Removing angel fish eggs

Question
Unfortunately, our parents ate their eggs overnight. Is that common? We got the two angelfish from my sister and she let me know yesterday that they had seen the female lay eggs several times but they always ate them before they hatched. My sister got the fish in Aug of 2004. She said they weren't babies when she got them so not sure how old they are exactly. Anyway...I really want to watch some eggs hatch and raise some babies. How often do the fish lay eggs? Also, where is the best or what is the best website to order brine shrimp eggs from?
Thanks for all your help!
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello! I noticed a question that you've answered before and I have the same question basically except....:)...My angelfish has laid her eggs on the filter tube in my 29 gallon tank. You answered to remove the babies. Will my filter suck the babies into it and them be gone? Not sure what to do. Thanks for you help!
-----Answer-----
Hi April;

I hope my answer hasn't come too late. We had a sewer back-up at our house so it's been a bit frantic around here. Yuck.

Anyway, the babies could be sucked up in the filter if the parents don't move them elsewhere. If there is no male with her the eggs won't hatch anyway, but if you have both sexes, hopefully the male has done his job too and there will beviable eggs to hatch.

Cichlids are excellent parents so if you could leave the eggs where they are it is better. It's hard to do that with them on the filter tube though and especially if they are in a community tank. If you decide to move the eggs, you will have to get a different tube for your filter temporarily. The eggs stay adhered to the surface they are laid on until the babies hatch. Move the tube to another tank for hatching and care for the babies until old enough to find new homes for. Here is more info about breeding angels with a section on hatching eggs away from the parents;

http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/breedingangels.htm

Good luck!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Answer
Hi April;

It is very common for the parents to eat the eggs. Especially if the eggs are not fertile. They groom the nesting site constantly and if any begin to rot they are eaten. If the pair has never hatched anything it's possible the male is sterile or the eggs are malformed in a way you cannot see. It's also possible you have two females. Two females will pair off and both lay eggs as if they are male and female sometimes. Don't worry though. They will lay eggs again in a couple of weeks as long as they are conditioned and healthy so you will have plenty of opportunities to find out.

If you watch them closely during spawning and see both fish actually deposit eggs, you will know. If the female deposits the eggs and the male immediately passes over them to fertilize, there is a chance he has done so.  

Feed the fish plenty of healthy rich foods such as chopped worms, shrimp, etc, and make plenty of water changes so they are in the best condition you can get them to be in. Good health increses fertility.

Good luck!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins