Hello all!

First post, but I've been reviewing as a guest and registered user for awhile now and appreciate the wide array of information available! I'm fairly new to tilapia and ap in general.. bred many different kinds of fish in the "pet" market, but besides seeing "accidental" breeding of cichlids, i'm a newbie!

Background... 2 55gal lined drums with 30 gal? tupperware gb's with bell siphons... one fully planted w/ pea gravel, other "open" using a few rubber tree plants and misc seedlings to help with nit. removal... i've setup a 20 gal tank for breeding... yes, very small, but i'm doing what i can with what i have as we all know, this isn't a cheap "hobby" to dive head first into... tonight while feeding my breeders.. (random fish not conventally sexed or "breeders" bought - figured by observation i could sex them to see who is building beds(males), and who's getting pestered by those building beds (females)... and one of my smaller "test" breeders, dumped what i believe are eggs... off white roundish and about the size of a onion seed.... which almost immediately -dispite her? attempt at guarding them- were devoured by the others in the tank.... i have some shale and misc aqua decor from tanks of past that i hoped would provide structure, sanctuary, and protection - i guess aren't doing the job....

few questions:
1. were these eggs as I'm assuming?
2. besides buying ceramic pots or (more!) pvc piping - any "household" items you've had success with providing bedding cave... and protection? i thought about the infamous "red solo cups" weighted... but would prefer to leave as much man made materials out as possible..
4. I've see a few of them protecting "beds" although there's not any depression in the gravel, and more or less looks like them being more protective of a 'territory' (pretty sure at this point i need to take out several of the fish i assume are males to get back to a 1male to 2+ female ratio...)
3. tips for spotting female before she shoots eggs out unexpectedly? (they are rather young yet... i have a few 6"+ but my breeders are around 4" - and just curious if these were eggs - if it was just because it was her first batch and inexperienced?)

as everything i do, i weigh many options, then jump in head first and learn as i go... but would love your input and prefer not to "waste" and eggs... (although that was surely a tasty protein rich treat for the co-inhabitants)

Thank you very much for all the knowledge I've gotten here and any input y'all are able to provide!!!