Fish that eat poo?

[sirkeen]

Is there such a fish that will eat up the fish crap at the bottom? I was under the impression that plecos did but is there another worker fish that will vacuum up the bottom?!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

No, there is not a fish or invert that will eat waste. Some say that shrimp do, but they do not.

 

[MattAquaBio]

Nope, no fish are that hungry lol, they'd eat each other first. Theres a myth that catfish do because they are bottom feeders, some people dont even count them as a fish in their tank for that myth itself, but no, no fish eats waste. Your better off getting active bottom dwellers like ottos i believe that will stir up the substrate so the filter can get it.

 

[sirkeen]

thank you

 

[Guest]

This topic is funny because I have had so many people come over my place and ask me if my fish eat waste. A lot of people are under that impression

 

[Zagz]

I know of no fish that eat poo. I have had fish accidently eat poo only to spit it out again. Can't say as I blame them.

 

[rkilling1]

when i had red tailed barbs, they ate my bichirs waste before he was done. drove my bichir crazy. can't even poo in peace.

 

[toddnbecka]

Actually, I once had a Savannah monitor lizard. I set it on top of a 55 one day while I was cleaning the cage, and it went in for a swim. It pooped in the water, and a fish rushed over and ate it. 8O

 

[src]

The fish were probably eating the poorly digested bits. Most animals have leave an amazing amount of raw matter in their waste.

 

[malkore]

Well they hear 'bottom feeder' or 'scavenger' and just assume that means they eat anything.

no, they scavenge for left over food.

 

[QTOFFER]

Even IF there was a fish that ate poop, what exactly would come out of it's other end.....????

 

[joannde]

Even IF there was a fish that ate poop, what exactly would come out of it's other end.....????

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm ..... poo-poo ????????? LOL

 

[talloulou]

So basically you gotz to clean your tank! There are no short cuts.....although it can't get much easier than the python!

 

[Toirtis]

Scats eat fæces, hence the name 'scatophagous', however, they do so to ingest undigested material in the fæcal matter, and simply excrete a more 'finished' product....so although they eat it, they do not make it go away.

 

[Jchillin]

so although they eat it, they do not make it go away.

LOL...I was thinking while reading this thread that even if a fish did eat poo, wouldn't it excrete poo, rendering the topic moot?

If someone finds a fish that does consume food and doesn't put it right back, let me know.

 

[Burks]

If a fish did eat the poo of all the other fish, wouldn't there in turn be a little less poo? It couldn't possibly create more poo than it eats......or could it?

To avoid the poo problem, get fish that don't produce huge waste. My Opaline Gourami is just nasty. I'm looking at my tanks and the only poo that I can see easily if the gourami's.

Edit: I shouldn't say "avoid" the problem, more like "lessen the visual impact".

 

[toddnbecka]

If the scientists could only genetically engineer a fish that ate poo and excreted fresh water... 8O NO MORE WATER CHANGES

 

[MattAquaBio]

If a fish did eat the poo of all the other fish, wouldn't there in turn be a little less poo? It couldn't possibly create more poo than it eats......or could it?"

I dont know i had a dog one time that when it got the mind to, could put out waaaaaaaaaay more than we put in lol.

 

[Speakerman]

One of my parot fish shot up from under my largest Oscar when it was taking a huge dump. Ate the terd before Jack (the largest oscar) could even finish.

Weird...

 

[Musket]

This is such a lovely topic to read before bed... lol Now I'm going to dream of fish poo and fish poo eating fish, who poo poo.