.