Do fish eat poop?

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❌ Do Fish Eat Poop?

  • 🐟 Most fish do not eat poop – they may mouth it or investigate, but they spit it back out.
  • 🧹 Bottom feeders (like plecos, corydoras, and loaches) are often mistaken for “poop-eaters” because they sift through gravel where poop collects. In reality, they are searching for 🍽️ leftover food, 🟢 algae, or tiny microorganisms—not digesting waste.
  • 🐌 Snails and shrimp may climb on poop, but again, they’re picking at biofilm or leftovers stuck to it, not eating the waste itself.

⚠️ Can Fish Survive on Poop?

  • 🚫 No – fish cannot survive on poop.
  • 💩 Fish waste = indigestible material + toxins like ammonia.
  • 🥀 Relying on poop would cause malnutrition, stress, and eventually death.
  • ✅ Fish require a balanced diet: flakes, pellets, live/frozen foods, veggies, or algae wafers (depending on species).

🤔 Why Do People Think Fish Eat Poop?

  • 👀 Fish sometimes pick at poop, but they’re usually:
    • 🟢 Searching for algae.
    • 🍽️ Looking for uneaten food nearby.
    • 🧩 Investigating out of curiosity.
  • Since it happens around poop, many assume the poop itself is being eaten—but it’s not.

🧼 What Actually Helps Keep the Tank Clean?

While nothing eats poop directly, these are your “clean-up crew” for leftover food and algae:

  • 🐠 Corydoras Catfish – great scavengers, sift sand for food.
  • 🐌 Nerite Snails – eat algae, won’t reproduce uncontrollably in freshwater.
  • 🦐 Amano Shrimp – excellent at cleaning up leftovers and algae.
  • 🐟 Plecos (some species) – eat algae and leftover food (but NOT poop).

👉 Bottom Line: No fish or critter survives on poop—it must be removed with regular 🪣 water changes and a 🧽 gravel vacuum.


🐟 Plecos and “Eating Poop”

  • 💩 Plecos do not eat poop. They may push it around while searching, but they aren’t digesting it.
  • 🍽️ If your pleco is surviving without you feeding it, it’s most likely eating:
    • 🟢 Algae growing on the glass, rocks, and decorations.
    • 🪵 Driftwood (many species actually rasp wood fibers—it aids their digestion).
    • 🍤 Leftover food dropped by other fish.

⚠️ Why This is a Problem

  • 🌱 In a newer or very clean tank, algae/wood alone isn’t enough.
  • 🥀 Plecos that aren’t fed properly can become skinny, weak, and sick, even if it looks like they’re “eating something.”
  • ⚡ They also need variety (vegetables + sinking wafers) for long-term health.


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