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

[ImaFlippinDolphin]

They are doo gobbling savages...I am very glad that I keep fish and not monkeys though

 

[Koigula]

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.

All organisms are a little bit gross if you think too hard.

People are about 70% efficient in digesting food and fish are 40% or so by design. They are wonders at feeding corals half dead bacteria.

 

[Mical]

Reminded me of this ->

 

[blaxsun]

1. Probably (thanks for not asking for pictures this time).
2. I try not to think about it (what happens in my reef tank... stays in my reef tank).

 

[Dolphins18]

Don't knock it til you try it!

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

My Midas Blenny makes the tank a snow globe a few times a day and all of them, including the Midas, eat it.

 

[LPS Bum]

Yes, all the time. Personally, I don't see the appeal, but it doesn't bother me one bit. Less nutrients to export I suppose.

Now when my yellow lab tries to eat his poop, that bothers me a great deal...

 

[MrMreef]

My purple tang eats his/her own poo.

 

[BryanJ]

I like to call it ABC (Already Been Chewed) food. I can only imagine some of the foods we feed don't fully digest and then they pass it. Some of the pieces of shrimp they eat are huge and they eat more than that one piece. Its gotta go somewhere.

 

[attiland]

Well this is kinda gross today but a thread from yesterday "inspired" me to ask you this question today. So blame it on @G Santana if you want to blame someone! As gross as it may be it did make me wonder how many of your fish might be doing the same thing. So what are fish doing? They are eating poop. More specifically other fishes poop! If it were a snail eating poop it would be perfectly acceptable but seeing a fish eat it takes to another level, or does it? Anyway let's talk about it today!

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

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

It is only natural. Fisk is not alone with this habit therefore nor disgusted or surprised

 

[Magic City Reefer]

I wouldn't necessarily say they eat the poop as much as they suck it in and then spit it out. On some occasions, I've even seen them come around for a second taste. ;Vomit

 

[StewL6]

All my fish from time to time. My blue sided fairy Wrasse and lawnmower blenny never spit anything out. Don’t mind though just gives them bad breath

 

[Magic City Reefer]

fish dookie

This almost made me spill my coffee lol

 

[rhostam]

I see my fish take in stuff floating in the water column and sometimes spitting it back out. It’s how they determine if something unknown is food I would guess.

I haven’t witnessed any of them taking in poop as it floats by AND NOT spit it out.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t and it wouldn’t gross me out if they actively sought it out.

 

[austibella]

Doesn't gross me out.. better then settling on the bottom of the tank.my fish all eat it and so do my corals especially my flower anemones . They grab it right away. Its nutrition for them.

 

[flashsmith]

I have a tomini who poops in the same front corner multiple times a day. Always hermits hanging out there.

 

[GradientHurdle]

Well this is kinda gross today but a thread from yesterday "inspired" me to ask you this question today. So blame it on @G Santana if you want to blame someone! As gross as it may be it did make me wonder how many of your fish might be doing the same thing. So what are fish doing? They are eating poop. More specifically other fishes poop! If it were a snail eating poop it would be perfectly acceptable but seeing a fish eat it takes to another level, or does it? Anyway let's talk about it today!

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

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

Yes, but only the tangs, not other species.

 

[beardog]

Yes, I think 2 out of the 4 tangs and lunate wrasse are poop eaters which has never bothered me. Now when my dog eats cat poop that is definitely disgusting.

 

[Timetowaste]

Ive seen my clowns grab a pc here or there but they always spit it out. Doesn't bother me I just laugh. I like to imagine they dont realize until its to late and immediately spit it out once they know. "Dang thats s***".

 

[DC Reefer]

Not much different than smelling a fart, or is it? Food for thought.