Fish pecking at other fish

[ocminpin]

I was curious about why fish peck at the body of a dying fish. Does anyone know?
Is it possibly because it's natures way of "cleaning up"? It's just sad because the poor dying fish gets bombarded with several others and doesn't even have the strength to swim away.

 

[davidmoss1992]

Id say so, most fish are scavengers and will go for the easiest meal they can. Its better not to let them eat a dead fish for fear of transferring diseases that could of infested the dying one.

 

[ocminpin]

Id say so, most fish are scavengers and will go for the easiest meal they can. Its better not to let them eat a dead fish for fear of transferring diseases that could of infested the dying one.

I've got mass juvie Molly losses going on in a tank. Started out with around 80 down to 17... Trying different things. No one on here seems to know why either. I have a whole thread on it.
I pull them out as they die and try to get them separated if they're pecking/eating the ones that are still alive but almost dead..

 

[TWEDM1]

Though mollies are listed as community fish I have a Molly that's gangster. He is all black with a thin golden yellow tip of his top fin.

I think you may have a male in your tank that is killing the other males or weakening them. Watch them to eliminate this as an option.

As for 80 Molly's in one tank that's a lot of dirty water if you are not doing half water changes every other day your water quality isn't good. You need airated clear water and with 80 fish 20 eat well the rest compete for food. Try floating and sinking food as well. Good luck





I got my 2 mollies in the same frame


He killed every other female Molly I put in there except the yellow girl you see on the left he is on her every min. He bully's any other male I put in untill they're gone he picked off my swordtail

 

[LyndaB]

Fish will also attempt to eliminate a dead or dying fish as a safeguard to keep their environment bacteria-free and safe.

 

[ocminpin]

Though mollies are listed as community fish I have a Molly that's gangster. He is all black with a thin golden yellow tip of his top fin.

I think you may have a male in your tank that is killing the other males or weakening them. Watch them to eliminate this as an option.

As for 80 Molly's in one tank that's a lot of dirty water if you are not doing half water changes every other day your water quality isn't good. You need airated clear water and with 80 fish 20 eat well the rest compete for food. Try floating and sinking food as well. Good luck

I got my 2 mollies in the same frame

He killed every other female Molly I put in there except the yellow girl you see on the left he is on her every min. He bully's any other male I put in untill they're gone he picked off my swordtail

These are 1/2" juvie fry.. And I have some sort of mysterious sickness going on. They get fed well as they always do. 2-3 times a day and i do a 50-80% change every other day. Everyone was fine until 2 wks ago.

In my main tank I kept 5 females & 1 male.

 

[ocminpin]

Fish will also attempt to eliminate a dead or dying fish as a safeguard to keep their environment bacteria-free and safe.

That's what I was guessing