Do any of your fish do this nasty thing? DISGUSTING!

Do any of your fish eat the other fish's poop?

  • Yes

    Votes: 320 70.8%
  • No

    Votes: 53 11.7%
  • Not Sure

    Votes: 74 16.4%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 5 1.1%

  • Total voters
    452

Goaway

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I think fish poop is what got my copperband butterfly to eat prepared foods. The foxface would poop and the cbb acted like it was the best thing ever...

When the big fish poop, the smaller fish fight over who gets what. I rather not think about it.
 

i cant think

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My Ctenochaetus binotatus is the definite one that does this in my tank, although it’s not on a daily basis, it’s like once every week or so
 

CMMorgan

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Well, we employ CUC to do exactly this.... and the fish are just part of the cycle. Usually, mine will spit it out but yes they eat it. Fish eating fish waste is not offensive or nasty.
My dog on the other hand slurping up another dogs poo like it's a chocolate bunny at Easter and then wanting to give you a kiss? Now, THAT will haunt your nightmares. Not ok. No bueno.
Shocked Season 2 GIF by Paramount+
 

Lyss

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My tailspot blenny eats his own poop sometimes. The clowns swim under him and go after the TSB poop AS he's pooping. But what grosses me out the most is how literally every fish will put nearly anything that floats by in their mouth. It's like they discover by taste-test, and then spit out what isn't food. My freshwater puffers do not do this -- I guess they are more discerning (or just more intelligent). When I fist got the fish in my SW tank and observed this, I thought well now I can see how easily parasites can be passed on w/in the same tank. So gross.
 

SlugSnorter

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My fish must be shy poopers, because I have only seen one of my fish poop one time. No one ate it, because it was breakfast time and I was offering something more enticing than fish dookie.

I might have to eat my words. I just glanced up and think I saw a chromis pooping while making a mad dash around the corner. He was alone, his waste eliminated in private, uneaten, as it should be. ;Hilarious
maybe he ate it and kept it all to himself, a buffet of sorts
 

G Santana

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I am smiling as I read through this thread!!!
I'm sure that it's a natural adaptation for survival, but you'd think that they would display a modicum of modesty....but nooooo they will tear into it while looking you straight in the eye.
Crying, and no it doesn't gross me out and no I don't equate it to human biology.... still lol
 

Calm Blue Ocean

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Thank you for the morning chuckle. I'm sure they do eat poop although my observation is that they usually do a taste test and spit it out. My Midas Blenny does seem to very purposefully crop dust the tank on a regular basis though. She heads to one end aligned with the flow for maximum coverage. At the very least the corals are happy!
 

Gtinnel

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As humans, we make this mistake all the time - apply our human standards to others animals.
I couldn't agree more. Many animals do it to extract nutrients that were missed the first time through the digestion process. Just because we find it gross doesn't mean that it is.


Now where do I attach the human centipede image.
 

snorklr

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oh yeah and check out what they feed the tilapia you had for dinner....
 

Karen00

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You know the old saying... one fish's junk is another fish's treasure. Haha. I have seen my freshwater fish do this but they spit it out. To be honest I don't think my salty buddies even poo and this was my take on it even before I got a few cuc. LOL
 

atomos

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1. Do any of your fish eat the other fish's poop?

I'd assume our gobies do when they sand sift...as for the others, don't think we've seen it...then again....it could well be this scenario....

giphy-downsized-large.gif



2. How do you feel about it? Grossed out, doesn't bother you, what?
no not grossed out when it comes to the fishes....but for our dogs....that's a whole other story....LOL
 

Dana Riddle

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Have never seen it in my tank - fishes will mouth the poop and spit it out. But it is quite common in the wild - Some of the big tangs in Hawaii are poop generating wonders, and their poop rarely makes it to the bottom. The technical term is coprophagy.
 

Duncan62

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My fish must be shy poopers, because I have only seen one of my fish poop one time. No one ate it, because it was breakfast time and I was offering something more enticing than fish dookie.

I might have to eat my words. I just glanced up and think I saw a chromis pooping while making a mad dash around the corner. He was alone, his waste eliminated in private, uneaten, as it should be. ;Hilarious
Polite pooping chromis. Lol
 

725196

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1. Do any of your fish eat the other fish's poop?

It seems like they all do... :\

2. How do you feel about it? Grossed out, doesn't bother you, what?

It does not bother me one bit. I ain't eating it!


BTW, perfect lunch time question...
 

LRT

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My Tomini Tang eats all the poop he can haha. None of my other fish do it.
It also poops in one spot in the tank.
He is my model poop citizen for sure:)
 

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