 In the wild, as has already been noted, tens of thousands of pairs spawn simultaneously, and in order to reduce the competition for their own offspring, a pair will turn around and eat some of the eggs being produced by neighbouring spawning pairs.The same instinct, needless to say, manifests itself in the aquarium, but in an aquarium setting, the only eggs present are usually those of the single spawning pair.Consequently, some of the pair's own eggs will be devoured.